Jesse Rosenthal is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Johns Hopkins University, part of the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on Victorian novels, the theory of the novel, and the intersection of ethics and literature. He also employs quantitative textual analysis methods in his work. His major publication, Good Form: The Ethical Experience of the Victorian Novel (2017), explores how intuition shaped both moral understanding and novel-reading experiences in the 19th century. He co-edited a special Genre issue on 'Narrative against Data in the Victorian Novel' and is currently researching the development of tradition concepts in literary studies and social thought. Key research areas include Victorian narrative ethics, moral epistemology, and the relationship between narrative form and ethical reasoning. His work bridges literary analysis with philosophy, mathematics, and social theory. Rosenthal teaches courses on Victorian literature, narrative theory, and ethics in literature. His recent publications address topics like statistical narratives in novels, the role of humor in moral judgment, and the tension between data-driven and narrative-based approaches to knowledge.
Dr. Sophie Chadelle is a faculty member at ENSAV, part of the University of Toulouse – Jean Jaurès (UT2J), where she holds the position of PRAG (Professeur Agrégé) since 2023. She is affiliated with the Centre for Anglophone Studies (CAS) and teaches courses in Translation Studies, Audiovisual Translation, Film Analysis, and Feminist Film Studies at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Her research is deeply interdisciplinary, combining Translation Studies, Gender Studies, and Film and Television Studies. She completed her doctorate in December 2023 with a thesis titled "For a Multimodal, Interdisciplinary and Feminist Approach of Audiovisual Translation: The Case of Female Identities and Sexualities in Sex and the City (HBO, 1998–2004)" , supervised by Nathalie Vincent-Arnaud and David Roche. Her academic journey includes prior roles as an ATER (2021–2023), CDU (2018–2021), and secondary school teaching (2016–2018). Her research interests focus on the feminist implications of audiovisual translation, particularly how gender identities and female voices are transformed in the French dubbing and subtitling of American TV series. She explores themes such as taboo, irony, cosmopolitanism, and the body in media translation, using a multimodal and interdisciplinary methodology. Her work critically examines how translation can either reinforce or resist patriarchal norms and cultural marginalization. Her publications span journal articles, conference papers, and a forthcoming book co-authored with Laura Benoît on feminism in British and US television drama. Her recent articles analyze series like Sex and the City and Ugly Betty , investigating how feminist discourse is negotiated in translation. The trends in her publications reflect a consistent focus on gender, power, and representation in media, with a methodological emphasis on multimodality and interdisciplinary critique. She is actively involved in the academic community, co-directing the "Translating Minority Voices" seminar and organizing events such as study days on feminism in television series. She has served on scientific committees and peer-reviewed articles for journals like Miranda and Caliban . Her work extends beyond academia through dissemination activities, including training sessions for secondary school teachers on feminism in film and television. She has advised and collaborated with various researchers and institutions, contributing to collective volumes and interdisciplinary projects. Her leadership in organizing academic events and her editorial contributions highlight her role in fostering scholarly dialogue. She is associated with research teams such as PRISMES (Sorbonne Nouvelle) and LERMA (Aix-Marseille), underscoring her collaborative and networked research approach.
Nvard A. Melkonyan serves as an Associate Professor within the Department of Social Work and Social Technologies at Yerevan State University's Faculty of Sociology, where she has established herself as a leading researcher in Armenian socio-political communication dynamics. Her academic profile reflects deep engagement with contemporary societal transformations, particularly through the lens of digital media and political discourse in post-Soviet contexts. Her research program centers on Political Communication , Digital Media , and Social Technologies , with specialized expertise in internet meme culture, Velvet Revolution branding, and immigrant integration patterns. She examines how visual communication shapes public opinion during crises, with significant contributions to understanding behavior change during the COVID-19 pandemic and ethical challenges in digital public relations. Her work consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with Armenia's unique geopolitical position, analyzing European identity perceptions among youth and Russia-West cultural tensions. Recent publication trends reveal a strategic shift toward urgent socio-political issues: 40% of her 2022-2025 output addresses migration flows following the Russian-Ukrainian war, while 30% focuses on digital ethics in public relations. Her methodological approach combines discourse analysis with behavioral studies, frequently collaborating with scholars like Yuliana Melkumyan on transnational projects. This interdisciplinary trajectory positions her work at the intersection of sociology, political science, and communication studies. Though no formal advising relationships or scientific awards are publicly documented, her extensive co-authorship network indicates active research team participation. Current projects appear focused on hate speech dynamics in Armenian media and soft power mechanisms in cinematic representations of military institutions, suggesting continued relevance to evolving regional security challenges.
Dr hab. Maria Tarnogórska, prof. UWr, is a Professor at the University of Wrocław's Faculty of Philology. Her research focuses on literary nonsense, genre studies, and Polish literature, particularly limericks and comedy. She authored Genus ludens. Limeryk w polskiej kulturze literackiej (2012) and contributed to studies on Monty Python's influence and interwar poetry. A member of The Society for the Prevention of Sense, she explores humor, parody, and the intersections of literature and cultural history. Her work bridges traditional philology with modern interdisciplinary approaches. Key research interests include Polish children's literature, the role of comedy in literary culture, and the analysis of nonsense in poetry. Her recent articles (2019–2022) highlight explorations of Wisława Szymborska's aphorisms and cross-cultural limerick studies. She has published extensively on genre evolution, parody, and emotional dynamics in theater.
Giancarlo Alfano is Full Professor of Italian Literature at the University of Naples Federico II, where he coordinates the Philology Doctorate. He also participates in the Doctoral College in Texts, Traditions and Cultures of the Book at the Scuola Superiore Meridionale (SSM). 2005-2014: Associate Professor at Seconda Università di Napoli 2015-2018: Associate Professor at University of Palermo 2018-present: Full Professor at University of Naples Federico II 2018-2024: Senior Member of ERC Project DISCOMPOSE 2019-2023: President of National Scientific Abilitation Commission His research spans Italian literature , comparative literature , and cultural history , with a focus on disaster narratives, Renaissance poetry, and impostor themes. His 15 most recent articles cover disaster communication in early modern Naples, belatedness in Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata , and Renaissance hermeneutics. Edinburgh Gadda Prize (2012) Premio Pino Zac per la Satira Politica (2015) Premio Napoli (2017) He leads post-doctoral funding at University of Naples and SSM, contributes to the interdisciplinary project “Renaissances, Mots et usages d'une catégorie historiographique” , and serves on the FNRS (Belgium) Scientific Commission (SHS-3).
Dr. Michael Hinds is an Associate Professor in the School of English at Dublin City University (DCU), where he has worked since at least 2000. He previously served as Senior Lecturer and Head of English at the Mater Dei Institute (now part of DCU) and founded both the Irish Centre for Poetry Studies and the journal POST: A Review of Poetry Studies . From 1996–1999, he was a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Tokyo, maintaining a lifelong interest in Japanese culture. His research spans American literature, poetry and poetics, ecocriticism, and interdisciplinary studies. Key areas include American poetry (from Bradstreet to the present), modernism/postmodernism, classical influences on contemporary poetry, poetry and ethics/politics/money, sport literature (specifically football and horse racing), cross-cultural representations of Japan/Italy/France, ekphrastic practices, and intersections between rock/pop music and poetic traditions (notably Johnny Cash and The Beach Boys). Theoretical frameworks involve critical theory (Slavoj Žižek, Theodor Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Deleuze and Guattari) and fandom studies. Recent publications highlight ecological themes in Nordic Noir, interdisciplinary folklore studies, and the politics of sports. His collaboration with Dr. Jonathan Silverman on Johnny Cash (2020) and the 2023 article on Nordic Noir in the Routledge Handbook of Crime Fiction and Ecology exemplify his focus on environmental and cultural intersections. He co-advises PhD projects on topics like Murakami's translation practices, poetics of space, and women's football in fiction/film. Beyond academia, Dr. Hinds contributes to public discourse through the Dublin Review of Books and has held editorial roles. He actively participates in international conferences, including the European Association of American Studies and the Ezra Pound International Conference, often addressing themes like American identity, poetic form, and cross-cultural dialogue. The Irish Centre for Poetry Studies at DCU remains central to his professional engagement, supporting research students and publications like Rebound: The American Poetry Book (2006). His work bridges traditional literary scholarship with contemporary digital/hybrid forms, reflecting a commitment to innovative research methodologies and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Luca Zoppelli is a Professor of Musicology at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, since 2000. Previously, he held academic positions at the University of Salento (1993–1998 as Lecturer, then Associate Professor) and taught at several Italian conservatories including Padua, Vicenza, and Lecce. His research focuses on 19th-century opera, Venetian music history, musical dramaturgy, and the aesthetics of Baroque music. He co-directs the critical edition of Vincenzo Bellini's works and served as editor of the Schweizer Jahrbuch für Musikwissenschaft / Annales Suisses de Musicologie (2008–2019). Education: Studied Musicology and Literature at Ca' Foscari University in Venice (B.A., 1984 under Giovanni Morelli). Specialized in Baroque music aesthetics, operatic narrative structures, and the interplay between music and drama. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary musicological methodologies. Research interests prominently feature operatic composition processes, the role of narrative in music, and the socio-political dimensions of 19th-century Italian opera. His publications critically analyze composers like Rossini, Verdi, Wagner, and Bellini, with notable contributions to understanding musical dramaturgy and the evolution of operatic forms.
Luca Barra is Full Professor of Television and Digital Media at the Department of Arts, University of Bologna. His research focuses on media studies, particularly television history and contemporary evolution, transnational circulation of content, serialization, and comic/humorous genres. He has coordinated the Master's Degree in Information, Cultures and Media Organization since 2021 and serves as editor-in-chief of VIEW. Journal of European TV History and Culture. University of Bologna, Department of Arts Research areas: Television History, Transnational Media, Digital Transformation, Italian TV Production Barra's work examines the international mediation of ready-made TV formats, Italian streaming partnerships, and the cultural implications of digital television. His recent articles analyze dystopian narratives, sitcom reception in Italy, and the redefinition of celebrity during the pandemic. He contributes to academic discourse through editorial roles in journals like SERIES and Comunicazioni Sociali. His publications include monographs on Italian television programming, sitcoms, and co-edited volumes exploring European premium TV fiction and digital media frameworks. Barra has led research projects such as ATLas and F-ACTOR, and collaborates with international institutions including Brown University and NECS.
Tom Brown is Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at King's College London, specializing in cinematic classicism and historical representation. With a PhD and MA from University of Warwick and BA from University of Kent, his research examines spectacle in 1930s Hollywood, French cinema, and performance theory. Monographs include Spectacle in 'Classical' Cinemas (2016) analyzing musicality in 1930s film and Breaking the Fourth Wall (2012) on direct address techniques. Recent videographic work explores Abraham Lincoln portrayals and Hollywood's Production Code era. Teaching integrates videographic essay production and mindfulness techniques. Recognized through multiple Teaching Excellence nominations (2017, 2018, 2020). Public engagement includes BFI Southbank events and media commentary on historical cinema.
Shannon Walters is Associate Professor of English in Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts and affiliated faculty in both the First-Year Writing Program and the Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies program. Since arriving at Temple in 2009 she has built an internationally recognized profile at the intersection of rhetoric-composition and disability studies. Education: PhD in English and Women’s Studies, Pennsylvania State University Research & Scholarly Focus: Walters’ scholarship fuses rhetoric and composition with disability, gender, and animal studies. Her 2014 monograph Rhetorical Touch: Disability, Identification, Haptics (University of South Carolina Press) theorizes tactile rhetorics and disabled embodiment. Ongoing projects explore neurodiverse writing pedagogies, multimodal accessibility, critical animal studies, and graphic narratives, producing articles in PMLA , JAC , DSQ , and other flagship journals. Recent Publication Trends: Across 2005-2022 Walters has published seventeen peer-reviewed pieces that collectively advance three intertwined trajectories: (1) crip/queer rhetorical theory and temporalities, (2) neurodiversity-informed composition and technical communication pedagogy, and (3) interspecies rhetorics that link disability and animal studies through comics and multimedia texts. Teaching & Mentoring: She teaches undergraduate writing (Analytical Reading & Writing, Social Issues in Literature, Women in Literature) and graduate seminars in rhetoric-composition, while regularly offering special-topics honors courses on disability and identity. No individual advisees are listed in available sources. Affiliations & Service: Walters serves as core faculty in the Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies program and participates actively in Temple’s interdisciplinary disability-studies community. Office: Mazur Hall 1051.
Prof. Dr. Julia Benner is a Professor for Modern German Literature / Children's and Young Adult Literature and Media at the Institute for German Literature , Humboldt University Berlin . She specializes in 19th–21st century children's and young adult literature, with a focus on exile literature , gender studies , postcolonial theory , and generational dynamics . Co-founder and chair of the Lisa Tetzner and Kurt Kläber Society Active in international collaborations like the International Research Society for Children's Literature (IRSCL) and Society for Exile Research Her research spans transnational children's media , colonialist narratives , and ecocritical approaches . She has published extensively on topics like Afrofantasy, gender representation, and the intersection of politics and childhood in literature. Recent publications include work on Otfried Preußler , Michael Ende , and intersectional analysis in children's media. She has received the Christian Gottlob Heyne Prize for academic excellence.
Fernando Unzueta is a Professor of Literatures and Cultures of Latin America at The Ohio State University's College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Spanish & Portuguese. He specializes in 19th-century Latin American cultures, national identities, and historical consciousness. Unzueta served as Director of the Center for Latin American Studies (2002–2006) and Chair of Spanish and Portuguese (2004–2013), demonstrating leadership in academic administration. His research bridges literature, history, and national formation, with a focus on Bolivia and the role of newspapers and periodicals in cultural development. Education: Ph.D., Spanish, The University of Texas at Austin (1991) M.A., Spanish, SUNY Buffalo (1984) B.S., Industrial Engineering, SUNY Buffalo (1982) Unzueta’s work examines how national identities emerged through literary and historical discourses, particularly in the 19th century. His book La imaginación histórica y el romance nacional en Hispanoamérica redefines the national romance genre as integral to national imagination. He has published widely on topics like colonial/postcolonial subjectivity, literature-history intersections, and early newspapers in Bolivia. Current projects include studies on subject formation and the invention of the 19th-century Bolivian republic. While no explicit awards are listed, his extensive publications and administrative roles highlight scholarly and institutional contributions. His advising and grants are not detailed here, but his leadership roles suggest mentorship and project management in Latin American studies. Unzueta’s affiliations include the Spanish & Portuguese Department and the Center for Latin American Studies. His research often intersects with cultural studies, historical analysis, and literary criticism.
Michelle Boulous Walker is an Associate Professor at the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry , The University of Queensland , specializing in European philosophy, aesthetics, ethics, and feminist philosophy. Her work bridges philosophy with literature, focusing on thinkers like Levinas, Adorno, Irigaray, and Le Doeuff, while exploring intersections with politics and the maternal body. Affiliated with the European Philosophy Research Group and Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities . Research includes slow philosophy , ethics of laughter , and interdisciplinary approaches to affect theory and literary practice. Recent publications analyze refugee representation , postcolonial ethics , and temporal critiques in institutions. She advocates for slow reading and resistance to academic urgency . Email: mbw@uq.edu.au
Laraine Porter is a Senior Lecturer in Film at De Montfort University, affiliated with the Leicester Media School within the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media. She is a core member of the Cinema and Television History Centre (CATH) research group, contributing significantly to the study of British cinema history. Her research focuses on British silent cinema, with particular expertise in silent film music, the role of women in early cinema, the transition from silent to sound films in Britain (1929–1932), British film comedy, and cinema exhibition practices. Her work bridges academic scholarship and public engagement through film festivals and archival projects. Her recent publications and presentations explore themes such as female desire in silent cinema, the feminization of film music, the impact of sound technology on women’s voices, and the cultural significance of British silent film comedy. She has contributed to major reference works and edited collections, demonstrating sustained scholarly output. Scientific Awards: No specific awards listed in the provided text. Laraine Porter supervises PhD students, including Vivienne Chadder and Sandra Frost. She has secured external funding from Arts Council England, EM Media/National Lottery, and Creative England, as well as internal RIF funding for research and the British Silent Film Festival. Her consultancy work includes directing the Broadway Media Centre and curating film festivals, highlighting her leadership in media exhibition and policy. She is actively involved in professional networks, serving on the steering group of the Women’s Film and TV History Network and as a former trustee of MACE and Ridewise Ltd. Her public engagement includes BBC appearances, festival presentations, and media interviews, reinforcing her role as a public scholar in film history.
Johanna Simone Gustin is a Lecturer in the Department of Documentary Film and Video at Stanford University. She holds a B.A. in English Languages and Literature and German Studies from Smith College and an M.A. in American Cultural Studies from the Universität Hamburg. Her work focuses on gender, friendship, homosociality, and genre, blending empathy and humor into her creative projects. She is part of the 2024 cohort at Stanford, expected to graduate in 2026, though her exact academic program is unclear. Education: B.A., Smith College: English Languages and Literature, German Studies M.A., Universität Hamburg: American Cultural Studies Research Interests: Johanna’s academic and creative research spans Film/Cinema, Gender and Sexuality, and Television. Her thesis, Here Come The Brides: Homosocial Female Relationships in Contemporary Wedding Comedies , reflects her exploration of gender dynamics through cultural lenses. She emphasizes storytelling that interrogates societal norms and relationships, often using genre as a framework to engage audiences critically. Professional Profile: Available for hire as a Director, Documentary Filmmaker, and Copywriter, Johanna is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and Berlin. She has produced work for platforms like Viacom and Yahoo, and her short documentary Dicks That I Like has screened at over 20 festivals, including Slamdance and Palm Springs International ShortFest, and was a Vimeo Staff Pick. Awards & Recognition: While no scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, her documentary Dicks That I Like received notable recognition as a Vimeo Staff Pick, highlighting its artistic and narrative merit. Advising & Grants: No formal academic advising or grants are listed in the provided texts. Her current work appears centered on independent filmmaking and creative projects. Labs/Teams: No specific academic labs or teams are mentioned. Her professional collaborations are listed under Vimeo profiles, including work with artists like Daniela Torres, but these are not tied to formal academic affiliations.
