Charles Athanasopoulos is an Assistant Professor of African American and African Studies & English at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on intersections of Black rhetorics, media, and culture, with expertise in The Black Radical Tradition, Rhetorical Theory, and Cultural Critique. He earned his Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Communication from the University of Pittsburgh. His work analyzes racial progress, public symbols, and post/Ferguson America through lenses of iconoclasm and critical race theory. Education: Ph.D., Rhetoric & Communication, University of Pittsburgh. Research interests span Black American and Diasporic Cinema, Afro-Caribbean and Greek-Roma identity critiques. He has published in venues like Lateral: The Journal of the Cultural Studies Association and Western Journal of Communication. His 2024 book Black Iconoclasm explores dismantling racial symbols in public discourse. Recent articles address Fanonian thought, anti-racist campus rhetoric, and transnational Blackness studies. His publications critically engage with visual activism, film analysis, and decolonial theories. Current projects include studies on sonic rhetorics in Black women’s music and global race discourses in Mediterranean contexts.
Joanna Pawlik is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Art History at the University of Sussex, within the School of Media, Arts and Humanities. Her research focuses on modern art and literature, emphasizing transnationalism, avant-gardism, and protest movements. She has been funded by prestigious grants like the Leverhulme Trust and the AHRC. Her 2021 monograph Remade in America , awarded the MSA First Book Prize, examines Surrealism's role in American activism post-1940. Current research explores fascist iconography in American art (1945–1980), funded by a Leverhulme Fellowship. Education: PhD in Art History, University of Sussex (2003–2008) MA in Art History, York University, Canada (2021–2022) BA Hons in Art History, University of East Anglia (2018–2021) Research Interests: Her work investigates surrealism's transnational legacies, anti-fascist art, feminist/queer methodologies, and postwar American visual culture. She examines how surrealist principles intersect with race, gender, class, and activism in movements like the Beat Generation and Black Arts Movement. Grants & Awards: Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2020–2022) Leverhulme Trust Grant 'Radical America: Afterlives' (2016) MSA First Book Prize (2021) Professional Activities: Co-director of the SAVAnT Doctoral School promoting interdisciplinary American visual studies. Supervises PhD projects on postwar American art, anti-fascism, and feminist/queer art history. Engages in public scholarship through interviews and exhibitions.
Casey Boyle serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Liberal Arts, where he also directs the Digital Writing & Research Lab. His academic profile demonstrates significant contributions to digital rhetoric, accessibility studies, and posthuman theory through both research and teaching. Boyle's research interests span Rhetorical Theory, Digital Rhetoric, Accessibility, Aesthetics, Digital Humanities, Media Studies, AI & Reading/Writing, Techno-poetics/ethics, and Posthumanism . His work explores how digital technologies reshape rhetorical practices, with particular attention to accessibility as both ethical imperative and theoretical framework. His book Rhetoric as a Posthuman Practice examines information as embodied material practice, arguing that digital rhetoric concerns how bodies become informed through practice that includes not only traditional communication but also how information technologies organize those bodies. Analysis of Boyle's recent publications reveals consistent engagement with posthuman and material approaches to rhetoric, with increasing focus on accessibility, digital environments, and the intersection of rhetoric with environmental concerns. His work demonstrates interdisciplinary reach across philosophy, media studies, and digital humanities, with recurring themes of embodiment, materiality, and the ethics of digital communication. Through his teaching, Boyle offers courses such as RHE 330C (Access Designed), RHE 391 (Rhetoric and Aesthetics), and RHE 325M (Advanced Writing), with course descriptions emphasizing experiential learning and practical application of accessibility principles. His Racing to Empathy project (with Terrance Green) develops immersive digital environments to address implicit bias against Black girls in primary education, while A Version to Access (with Nathaniel Rivers) explores accessibility ontologically through the concept of nonequal design.
Professor Tony Kushner is the James Parkes Professor of History at the University of Southampton , affiliated with both the History Department and the Parkes Institute . His work spans Jewish migration history , Refugee studies , and Representation and memory of the Holocaust , with additional expertise in Bystander studies and Heritage, history and memory . Current Research: Cultural history of Jacob Harris (18th-century Jewish triple murderer); co-presentations to the Holocaust with Dr Aimee Bunting. Key Article Trends: Focus on Holocaust memory, urban Jewish communities, migration patterns, and intersections of race, colonialism, and genocide. Scientific Awards: BA Fellowship (Dr Jennifer Craig-Norton) K Pieren Postdoc Research Fellowship Hannah Ewence Postdoc Research Fellowship Kushner Rothschild Parkes Intl Summer School in Jewish Heritage PhD Supervision: Currently supervising 7 PhD students across History and Geography. Grants: Sponsored research projects from the British Academy and Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv) Europe.
Jo Hsu (they/them) is an associate professor of Rhetoric and Writing and Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where they also serve as Associate Chair of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. They are core faculty for the Center for Asian American Studies and have made significant contributions to trans and queer studies, disability studies, and Asian American rhetoric. Education and Background Ph.D., M.F.A. from Pennsylvania State University Research Interests Jo Hsu's research examines how stories shape policy and culture, with a focus on trans and queer narratives, disability justice, and Asian American rhetoric. Their work bridges academic scholarship with public engagement, exploring how storytelling functions as political strategy and community-building practice. They investigate how narratives of health, identity, and belonging circulate across medical, legal, and cultural contexts, particularly focusing on marginalized communities. Their current projects include examining far-right rhetorical strategies for disguising seemingly neutral beliefs and policies, and taking a narrative approach to health injustice, considering how stories infiltrate settings of health care practice and research. Awards and Recognition 2024 Book Award from the Rhetoric Society of America for "Constellating Home: Trans and Queer Asian American Rhetorics" 2023 Diamond Anniversary Book Award from the National Communication Association 2023 Innovations in Community Writing Book Award from the Conference on Community Writing Winifred Bryan Horner Outstanding Book Award from the Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric & Composition 2023 Rhetoric Society of America Fellows Early Career Award 2023 Leadership Award for People with Disabilities from the National Council of Teachers of English Public Engagement Jo Hsu is an active public intellectual whose work appears in major news outlets including the Huffington Post, the Hill, and the Boston Globe. They are committed to making academic knowledge accessible and relevant to broader publics, particularly in discussions about trans rights, disability justice, and racial equity. Their creative writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, reflecting their commitment to both scholarly and artistic forms of expression. Laboratory and Community Work While not leading a traditional laboratory, Hsu's scholarly work functions as a form of community-based research that centers QTPOC (Queer and Trans People of Color) experiences and knowledge production. They are actively involved with organizations supporting trans folks in Texas, including Black Trans Leadership of Austin, Transgender Education Network of Texas, and Equality Texas. Their work emphasizes relationality and community accountability as central to knowledge creation.
Jacobus (Kobus) Kok is Professor and Chair of New Testament Studies at Evangelische Theologische Faculteit (ETF) Leuven, with additional appointments as Professor Extraordinarius at the University of Pretoria. His multifaceted research integrates exegetical analysis with social identity theory, focusing on early Christian community formation. Education Ph.D. Theology: Religious Studies and Missiology, University of Pretoria (2017) Ph.D. Theology: New Testament Studies, University of Pretoria (2008) M.Th. New Testament Studies, University of Pretoria (2004) M.Div., University of Pretoria (2003) B.Th., University of Pretoria (2001) Kok's scholarship explores boundary dynamics in early Christianity, examining how texts like 1 Peter and Johannine literature navigated inclusion/exclusion tensions. Recent works employ social identity complexity theory to analyze community formation amid persecution. He maintains active collaborations across European universities and contributes to international theological dialogues. His extensive publications in venues like Mohr Siebeck and Brill analyze power dynamics, missional ethics, and decolonial interpretations of scripture, particularly focusing on Pauline and Johannine corpora. Kok serves on editorial boards for several theological series and participates in academic societies including SNTS, EABS, and NOSTER, promoting interdisciplinary engagement between biblical studies and social sciences.
David Kazanjian is a Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences. He serves as Graduate Chair for the Comparative Literature and Literary Theory program (2024-25, 2026-2028), and has held prestigious fellowships including the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, 2026), Vartan Gregorian Center (NYPL, 2025), and Berlin Prize. His scholarship bridges transnational American studies, Armenian diaspora studies, political philosophy, and postcolonial theory. PhD in Rhetoric, University of California, Berkeley M.A. in Critical Theory, University of Sussex B.A. in Modern Thought and Literature, Stanford University Kazanjian's research examines dispossession through legal archives, transnational Armenian cultural politics, and 19th-century social movements. His work spans early American literature, Latin American colonialism, trauma theory, and Marxist analysis of freedom discourses. Recent publications address dispossession in colonial New England/Yucatán, Armenian diaspora representation, and improvisational freedom practices in the Atlantic world. His editorial roles include co-editing NYU Press's America and the Long 19th Century series and Social Text journal. 2022 Penn Provost's Award for Outstanding Mentorship of Ph.D. Students Berlin Prize, American Academy of Berlin As co-director of the Tepoztlán Institute for Transnational History of the Americas (2017-19) and affiliations with Penn's Gender & Sexuality Studies, Latin American Studies, and Middle East Center, Kazanjian fosters interdisciplinary scholarship. He teaches courses on capitalism theories, early American literature, and critical theory. His lab and collective work includes the Tepoztlán Institute and Social Text editorial collective, focusing on transnational historical methods and diasporic cultural analysis.
Ronisha Browdy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Florida State University (FSU), affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Writing from Michigan State University, an M.A. in English from the University of South Florida, and a B.A. in English from the University of Florida. Her research focuses on Black women’s and Black feminist rhetorical practices, exploring themes like self-definition, identity construction, and representation through the lens of Black feminist theory. Key areas include analyzing rhetorical strategies in private spaces, public narratives of figures like Michelle Obama and Patrisse Cullors, and global Black rhetorical traditions. Browdy’s publications emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, blending rhetoric, composition studies, and African diasporic studies. Recent work includes co-editing a special issue on Global Black Rhetorics (2022) and examining coalitional academic communities (2021). Her research bridges historical and contemporary contexts, often centering intersectional frameworks. No specific scientific awards are noted in the provided materials. Her advising and grant details remain unreported here. Browdy collaborates actively with scholars like Esther Milu and Laura Gonzales, reflecting a commitment to coalition-building in academic and activist spaces.
Angela G. Ray is an Associate Professor in the Communication Studies Department at Northwestern University's School of Communication. She also serves as Associate Dean for Graduate Education in the School of Communication and previously held leadership roles including Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in The Graduate School (2017-2020) and chair of the Northwestern University Press Editorial Board. Her academic journey includes: PhD in Speech-Communication, University of Minnesota MA in Drama and Theatre Studies, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College (University of London) BA in English & Chemistry, Transylvania University Ray specializes in rhetorical history and analysis, focusing on 19th-century U.S. popular education systems, social reform movements, and rhetorical practices in marginalized communities. Her current research examines clandestine debating networks among free Black men in antebellum Charleston. Her scholarly work appears in journals such as Argumentation and Advocacy , Quarterly Journal of Speech , and Women’s Studies in Communication . She has published extensively on topics including: Rhetorical history of the lyceum lecture system Rhetoric and archival methodology Political communication networks Gender and feminist rhetoric Rhetorical practices in marginalized communities Ray has been recognized with multiple awards: Van Zelst Research Professor in Communication (2020-2021) Faculty Mentorship Award (2016) James A. Winans-Herbert A. Wichelns Memorial Award Diamond Anniversary Book Award Marie Hochmuth Nichols Award Daniel Rohrer Memorial Outstanding Research Award
Michaela Valente is an Associate Professor in Early Modern History at the Department of Political Science, Sapienza University of Rome , where she has taught since 2021. Previously, she was Associate Professor at the University of Molise (2005-2021) after postdoctoral work at Salerno. Her research focuses on witchcraft, inquisition practices, religious migrations, and historiographical debates in Early Modern Europe. Her scholarship explores the demonological discourse through works like Charles V (2013) and co-edited volumes on the Roman Inquisition. She has contributed to international research projects including COST Action PIMo (2019-2023) on Mediterranean displacements and PRIN initiatives on Renaissance philosophy. Recent publications analyze transnational religious refugees ( Religious Refugees in the Early Modern World , 2023), gender in exile (2024), and witchcraft's intellectual legacy . Her teaching includes Modern History and Migration History courses, with exam texts emphasizing primary sources and critical historiography. Scientific Awards : Anna Maria Battista Fellowship Fondazione Luigi Firpo Fellow (2000) University of Rome Research Fellow (2001-2003)
Professor Sue Niebrzydowski holds a professorship in Medieval Literature at Bangor University's School of Arts, Culture and Language. She serves as Dean of Postgraduate Research and previously directed the Graduate School for the College of Arts and Humanities. Her scholarly work focuses on medieval women's writing, devotional practices, and the intersections of gender, material culture, and life course studies. PhD supervision in medieval women's literature Director of Stephen Colclough Centre for History and Culture of the Book Editorial leadership in Yearbook of English Studies Research themes include: Medieval women's engagement with literature Materiality of devotional texts Ageing and female representation Marian devotion in lay contexts Recent publications examine: Chaucerian manuscript traditions Medieval book of hours practices Global medieval women's writing Scientific Awards: Fellow of the Royal Historical Society Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales Fellow of the English Association Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Prof. Dr. Birgit Ulrike Münch serves as Professor of General Art History with focus on Dutch Art and Vice Rector for International Affairs at the University of Bonn's Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Her academic leadership includes directorship of the Institute of Art History (2018-2020) and membership in university-wide committees including the Faculty Council and Habilitation Commission. Her educational background encompasses Magistra Artium in Art History and Medieval/Modern History from Heidelberg University (1995-2003), with additional studies at Paris-Sorbonne and FU Berlin. Her doctoral dissertation Geteiltes Leid. Die Passion Christi in Bildern und Texten der Konfessionalisierung (2007, summa cum laude) and habilitation Jenseits der Académie: Studies on Alternative Art Publics in France and the Netherlands from 1450 to around 1815 (2016) established foundational contributions to Northern European art historiography. Münch's research spans Flemish, Dutch, German, and French art (15th-18th centuries), with pioneering work on genre painting genesis, proverb visualization, and illness representation. She investigates how emotions like existential anxiety shaped artistic production during crises such as the Reformation, and examines court dwarf agency through interdisciplinary collaborations. Recent projects analyze syphilis's impact on art and colonialism's representation in Dutch still lifes, demonstrating her commitment to methodological innovation at the intersection of art history and medical humanities. Her publication trajectory reveals increasing engagement with postcolonial frameworks, particularly in re-examining Northern European art's entanglement with slavery and dependency systems. The 2022-2025 works demonstrate sophisticated interdisciplinary approaches connecting visual culture with critical race theory, gender studies, and economic history. International Wolfgang-Ratjen Prize (2008) for research on graphic arts Nomination for DFG's Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize (2016) Senior Global Fellowship at University of St Andrews (2022) Membership in Comité International d'histoire de l'Art (CIHA) As Principal Investigator for the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (2020-present), she directs the project "Prostitution, Serfdom, Slavery: Picturing Female Dependencies in Early Modern Amsterdam." Her leadership in the GOTH Symposium and MeWo Mentoring Program for women at the Centre d'Excellence Denis Mukwege highlights commitment to gender equity. Major grants include DFG Excellence Cluster funding and BMBF research fellowships for collection recontextualization projects. She co-founded the Kunsthistorisches Forum Irsee (2014-2020), producing 7 edited volumes on premodern art communities. Current leadership includes the "Aby Warburg's Bonn Years" research group and the Crossroads project on Frankfurt's 16th-century art market with North American collaborators. Her curation of the "A Feast for the Eyes? Dutch Still Lifes in Detail" exhibition exemplifies her commitment to public scholarship and decolonial museum practices.
Cedric Burrows is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Arizona State University (ASU), specializing in cultural rhetorics, Black rhetoric, and their interpretations in mainstream culture. Previously, he held the same rank at Marquette University. His research explores the intersection of race, rhetoric, and cultural representation, culminating in his award-winning book Rhetorical Crossover: The Black Presence in White Culture (2020), which examines how Black cultural expressions are received and misinterpreted in white-dominated spaces. He has also received the 2020 Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Award from Marquette. Education: Ph.D. in English from the University of Kansas, M.A. in English from Miami University (Ohio), and B.A. in English from Alcorn State University. Research interests include African American Studies, Civil Rights history, and decolonial pedagogical practices. His work challenges systemic inequities in education and media representation, emphasizing the 'Black tax' faced by marginalized communicators in white spaces. His scholarship bridges historical analysis (e.g., Malcolm X and MLK narratives) with contemporary issues like textbook bias and microaggressions in academia. Key contributions include critiques of composition textbooks’ handling of non-white voices and advocacy for inclusive curricula. His teaching focuses on the African American Rhetorical Tradition and Black Freedom Movement studies, described as transformative by colleagues.
Victoria J. Gallagher is a Distinguished University Professor of Communication at North Carolina State University (NC State), affiliated with the Department of Communication within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She has been a faculty member since 1990 and previously served as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Academic Affairs (2008–2015). Her research focuses on rhetorical theory and criticism, communication ethics, civil rights discourse, and digital humanities. Notably, she leads the Virtual Martin Luther King Project, a major digital humanities initiative supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. She has also contributed to projects on gender and communication in engineering teams and authored/co-edited works such as Communicative Cities in the 21st Century . Education: Ph.D. and M.A. in Communication Studies from Northwestern University (1990 and 1989), B.A. in Communication from Michigan State University (1983). Her research interests emphasize the intersection of rhetoric, materiality, and public spaces, particularly museums, memorials, and urban parks. She explores how these sites mediate public memory and civic engagement, blending rhetorical analysis with technology and community collaboration. Her work on public art and urban communication aims to enhance public life through communicative spaces and ethical discourse. Dr. Gallagher’s funded research exceeds $450,000, including grants from the NEH and Engineering Information Foundation. Her recent articles highlight themes like virtual reality in education, sonic rhetoric in digital projects, and the role of visual imagery in social movements. She is a sought-after speaker, delivering lectures at institutions like DePaul University and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and has been featured in media outlets such as the Washington Post and WUNC/NPR’s The State of Things . Awards: Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal of Excellence (NC State’s highest honor), Robert M. Entman award, Graduate Mentorship Award, and others. As a mentor, she has advised over 70 graduate students and received multiple teaching accolades. Her leadership roles include serving as president of the Southern States Communication Association (2017–2018) and on the Rhetoric Society of America’s Career Development Taskforce. She actively engages with community organizations, including the North Carolina Freedom Park Advisory Board and the former Exploris Children’s Museum. Her projects integrate digital technologies to recover historical narratives and foster civic engagement, such as the Virtual MLK Project and analyses of urban parks as communicative spaces. She also advocates for ethical communication practices in academia and urban development.
Ben Carrington is an Associate Professor of Journalism and Sociology at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He holds courtesy appointments in the Department of Sociology and the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity. Previously, he taught at the University of Texas at Austin (13 years) and the University of Brighton in England. He is also a visiting Carnegie research fellow at Leeds Beckett University. His research focuses on the sociology of race, politics, and popular culture, examining how ideologies of race, gender, class, and nationalism intersect with cultural practices. Key areas include mass media, sport, and post/colonial theory. He critiques how power structures operate in contemporary societies through these lenses. Teaching spans cultural sociology, post/colonial theory, media studies, journalism, and sports media. He supervises master’s and doctoral students, emphasizing critical engagement with sociological frameworks. Publications include four books like Race, Sport and Politics: The Sporting Black Diaspora (2010), numerous articles, and op-eds for The Guardian and Huffington Post . He also appears as a media commentator on race, culture, and politics, and produced a documentary on Stuart Hall’s legacy for public radio. His work bridges academic research and public engagement, analyzing topics like athlete activism, media framing, and cultural resistance in global contexts.
