Nicola Cusumano is a Full Professor in the Department of Cultures and Society at the University of Palermo. His research focuses on ancient Greek and Sicilian history, religious practices, mythological interpretation, and the intersection of politics and culture in antiquity. He holds office hours on Tuesdays, emphasizing appointment scheduling for students. His work spans analysis of classical texts (e.g., Thucydides, Euripides) and archaeological evidence, with particular attention to Sicily's cultural landscape. Key themes include religious syncretism, ritual practices, political rhetoric, and the legacy of ancient Mediterranean civilizations. He has curated volumes on topics like memory and identity in antiquity, and his publications often bridge historiography, anthropology, and literary criticism. Recent articles highlight interdisciplinary approaches, examining votive offerings, democratic deliberation, and comparative mythological analysis. His scholarship underscores the relevance of ancient studies to contemporary discussions on ethics, cultural exchange, and historical memory.
Joanna Kulawiak-Cyrankowska is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Roman Law, Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Lodz. She holds a PhD in Law and a Master’s degree in Classical Philology. Her academic work bridges Roman law, classical antiquity, and Latin literature, with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches. She teaches Roman law, Latin language, and supervises doctoral studies in literature. Her research interests include classical jurisprudence, legal interpretation techniques, Stoic philosophy’s influence on law, and the interplay between Roman legal texts and literary sources. Notable projects involve analyzing the Epitome Gai , Consultatio veteris , and legal themes in Martial’s epigrams. Her publications highlight Roman legal concepts in medieval music theory, legal disabilities in classical marriage law, and the role of Latin competence in modern legal scholarship. She contributes to international legal handbooks and collaborates on translations of ancient legal texts. Her work emphasizes preserving Latin’s role in legal education and exploring Roman law’s legacy in post-classical contexts, combining philological rigor with legal-historical analysis.
Catherine Lusheck is a Professor in the Department of Art + Architecture at the University of San Francisco. She directs the Art History & Museum Studies program and teaches in the Getty Honors College, St. Ignatius Institute, and M.A. in Museum Studies program. Her curatorial work includes exhibitions at USF’s Thacher Gallery and Donohue Rare Book Room. Education: PhD in History of Art (UC Berkeley, 2000), MA in History of Art (UC Berkeley, 1992), BA in Political Science (DePauw University, 1987) Research focuses on early modern European art, particularly Peter Paul Rubens and Leonardo da Vinci’s artistic legacy, Renaissance drawings culture, visual rhetoric, and the classical tradition. Her recent work explores Rubens’s artistic emulation and the intersection of art and science in early modernity. Her publications and research have been supported by institutions like the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (CASVA), Belgian-American Educational Foundation (BAEF), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She regularly collaborates with graduate students on exhibitions and curatorial projects. Scientific Awards: University Distinguished Teaching Award, NEH Summer Institute Scholar, BAEF Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, CASVA Smith Dissertation Fellowship, Jesuit Foundation Grants Lusheck’s teaching includes undergraduate seminars on Renaissance/Baroque art, Rubens vs. Rembrandt, Early Modern Art & Science, and graduate curatorial practicums. She has held leadership roles such as Department Chair and Interim Academic Director of the Museum Studies program.
Dr. Jen Edwards is Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies at the University of Warwick, joining in September 2023. She has previously taught at The Queen’s College, Oxford, Shakespeare’s Globe, and Royal Holloway, University of London, reflecting a strong interdisciplinary and performance-oriented academic profile. Research Interests: Her work bridges early modern literature, medicine, and philosophy, with a central focus on emotion, embodiment, and consciousness. She investigates how literature contributes to early modern understandings of mental interiority and subjectivity, particularly in states of distraction, ecstasy, and emotional disturbance. Her research extends to modern Shakespearean performance, affect, and environmental embodiment. Recent Publications and Research Trends: Her recent publications reveal a consistent engagement with altered states of consciousness in Shakespeare, including ecstasy, distraction, and out-of-body experiences. These works span literary analysis, medical humanities, and performance studies, showing a strong interdisciplinary trajectory. Her 2023 monograph This Distracted Globe exemplifies her focus on cognitive and sensory engagement in theatrical spaces. Honors and Research Support: Research supported by The Huntington Library (California) Supported by Osler Library of the History of Medicine (Montreal) Supported by TORCH (Oxford) Teaching and Collaborative Work: She teaches courses on Shakespearean text and performance and European theatre. She has collaborated with biologists at Oxford on interdisciplinary projects examining fainting and illness in Shakespeare’s theatre, demonstrating a commitment to cross-disciplinary scholarship. She is currently working on a book titled Ecstatic Subjects and a new introduction to Shakespeare’s narrative poems for Oxford World’s Classics. Labs and Research Groups: While no formal lab is mentioned, her affiliations with TORCH (The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities) and collaborative projects with science departments indicate active participation in interdisciplinary research networks focused on performance, cognition, and medical humanities.
Caroline Petit is Professor of Classics and the History of Medicine at the University of Warwick, where she serves as Director of Graduate Studies and Erasmus and Exchange Students Officer. She is affiliated with the Department of Classics and Ancient History within the Faculty of Arts, and is an associate member of the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance. Her research is deeply interdisciplinary, bridging classical philology, the history of medicine, and Renaissance studies. PhD in Classics, Paris IV - Sorbonne M.A. and M.Phil in Classics and French, Paris IV - Sorbonne Her research interests focus on the textual transmission, translation, and interpretation of ancient medical texts, particularly those of Galen. She explores the history of rhetoric in medical writing, the long reception of ancient medicine into the Renaissance, and the intellectual frameworks shaping medical humanism. Her work combines philological rigor with cultural and historical analysis, examining how medical knowledge was preserved, transformed, and repurposed across centuries. Her recent publications and research projects reveal a strong trend toward understanding the boundaries of the Galenic corpus, including the study of pseudo-Galenic texts and their impact on medical scholarship. She has led major funded projects such as the Wellcome Trust University Award on 'Medical Prognosis in Late Antiquity' and the BA-Leverhulme project 'Rethinking Ancient Pharmacology'. Her publications span critical editions, monographs, and articles in leading journals, with a consistent focus on Galen’s pharmacology, rhetoric, and intellectual legacy. Prix Lantier de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres (2010) Prix Raymond Weil de l'Association pour l'encouragement des études grecques en France (2010) Médaille de Chénier de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres (2019) Wilhelm Friedrich Bessel Research Prize of the Humboldt Foundation (2020) Caroline Petit actively supervises PhD and Master’s students in areas including ancient medicine, medical humanities, intellectual history, and rhetoric. She has sponsored students for Wellcome PhD scholarships and maintains a vibrant research group. She has also organized and participated in numerous academic workshops and conferences, such as those on 'Illness, Health and Healing in Late Antiquity' and 'Pseudo-Galenic texts', fostering international collaboration. Her personal website and blog, medicineancientandmodern.com, serve as a hub for her scholarly output and public engagement.
Grace Attwood is a Lecturer in Classics at the University of Galway's School of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures. Her research focuses on early imperial Latin poetry, particularly Lucan's Bellum Civile , and the reception of Latin texts in pre-modern and Carolingian contexts. She holds a PhD from the University of Galway (2022), where her thesis examined Hiberno-Latin poets' engagement with classical stylistic discourses. Education: BA and PhD in Classics (University of Galway) Her research interests include intertextuality in classical texts, the impact of Christianity on Latin literary style, and the transmission of Latin culture up to AD 1000. She teaches advanced medieval Latin, ancient rhetoric, and courses on Roman society. Recent work analyzes biblical exegesis in early medieval Latin poetry. Major awards include the Irish Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship (2017) and a 2023 nomination for the President's Awards for Teaching Excellence. She serves on the Teaching and Learning Committee since February 2024.
Dr. Tom Masters is a Senior Lecturer in Journalism at Bournemouth University within the Department of English and Communication. His academic profile includes research contributions to literary and journalistic communication. Research Focus: Masters' work bridges creative writing and communication studies , with a particular emphasis on poetic forms , rhetorical analysis , and literary expression in contemporary contexts. His publications demonstrate interdisciplinary engagement with media studies and philosophical themes . Member of MeCCSA (Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association) since 2016
Rosario Castelli is an Associate Professor of Italian Literature in the Department of Humanities at the University of Catania, where he teaches Literature and Cinema in the master's program in Communication, Culture and Entertainment, and Literature Teaching in the master's program in Modern Philology. His research focuses on Sicilian authors from the 17th to the 20th century, including Aversa, Verga, De Roberto, Pirandello, Brancati, Quasimodo, and Sciascia. He investigates the relationships between writers and visual languages, particularly the transcodification of literary texts and the interplay between cinema and history. His scholarly interests span Italian literary studies, narrative prose, cinematic adaptation, and cultural history, with a strong regional emphasis on Sicily and its intellectual traditions. Castelli has presented at numerous national and international conferences, including multiple ADI Congresses, Brancati-Zafferana Literary Conferences, and events at institutions like Princeton and Cambridge. He has served as a speaker and chairman, notably at the Society for Italian Studies Biennial Conference in Oxford. While specific publications are not listed, the high volume noted suggests a significant scholarly output. His work bridges literature and film, especially in the context of historical and cultural representation. Member, Supervisory Committee of the Sciascia Foundation Member, Scientific Committee of the Verga Foundation Member, Faculty Board of the Ceur Foundation President, Santo Calì Study Center Member, Editorial Committees of 'Critical Occasions', 'Rhetoric, Linguistic Argumentation', 'Mediterranean Latitudes' Member, Steering Committee of DNA Di Nulla Academia - Journal of Camporesian Studies Castelli supervises graduate theses on diverse topics ranging from literary analysis of Brancati and Verga to cinematic adaptations of Dante and Kubrick. His advising reflects a broad engagement with both classical and modern themes in Italian culture. He has not been associated with any named research grants in the provided text. He leads the Santo Calì Study Center, indicating active involvement in scholarly community building and research organization.
Vincenzo Damiani is a Fixed-term Assistant Professor (RTDB) in Greek Language and Literature at the Department of Humanities, University of Catania. He also holds an ongoing research and habilitation position at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. His academic career spans institutions including the University of Würzburg, the University of Ulm, and the Scuola Normale Superiore. He has held research and teaching roles in classical philology, ancient medicine, and digital humanities. Master’s in Classical Philology, University of Pisa (2012) Licentiate in Philosophical Disciplines, Scuola Normale Superiore (2013) Joint PhD, Scuola Normale Superiore / Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (2019) National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor in Greek Language and Literature (2021) His research centers on the rhetorical-communicative dimensions of ancient scientific literature, with a focus on medical texts. He explores literary papyrology—especially Herculaneum papyri—and the literary forms of philosophical texts. His work in digital humanities includes developing OCR tools for Greek papyri and incunabula, contributing to the Thesaurus Herculanensium Voluminum and the Digital Corpus of Literary Papyri . He is also deeply engaged in the history of classical philology and the construction of epistemic authority in imperial-era literature. His recent publications reflect interdisciplinary trends in ancient medicine, philosophy, and rhetoric. They explore topics such as the Hippocratic Oath, medical language, and Epicurean compendia. These works demonstrate a consistent focus on how knowledge is structured, transmitted, and contested in antiquity, particularly through textual form and rhetorical strategy. Scientific Awards and Recognition: DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Grant (2015–2018) National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor in Greek Language and Literature (2021) Teaching and Advising: Damiani has supervised several thesis students on topics ranging from the symptomatology of love to the reception of Helen and the translation of Pseudo-Hippocratic texts. He has taught courses in ancient medicine, medical terminology, Greek and Latin literature, and digital tools in classical philology at the Universities of Ulm, Würzburg, Perugia, and Catania. Research Projects and Affiliations: He is currently completing his habilitation at Würzburg on rhetorical strategies for constructing epistemic authority in imperial-era philosophical, medical, and religious literature. He is a member of the Würzburger Zentrum für Epikureismusforschung , the Mommsen Society , and the Society for Ancient Philosophy (GAnPh). He serves on the editorial board of the Digital Corpus of Literary Papyri and has contributed to multiple book series including Ancient Medicine and its Reception and Jahrbuch Literatur und Medizin .
Dulcinea Lela Boesenberg serves as Associate Professor of Theology in Creighton University's College of Arts and Sciences since joining in 2014, with additional affiliation to the Graduate School through the Christian Spirituality (Master of Arts) and Spiritual Direction and Directed Retreats (Graduate Certificate) programs. Her office is located in Dowling Hall/Humanities Center (DHHC), Room 126, where she contributes to Creighton's Jesuit, Catholic academic mission. Boesenberg earned her academic credentials at University of Notre Dame: B.A. in Mathematics (Hanover College), M.T.S. in Biblical Studies, and Ph.D. in Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity. Her scholarly trajectory includes intensive German language training and a five-year Presidential Fellowship supporting her dissertation research. Specializing in New Testament and Second Temple Judaism, her work interrogates scriptural interpretation and religious identity formation in ancient communities. She analyzes how early Jewish and Christian groups used biblical narratives to negotiate ethnic boundaries, particularly regarding Sabbath observance, idolatry, and Moses traditions, bridging textual criticism with social identity theory in antiquity. Publications from 2010-2016 reveal a cohesive scholarly arc examining identity politics in Acts, Philo's Sabbath defenses, and Moses representations in Jewish texts. Her research consistently centers on boundary maintenance in formative religious movements, with emphasis on textual strategies for community self-definition during the Second Temple period. Award highlights include: Kripke Center for Religion and Society Fellowship Notre Dame's Striving for Excellence in Teaching award English for Academic Purposes Program Fellowship Presidential Fellowship (2007-2012) Intensive Language Training Award in German Boesenberg advises graduate students in Christian Spirituality programs through her Theology Department role, though specific student names are unlisted in the source. No research grants are documented in the provided materials, but her conference presentations at SBL, Catholic Biblical Association, and Kripke Center symposia demonstrate active scholarly engagement.
Kevin J. Macy-Ayotte is a Professor in the Department of Communication within the College of Arts and Humanities at California State University, Fresno. His academic career spans over two decades of teaching and research at the intersection of rhetorical theory and security policy discourse, with particular expertise in terrorism rhetoric and critical security studies. His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Pittsburgh (2003) M.A. in Communication from the University of Pittsburgh (1998) B.A. in English from DePaul University (1996) Dr. Ayotte's research critically examines how public discourse shapes security policies, employing postmodern and post-structural frameworks to analyze terrorism narratives, weapons of mass destruction rhetoric, and U.S. foreign policy arguments. His scholarship reveals consistent engagement with epistemic violence, neocolonialism in security discourse, and philosophical dimensions of risk communication. Key contributions include deconstructing the rhetoric surrounding Afghan women's security and analyzing mourning practices in post-9/11 contexts through Derridean philosophy. His publication trajectory demonstrates evolving sophistication in connecting rhetorical theory with security studies, moving from classical rhetorical analysis to complex interdisciplinary frameworks that integrate postcolonial theory, critical security studies, and risk communication. Recent work increasingly focuses on the epistemological foundations of terrorism discourse and community-based dialogue approaches to security threats.
Peter Sjökvist is an Associate Professor (Docent) of Latin at Uppsala University's Department of Linguistics and Philology, while also serving as a Librarian in the University Library's Special Collections Division. He coordinates cataloguing efforts and manages the Early Printed Books and Special Collections working group. His roles extend to curator of the Lövstabruk library, board member of the Leufsta Foundation, and secretary of the Rare Books and Special Collections Section of IFLA. As an academic, he contributes to the Neo-Latin Network and edits the Bibliotheca Neolatina Upsaliensis . Education: PhD in Latin Sjökvist's research bridges Neo-Latin literature , early modern book history , and cultural transfer through war . His work examines how occasional poetry , academic dissertations , and looted libraries reflect intellectual networks across the Baltic region. His recent 2024-2025 publications focus on digital cultural heritage , Swedish retrospective bibliography , and Catholic censorship of Protestant texts in Polish and Baltic Jesuit libraries. Earlier works analyze 17th-century Swedish music theory , Uppsala's first university library , and book spoils from war . As project manager for The Carmina Suecorum Poetarum Latina of Samuel Älf (2024), he contributed to mapping Swedish Neo-Latin anthologies. His 2025 translation of Tomas Thorild's Maximum seu archimetria continues this focus on classical reception. In library science , he addresses RDA cataloging standards for rare materials and chairs international working groups on special collections . His work spans manuscript preservation, provenance research, and digital archiving.
Kathryn Morgan is the Joan Palevsky Professor of Classics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with a distinguished career spanning graduate education, research, and academic leadership. She holds a Ph.D. in Classics from UC Berkeley (1991) and a B.A. in Greek and Latin from Bryn Mawr College (1982). Her research focuses on Classical Greek Literature, Greek Intellectual History, and the works of Plato and Pindar. Professor Morgan has authored two major books: Myth and Philosophy from the Presocratics to Plato (2000) and Pindar and the Construction of Syracusan Monarchy in the Fifth Century B.C. (2015). She has contributed chapters to edited volumes on ancient Greek narrative and served on leadership committees for the Society for Classical Studies. Her recent research explores Plato's engagement with Greek historiography and comedy, as well as Pindar's political poetry. She has received prestigious recognition for her teaching excellence, including the Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Philological Association (2004) and UCLA Distinction in Teaching at the Graduate Level (2004). In 2023, she was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Her academic affiliations include editorial involvement with Studies in Ancient Greek Narrative and contributions to interdisciplinary projects like the RomeLab at UCLA.
Simone Neuber serves as a Visiting Professor and Head of the Philosophy Department at Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch Gmünd, maintaining regular office hours in room M1 2.05 and virtual sessions during academic breaks. Her institutional affiliation centers on philosophical research and teaching within Germany's higher education framework for teacher training. Her academic journey began with studies in Philosophy and Modern English Literature at the University of Tübingen, including an exchange year at SUNY Stony Brook. She earned her doctorate in 2013 from Tübingen with research on fictional relationships in analytical aesthetics, followed by habilitation in 2021 at the University of Jena focusing on self-deception as an archaeological search, published as a 657-page monograph in 2025. Neuber's research program critically engages with self-deception mechanisms across Kantian ethics, Kierkegaardian existentialism, and Sartrean phenomenology. Her work examines moral psychology in aesthetic contexts , religious epistemology , and pre-reflective consciousness , with particular attention to how moods structure existential awareness and how deception operates in religious belief formation. Recent publications demonstrate sustained analysis of Kant's theory of lying, Kierkegaard's anxiety treatise, and Sartre's ontology of subjectivity. Her 2023-2025 publications reveal three converging trajectories: Kantian investigations into the metaphysical foundations of evil and deceptive practices Kierkegaardian explorations of religious epistemology and immortality concepts Sartrean phenomenological analyses of mood, consciousness, and self-deception mechanisms These strands intersect in her examination of how philosophical frameworks address the tension between rationality and affective states in moral decision-making. Neuber's scholarly contributions extend through guest professorships at the University of Notre Dame and academic appointments in Heidelberg, Freiburg, and Basel. Her teaching responsibilities include mentoring students through the Staufer Studienmodell framework at this German university of education, with particular focus on preparing philosophy educators for secondary school instruction.
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Arend holds the Professorship for Modern German Literature at the Institute of German Studies , University of Rostock. She serves as project leader in DFG Research Group 5138: 'Spiritual Intermediality in the Early Modern Period' since 2022 and co-editor of the DFG-funded Literary Authors' Lexicon (VL 17) since 2017. University of Cologne (German/Latin, 1st State Exam 1996, Doctorate 2000) Habilitation 2008, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg Max Kade Distinguished Visiting Professor 2011/12, University of Virginia Visiting Professor 2018/19, University of Hamburg Her research focuses on Early Modern Literature and Klassische Moderne , with particular emphasis on intermedial transformations , emblematics , and spiritual aesthetics . Publications analyze love discourse in Baroque poetry, mythological symbolism, and Enlightenment conceptual history. Scientific Awards: DAAD Research Scholarship (2001) Max Kade Distinguished Visiting Professor (2011/12) DFG Project Leadership (2022–) She currently advises doctoral students Anne-Katrin Schülke-Witte and Laura Zech within DFG-funded projects, and collaborates with Dr. Mareike Woortmann in Research Group 5138. Her editorial work includes the comprehensive Early Modern Germany encyclopedia series.
