Lillie Padilla is an Assistant Professor of Spanish Linguistics at Sam Houston State University's Department of World Languages and Cultures. Holding a Ph.D. and M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from Arizona State University alongside a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ghana, her research explores interdisciplinary connections between: Afro-Latinx representation in educational materials Discourse analysis and language ideologies Sociolinguistic studies in Equatorial Guinea Critical race theory applications in language teaching Her work focuses on Spanish subject pronoun expression patterns in multilingual contexts and curriculum development for inclusive pedagogy. Recent publications examine: Representation gaps in Spanish language textbooks Methodological challenges in Equatorial Guinea research Critical discourse analysis of Netflix's Elite series Intersectional representation of Afro-Latinx women Scientific achievements include: Finalist for American Association of Linguistics 2025 award for co-edited volume Representation, Inclusion and Social Justice in World Language Teaching Padilla's research continues to shape conversations about linguistic diversity and marginalized voices in language education through both empirical studies and theoretical frameworks.
Jonathan Rosa is Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education, Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, and, by courtesy, Departments of Anthropology, Linguistics, and Comparative Literature at Stanford University. He serves as Director of Stanford's Program in Chicanx-Latinx Studies and has held leadership positions including President of the Association of Latina/o and Latinx Anthropologists of the American Anthropological Association. Dr. Rosa's educational background includes: Ph.D. in Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology from the University of Chicago (2010) M.A. in Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology from the University of Chicago (2006) B.A. in Linguistics and Educational Studies from Swarthmore College (2003) Dr. Rosa's research examines the co-naturalization of language and race as a key feature of modern governance, tracking colonially structured interrelations among racial marginalization, linguistic stigmatization, and institutional inequity. His scholarship centers on raciolinguistic ideologies, Latinx studies, and educational justice, with a community-based approach that develops tools for challenging systemic vulnerability. He investigates how race and language are jointly defined across historical, geopolitical, and institutional contexts, with particular focus on Latinx communities and educational settings. His recent publications demonstrate a consistent thematic focus on decolonizing linguistic and educational frameworks, challenging standard language ideologies, and examining the intersections of race, language, and power. The work spans multiple disciplines including sociolinguistics, anthropology, education, and critical race studies, increasingly emphasizing undoing raciolinguistics and addressing coloniality in language education and assessment practices. Dr. Rosa has received numerous prestigious awards for his scholarship: Distinguished Summer Scholar, Banks Center for Educational Justice, University of Washington College of Education (2024) Outstanding Book of the Year Award for "Looking like a Language, Sounding like a Race," American Association of Teaching and Curriculum (2022) First Book Award for "Looking like a Language, Sounding like a Race," American Association for Applied Linguistics (2021) Prose Award for Excellence in Language & Linguistics for "Looking like a Language, Sounding like a Race," Association of American Publishers (2020) Charles A. Ferguson Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Center for Applied Linguistics (2018) Dr. Rosa actively mentors doctoral students across multiple programs, serving as primary advisor for students researching race, ethnicity, language, and education. His research has been supported by major grants from the National Science Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, and Ford Foundation. He collaborates extensively with community organizations, particularly in Chicago, to develop educational approaches grounded in decolonial praxis, focusing on how scholarship can serve as a platform for social transformation. Dr. Rosa co-directed Stanford's Center for Global Ethnography (2021-2023) and directed Stanford's Program in Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies (2020-2023). He serves on multiple editorial boards including Current Anthropology and Equity & Excellence in Education, and has held leadership positions in professional organizations including President of the Association of Latina/o and Latinx Anthropologists (2020-2022).
Claire Bowern is Professor of Linguistics at Yale University specializing in historical linguistics, language documentation, and Australian Indigenous languages. Her research employs computational phylogenetics to study language evolution and supports language revitalization through digital archives and fieldwork methodologies. Recent publications address: Phylogenetic signal in lexical evolution across language families Digital infrastructure for endangered language documentation (FLEx software analysis) Decolonizing linguistics pedagogy and research practices Her work consistently integrates linguistic, anthropological, and computational approaches to analyze language diversity and change. She contributes to global databases including Grambank and D-PLACE, examining links between linguistic, cultural, and environmental patterns.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
H. Samy Alim is a Professor and David O. Sears Presidential Endowed Chair in the Division of Social Sciences at UCLA, holding a joint appointment in the Department of Anthropology. He serves as Associate Director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies and leads the UCLA Hip Hop Initiative. Alim’s research focuses on Hip Hop Culture, Black Language, and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies, with over 25 years of scholarship in these areas. His work bridges academia and activism, emphasizing Hip Hop’s transformative role in global social justice movements. Alim earned his PhD in Anthropology from Stanford University (2003), following MA (2002) and BA (1999) degrees. His academic contributions include twelve authored/edited books, such as Freedom Moves (2023) and Articulate While Black (2012). His research spans Hip Hop’s linguistic innovations, racialized language politics, and its pedagogical potential in education. Key projects include ethnographic studies in Cape Town, South Africa, and collaborative initiatives like the UC Press Hip Hop Studies Book Series. He co-edits the Oxford Handbook of Language and Race and directs the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Language. Alim has engaged with global Hip Hop artists (e.g., Chuck D of Public Enemy) to co-produce knowledge, emphasizing Hip Hop as a site of theorizing and activism. His teaching and research highlight intersections of language, race, and power, advocating for pedagogies that sustain cultural identities while fostering equity. Collaborations with organizations like Heal the Hood in South Africa reflect his commitment to community-driven scholarship.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Aamir R. Mufti serves as Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles, with affiliations at the Asia Pacific Center. His scholarly work bridges literary studies, anthropology, and area studies focused on South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Jewish diaspora communities. His research centers on: Global colonialism and decolonization processes Postcolonial reconfigurations of Western humanities concepts (secular, minor, cosmopolitan) Migrant/refugee experiences in European unification projects Palestine as historical experience of homeland loss Critical examinations of world literature frameworks Analysis of his publications reveals consistent engagement with suppressed narratives in colonial and postcolonial contexts, particularly examining how enforced immobility contradicts world literature's mobility discourse and how minority experiences in Europe were disseminated globally through colonial nation-state formations. His work systematically interrogates Orientalism's legacy in contemporary humanistic practice. Mufti maintains a long-standing editorial role with the journal boundary 2 , where he has curated special collections advancing critical postcolonial discourse. His current research trajectory emphasizes migrant subjectivity within European political crises and reimagining humanities frameworks from colonized perspectives. Academic foundations include doctoral training under Edward Said at Columbia University, with formative influences from South Asian literary traditions (notably Faiz Ahmed Faiz) and European critical theory (Heinrich Heine). His institutional work positions Comparative Literature as a discipline uniquely equipped to address contemporary global political rightward shifts through interdisciplinary humanistic analysis.
Maile Arvin is a Kanaka Maoli feminist scholar and Assistant Professor at the Department of Ethnic Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research and teaching focus on Indigenous relationships to land, histories of race and settler colonialism in Hawaiʻi, Oceania, and the United States. Previously, she was faculty in History and Gender Studies at the University of Utah and founding director of the Center for Pasifika Indigenous Knowledges. PhD in Ethnic Studies, University of California San Diego (2013) MA in Ethnic Studies, University of California San Diego (2009) BA in English, Swarthmore College (2005) Her research examines: Colonial production of racial categories, particularly Polynesians as an 'almost white race' in historical social science History of incarceration of Native Hawaiian children in government institutions (1865–1960s) Intersection of settler colonialism and Indigenous feminisms Critique of eugenics and genomic studies in the Pacific Community-engaged memorialization projects in Hawaiʻi Recent scholarly trends include analyses of Indigenous sovereignty, critiques of settler colonial whiteness, and interdisciplinary studies of race-gender dynamics. Arvin's publications explore Polynesian racialization, decolonial feminism, and the socioeconomic impacts of colonial institutions. NEH Chair's Grant for Nā Lei Poina ʻOle ACLS Digital Justice Seed Grant Arvin leads Nā Lei Poina ʻOle (Beloved Children Never Forgotten), a community history project about reformatories and industrial schools in Hawaiʻi. In collaboration with Kawela Farrant and the North Shore Community Land Trust, this project uses archival and oral histories to confront the legacy of child incarceration. She also critiques the nonprofit-industrial complex's role in limiting Indigenous sovereignty.
David Glovsky serves as Assistant Professor of History and African and African American Studies within Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, focusing on 19th-20th century West Africa with regional expertise in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea. His research examines borderlands through lenses of mobility, citizenship, and alternative geographies, challenging state-imposed borders with community-driven spatial narratives. His educational foundation includes a B.A. in History and Human Geography from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. in African History from Michigan State University. Prior academic appointments include the Department of Africana Studies at University at Albany and the Department of History at Boston University, following Peace Corps service in southern Senegal that redirected his career from sports media into academia. Glovsky's research program centers on social justice-oriented historical narratives of marginalized West African communities, particularly Fulbe populations. His work synthesizes oral histories and archival research across six nations to analyze how borderland residents construct fluid geographies that transcend colonial/postcolonial boundaries. Key themes include migration as resistance , gendered border experiences , and Islam's role in transnational community formation , with methodological innovation in spatial history and decolonial approaches. Analysis of his nine recent publications (2019-2023) reveals consistent engagement with West African borderland resilience , demonstrating how communities maintain cross-border networks despite state fragmentation. His work bridges historical scholarship and contemporary migration debates , employing interdisciplinary frameworks from anthropology, geography, and postcolonial theory to document alternative spatial organizations that challenge Western cartographic traditions. ACLS Fellowship supporting book project Borderlanders: Popular Geographies, Mobility, and Belonging in West Africa Glovsky actively mentors graduate students interested in African history, emphasizing pathways for underrepresented scholars into U.S. academia. His research has received competitive external funding including the ACLS Fellowship, while his collaborative work on the NEH ‘Ajamī Project advanced accessibility of Pulaar manuscripts through digitization and multilingual translation. He maintains strong community ties with West African scholars and institutions, particularly in Senegambia. Though not leading a formal laboratory, Glovsky collaborates with international research teams across West Africa on borderland studies and manuscript preservation, working closely with scholars in Kolda (Senegal), Dakar, and Guinea-Bissau to document community histories through participatory methodologies.
Jarrod Ray Hore is a Scientia Lecturer in the School of Humanities & Languages at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, and Co-Director of the New Earth Histories Research Program. His work explores environmental history, settler colonialism, and the intersections of science, geology, and cultural landscapes. Hore’s research focuses on landscape photography’s role in shaping colonial projects, earthquake geology, and the logistics of the natural history trade. He has published widely in journals like the Pacific Historical Review and Australian Historical Studies, and his award-winning book *Visions of Nature* (2022) examines how photography reinforced settler territoriality. His research interests span environmental history, transnational history, the history of science, and colonial studies. Key areas include the history of settler colonialism in Australia, New Zealand, and North America, as well as the cultural and scientific dimensions of geological exploration. Hore actively supervises HDR and honours students in environmental history, colonial history, and the history of photography. His awards include the Marilyn Lake Prize (2023) and Donna Coates Prize (2022), with shortlist recognitions for prestigious history awards. Beyond academia, he teaches courses like *A House Divided: The Making of Modern America* (ARTS2150), emphasizing U.S. histories of race, class, and global engagement. Hore’s work bridges environmental humanities and colonial studies, analyzing how visual and scientific practices reinforced imperial and settler agendas. His current projects explore the material and logistical networks underpinning natural history collections and the epistemologies of colonial geology.
Professor Amy Maguire is a leading academic in human rights and public international law at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She holds roles as Deputy Head of the School of Law and Justice (2021-2024) and co-founder Director of the Centre for Law and Social Justice. Her research focuses on human rights accountability, Indigenous rights, climate change displacement, and refugee rights. She has secured over $2.7 million in grants, including an ARC Mid-Career Industry Fellowship (2024-2028) for national human rights reform initiatives. Maguire advises the Queensland Parliament on human rights compliance and collaborates with global institutions like the Australian Human Rights Commission. Her work has influenced policy, including Australia’s death penalty abolition strategy and Indigenous rights frameworks. She has been awarded multiple accolades for research and teaching excellence, including the 2020 Leadership Excellence Award and 2016 Early Career Researcher of the Year. Maguire’s education includes a BA, LLB (Hons), and PhD from the University of Newcastle. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges law and social justice, addressing issues like climate migration and legal responses to global crises. She leads projects such as the Hunter Region climate displacement study and the Human Rights Measurement System. Maguire’s public engagement includes over 70 articles for The Conversation, reaching 920,000+ readers, and expert media commentary globally. She advocates for inclusive education through initiatives like early entry programs for Indigenous and refugee students, earning a 2021 Senior Fellowship from Advance HE. Her research outputs span 60+ publications, with key works on MH17 litigation, climate justice, and Indigenous legal frameworks. Grants include a 2021 stimulus grant to establish the Centre for Law and Social Justice, supporting postdoctoral research and international collaborations. Maguire’s leadership extends to global networks, including the UN Human Rights Council evaluation project and the Human Rights for NSW Alliance. She remains committed to translating research into policy, education, and community impact through clinics, youth forums, and law reform advocacy.
David B. MacDonald is a full Professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph's Department of Political Science, housed within the College of Social & Applied Human Sciences. He holds an honorary academic position at the University of Auckland and previously taught at the University of Otago and ESCP Business School in Paris. His research focuses on Indigenous-settler relations, genocide studies, decolonization, and comparative politics in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. He has held significant grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), including principal investigator roles on projects like 'Complex Sovereignties' and 'Bi-Nationalism as Reconciliation.' Education: PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics (2001). Key publications include The Sleeping Giant Awakens (2019) and co-authored textbooks like Comparative Politics (2020). He is North American series editor for Palgrave Macmillan's Global Political Sociology. Research interests emphasize settler colonialism, Indigenous sovereignty, and truth and reconciliation processes. He has contributed to policy discussions, including advising the Canadian Senate on the National Council for Reconciliation. His work bridges academic scholarship with activism, aiming to address systemic inequalities and promote Indigenous rights. SSHRC Grants: Over $200k in grants since 2008, focusing on Indigenous self-determination and colonialism. Publications: 4 sole-authored books; 31 refereed articles; numerous edited volumes. Awards: Shortlisted for the John McMenemy Prize (2013, 2017).
Jack Bowman is a Teaching Fellow in Modern History at the University of Warwick, School of Arts, Department of History. He teaches modules such as "Britain in the Twentieth Century" and "Race, Racism, and Resistance in Modern Britain," and serves as an Academic Writing Adviser and Teaching Representative for the Social Inclusion and Diversity Committee. PhD in History, University of Warwick (2019–2023) MA in Modern History, University of Warwick (2018–2019) BA (Hons) in History, University of Warwick (2015–2018) His research focuses on anti-colonial print cultures, particularly within the British Empire and the Pan-African movement. He specializes in book history, global histories of empire, queer histories, and visual media. His work explores the role of political publishing in anti-colonial activism and the intellectual networks of figures like V. K. Krishna Menon and Ras T. Makonnen. The recent publications and presentations reflect a strong engagement with transnational anti-colonial movements, Black radicalism, and the material culture of print. His work spans historical biography, archival research, and critical reviews of scholarship in visual culture, decolonization, and global knowledge systems. He frequently contributes to public history through outreach and digital media. University of Warwick, History Department Doctoral Scholarship (2019–2023) Jack Bowman advises undergraduate students and contributes to academic governance through committee roles. He is also involved in public engagement, including outreach to school children as the historian for George Padmore and creating educational resources for GCSE and A-Level students. He is a Convenor of the Modern British History Reading Group and a member of the Global History and Culture Centre and Manuscript and Print Cultures Research Group at Warwick. He is currently working on a new book project on the League Against Imperialism and maintains an active public presence through Twitter (@DrJackBowman) and podcast contributions, such as with Shoga Films on the Harlem Renaissance.
Rodney Harrison is a Reader in Archaeology, Heritage and Museum Studies at the UCL Institute of Archaeology, University College London. He serves as the founding editor of the Journal of Contemporary Archaeology and has been Vice President of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies since 2012. His research focuses on critical heritage studies, contemporary archaeology, and future-making practices in heritage contexts. Harrison's work challenges traditional boundaries between past, present, and future in heritage discourse, emphasizing how heritage functions as a future-oriented practice. His research spans cultural and natural heritage, exploring connections between heritage conservation and other material legacy management systems, including nuclear waste disposal. Harrison leads the major international 'Heritage Futures' research program funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. This project represents one of the largest critical, comparative ethnographic studies of heritage practices, examining how different forms of heritage function as distinctive future-making practices across diverse contexts. His scholarly contributions include more than a dozen books and over 60 peer-reviewed articles. Notable publications include Collecting, Ordering, Governing: Museums, Anthropology and Liberal Government (2016), Heritage: Critical Approaches (2013), Reassembling the Collection (2013), Understanding the Politics of Heritage (2011), and The Heritage Reader (2008). Harrison's work consistently engages with critical theory, challenging conventional heritage frameworks and exploring innovative approaches to understanding how material and cultural legacies shape future possibilities. His research has significant implications for heritage policy, conservation practice, and theoretical developments in critical heritage studies.
Salikoko S. Mufwene is the Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago. He holds additional appointments on the Committees on Evolutionary Biology, Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science, and African Studies. His research integrates ecological perspectives into evolutionary linguistics, focusing on language contact, creole genesis, language endangerment, and the impact of colonization and globalization on linguistic diversity. Education: PhD in Linguistics, University of Chicago (1979) Key Themes: Language evolution, creole languages, population structure, decolonial linguistics, language policy Mufwene’s work emphasizes the role of population dynamics in language change, drawing parallels with biological evolution. His recent articles examine topics such as the cultural-artifact nature of language, the ecological drivers of creole hybridization, and the decolonization of linguistic paradigms. He has also contributed extensively to debates on language endangerment and multilingualism in super-diverse societies. Scientific Awards: Fellow, Linguistic Society of America (2018) Fellow, American Philosophical Society (2022) Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023) Collège de France lectures (2003, 2023-24) Summer Institute of the Linguistic Society of America (1999, 2005, 2015, 2017)
Prof Chandrika Kaul is a Professor in the School of History at the University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on Modern British, Imperial, and Media History with specializations in 19th-20th century studies. She holds academic qualifications from the University of Oxford (MA, DPhil) and is a Fellow of the 21st Century Trust. Her work explores topics including British media-politics intersections, BBC-India relations during WWII, Indian colonial history, and Portuguese imperial media systems. Education: MA and DPhil from University of Oxford. Research interests include modern communications, British media history (including the BBC and popular press), British monarchy studies, South Asian history (especially modern India under British Raj), and decolonization processes. She has conducted extensive research on M.K. Gandhi’s relationship with media and Indian political movements. Recent projects include a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship on BBC-India relations and studies on American popular culture’s portrayal of India (1900-1950). Her publications span monographs, edited volumes, and peer-reviewed articles in journals like Media History and Journal of Maltese History . Grants include funding from the Leverhulme Trust, Carnegie Trust, and British Academy for projects on imperial communication systems and Indian media history. She currently serves on editorial boards for Media History and Twentieth Century British History . Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the St Andrews Institute for Transnational & Spatial History. Supervises doctoral research in modern British politics, media history, and South Asian studies.
Roswitha Skare is a Professor of Documentation Science at the Department of Language and Culture, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, within the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Teacher Education. She is actively engaged in research and teaching, focusing on documentation studies, public libraries, archives, museums (LAM sector), digitalization, and film history. Her research interests include: Documentation and document theory Paratext and digital documents Public libraries and their role in society Libraries and social media Migration and refugee services in libraries Film history, especially silent films and early documentaries Cultural memory and Sámi cultural resilience Institutional convergence in cultural policy Her recent publications (2019–2025) reveal a strong focus on public libraries during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, the role of libraries in supporting immigrants and refugees, theoretical developments in document studies, and historical film analysis—particularly Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of the North . She frequently collaborates with scholars such as Andreas Vårheim, Noah Lenstra, and Sigrid Stokstad. Her work appears in journals like Journal of Documentation , Library & Information Science Research , and Proceedings from the Document Academy . Roswitha Skare teaches courses such as: MDV-1001: Multimediale dokumenter: Historie, teori og analyse MDV-1203: Bibliotek og formidling MDV-1207: Dokumentinstitusjoner og digitalisering MDV-1206: Prosjektoppgave i bibliotek- og dokumentasjonsvitenskap She supervises bachelor’s, project, and master’s students in library and documentation science. She is a member of the research group Engaging Conflicts in a Digital Era (ENCODE) and participates in projects such as LAMCOM – Libraries, archives, and museums in the community and SAMCOM - Sámi cultural centers as community and cultural resilience infrastructure , which explore the societal roles of cultural institutions and Indigenous resilience. No scientific awards are listed in the provided text.
