Dr. Ashton Lazarus is an Assistant Professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of Utah , specializing in classical and medieval Japanese literature, history, and performance (10th–15th centuries). His research examines how sensory experiences and bodily practices intersect with social structures and cosmological concepts. Education: BA in Japanese Language and Literature from Tufts University (2005), PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures from Yale University (2014) Research Focus: Performance studies, medieval Japanese cultural transgression, Buddhist renunciation, and sensory studies Awards: Funded by National Endowment for the Humanities, Japan Foundation, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science His publications include a monograph on dengaku performances and articles analyzing medieval Japanese tales, hiragana poetry, and ritual practices. He teaches courses ranging from Premodern Japanese Literature to Japanese Soundscapes, emphasizing cross-historical dialogues in language, media, and cultural identity.
Syrinx von Hees is a Professor of Arabic Literature and Rhetoric at the University of Münster , where she also serves as Managing Director and Vice Dean for Human Resources Development . Her research spans Mamluk history, literature, and art , as well as cultural history and historical anthropology , with a focus on natural history literature and history of science . PhD from Freie Universität Berlin (1999) on Qazwini’s cosmography Habilitation on aging in Mamluk society (2003–2004, Lise-Meitner Stipendium) Her recent publications emphasize Mamluk-era literary and rhetorical traditions , including critical editions of Ibn Nubatah al-Misri’s works and analyses of prophetic praise poetry. She leads major projects like the DFG-funded edition of Ibn Nubatah’s Gesamtwerk (2023–2026) and contributes to EXC 2060 Wahrheitskonkurrenzen (2022–2024). Collaborations with institutions such as Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Orient-Institut Beirut highlight her international engagement. Notable awards include the DAAD Postdoc Stipend (2001–2002), DFG Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Program (2015), and Lise-Meitner Habilitation Stipendium (2003–2004). She has supervised doctorates on topics ranging from genealogical knowledge to rhetoric in Islamic jurisprudence . Her work bridges Arabic literature, rhetoric, and cultural history , offering interdisciplinary insights into medieval Islamic thought.
Prof. Dr. Adam Łajtar holds the Chair of Epigraphy and Papyrology at the University of Warsaw, with a focus on Eastern Mediterranean inscriptions from Hellenistic to medieval periods. His research spans Graeco-Roman Egypt (particularly religious practices) and Christian Nubia, emphasizing textual analysis of wall inscriptions, papyri, and artifacts. Research Highlights: Greek epigraphy in Asia Minor, Palestine, and Nile Valley Religious dynamics in Graeco-Roman Egypt Medieval Nubian wall graffiti and literacy studies Christian Nubia's cultural and religious identity Grants: 2017-2019: Wall Inscriptions in Banganarti Churches (National Science Centre grant no. UMO-2016/21/B/HS3/00930) 2009-2015: Greek and Latin Papyri from Qasr Ibrim (National Science Centre project) Contact: a.lajtar@uw.edu.pl
Adrien Palladino, M.A., Ph.D., serves as Assistant Professor in the Art History Seminar at Masaryk University's Faculty of Arts. His institutional affiliation includes the RE:CENT Center for the Study and Popularization of Medieval Visual Culture. Primary correspondence occurs through his office in building K/110 at Veveří 470/28, Brno. His research spans Medieval art history from Late Antiquity to Gothic periods Neo-Byzantine architectural movements in 19th-century Europe Russian iconography and its technical reproduction Cultural politics of Notre-Dame and Gothic Revival Material histories of Late Antique objects Notable methodological approaches integrate reception history, object biography, and cross-cultural analysis of visual phenomena. Publication trends reveal deep engagement with Byzantine legacy reinterpretation across temporal boundaries, particularly examining how medieval visual culture was reconstructed in modern nationalist and imperial contexts. Recent works analyze the Brescia Casket's technical evolution and Conques pilgrimage site's continuous reinvention from the 9th to 21st centuries. Current research initiatives include the Czech Science Foundation project 'Dreams of Byzantium in 19th-Century France' (2024-2026) examining racial and national myths in art history, alongside Erasmus+ collaborations on urban reconstruction and cultural heritage resilience. Teaching consistently focuses on 'Medieval Art From Constantine to Giotto' 'The Fall of an Empire or the Rise of Europe?' 'Introduction to Islamic Visual Cultures' 'Periods of Art History' survey courses with recurring German language instruction for art historians since 2019.
Jean-Pierre Cavaillé is a permanent Lecturer at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS), affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Solidarity, Societies, Territories (LISST) at University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès. He teaches master's and doctoral programs in anthropology and leads a research seminar on Gypsy Identities since 2017. His academic career spans over three decades, with previous positions at EHESS-Paris (1999-2013) and the University of Toulouse le Mirail (1991-1999). Cavaillé obtained his Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR) in Historical Anthropology from the University of Toulouse 2 in 2016 with a thesis titled "The Limits of the Acceptable" under Michel Bertrand's supervision. His academic journey began with philosophy teaching before transitioning to historical anthropology, demonstrating intellectual flexibility across disciplines while maintaining focus on marginalized communities and dissenting practices. His research explores the boundaries of acceptable belief and practice through multiple lenses: the historical anthropology of the Gypsy world, therapeutic "devotion" practices, possession phenomena, irreligion in Europe, dissidence across historical periods, secrecy and deception mechanisms, and epistemological implications of identity categories. His work uniquely bridges ethnographic methods with historical analysis to examine how marginalized groups navigate social boundaries and construct identities across time. Recent publications reveal deep engagement with both early modern religious dissent (particularly libertinism and atheism in 16th-18th centuries) and contemporary Roma/Gypsy communities, showing how historical patterns of marginalization persist in modern forms. Cavaillé's scholarly output demonstrates remarkable interdisciplinary range, connecting historical analysis with contemporary anthropological concerns. His work on the Roma/Gypsy flag examines symbolic representation and identity politics, while studies of historical figures like Vanini and Patin reveal continuities between historical and contemporary forms of dissent. He critically examines how concepts of acceptable belief evolve historically, particularly regarding religious freedom and minority communities' relationship to dominant cultural narratives. As an active researcher, Cavaillé contributes to multiple scholarly communities including Emodir (Research Group in Early Modern Religious Dissents & Radicalism) and the Social Anthropology Center of LISST. His administrative roles include management of the CAS-LISST team since 2024 and representation of EHESS within the TESC Toulouse doctoral school (2014-2021), demonstrating significant institutional engagement alongside his research commitments.
Iliana Kandzha serves as a Postdoc in the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics at the University of Copenhagen, specializing in hagiographic traditions and late medieval devotional cultures. Her research examines the social and symbolic dimensions of saint cults within the Holy Roman Empire, with particular focus on imperial figures and female religious practices through interdisciplinary analysis of literary sources and visual materials. Education: PhD in Medieval Studies from Central European University (awarded 21 September 2021) with dissertation titled The Cult of the Chaste Imperial Couple: Henry II and Cunigunde in the Hagiographic Traditions, Art, and Memory of the Holy Roman Empire (c. 1350–1500) Research Focus: Kandzha's scholarship centers on the intersection of hagiography, gender studies, and material religion in late medieval Europe. She investigates how saints' cults functioned as instruments of political legitimacy and social cohesion, with specific attention to female agency in devotional contexts and the visual representation of sanctity. Her work reveals nuanced understandings of concepts like virginity through iconographic analysis of figures such as St. Cunigunde, while exploring transregional transmission of hagiographic traditions across Scandinavian and Central European contexts. Publication Trends: Analysis of her 2020-2025 outputs shows consistent engagement with Scandinavian and Central European hagiographic traditions, particularly examining print culture's role in disseminating saint legends. She bridges historical, art historical, and literary methodologies to analyze how religious narratives were adapted across regions and media, with growing emphasis on gender dynamics and the materiality of devotional practices as evidenced by her collaborative prayer book project. Professional Activities: As a postdoctoral researcher, Kandzha contributes to major reference works like Routledge Resources Online - Medieval Studies while producing original scholarship in peer-reviewed journals. Her current position does not indicate formal student supervision responsibilities, and no grant funding details are publicly documented in the source materials.
Erika Supria Honisch is an Associate Professor of Critical Music Studies at Stony Brook University and Affiliate Faculty in the History Department. She serves as Associate Director of the Humanities Institute at Stony Brook and co-edits the Routledge Encyclopedia of the Renaissance World (Music Subject Editor). Her research focuses on music, politics, and religious culture in early modern Europe, with specializations in historical sound studies, music’s materialities, and music in ritual. PhD, University of Chicago MA, University of Chicago BMus, University of British Columbia Her work uses sacred music and sound to analyze religious coexistence and conflict in Prague during the Thirty Years’ War. She collaborates with early music ensembles like Schola Antiqua and Cinquecento, co-founded the Inclusive Early Music teaching resource, and co-chaired the American Musicological Society’s Cultural Diversity Committee. Recent publications explore confraternities, urban soundscapes, and music’s role in religious pluralism. Westrup Prize (2020) SBU Godfrey Excellence in Teaching Award (2022) AMS Howard Mayer Brown Fellow (2009) Honisch directs Stony Brook’s Baroque Performance Practice Workshop and is a member of the CONFRASOUND research group and Musica Rudolphina (Prague). She frequently presents at international conferences and contributes to public scholarship through liner notes and digital humanities projects like CODICES (NEH-funded). Her teaching includes seminars on sound studies, baroque listening practices, and historical conflict.
Christina Hyo-Jung Lee is Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Princeton University, where she also serves as Acting Chair of the Humanities Council (2025–2026), Director of Undergraduate Studies, and sits on the Executive Committees of the Humanities Council and the Center for Culture, Society, and Religion. She is further affiliated with the Programs in Latin American Studies, Indigenous Studies, the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, and is a Faculty Fellow for the Novogratz Bridge Year and a Faculty Advisory Board member of the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity. Her research explores the literary, social, and cultural productions of Iberian Spain and the Spanish Transpacific during the early modern period. She investigates themes such as colonial devotional practices, race and identity formation, and the circulation of knowledge and texts across the Spanish Empire, with a particular focus on the Philippines under early Spanish rule. Education: Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures, Princeton University Selected Publications & Projects: Saints of Resistance: Devotions in the Philippines under Early Spanish Rule (Oxford University Press, 2021) The Anxiety of Sameness in Early Modern Spain (Manchester University Press, 2015, 2018) The Spanish Pacific, 1521–1815: A Reader of Primary Sources , Vols. 1 & 2 (Amsterdam University Press, 2020 & 2024, with Ricardo Padrón) Western Visions of the Far East in a Transpacific Age (Routledge, 2012, 2017) Reading and Writing Subjects in Medieval and Golden Age Spain (Juan de la Cuesta, 2016, with José Luis Gastañaga) Co-editor, book series Connected Histories in the Early Modern World (Amsterdam University Press, with Julia Schleck) Awards & Recognition: Humanities Council Special Grant for continued archival research in the Philippines Digital & Collaborative Initiatives: Co-director (with Cristina Martínez-Juan, SOAS-University of London), Reclaiming the Lost Archive of the Convento de San Agustin , a digital repatriation project returning ~1,000 early modern books and manuscripts to the Philippines.
Simon Dorso is a postdoctoral researcher at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, specializing in the archaeology and history of medieval Islamic societies with a focus on the Mediterranean world, the Horn of Africa, and the Levant. He is currently involved in multiple research programs including the ANR Ecomed (2024-2028), ANR InterMedÉ (2024-2028), and serves as co-director of the IFAO Kom el-Afrah project (2024-2025). His research spans from the medieval Levant (11th-14th century) to Ethiopia, examining Muslim settlements, funerary practices, and cultural interactions. PhD in History from Université Lyon 2 Lumière (2021) Previous teaching positions at Aix-Marseille University, University of Montpellier 3, and Université Lumière Lyon 2 Extensive field experience in archaeological excavations across Israel, Ethiopia, and Somaliland Dorso's research interests center on the archaeology of medieval Islamic societies, particularly focusing on settlement patterns, funerary practices, and cultural interactions between Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities. His work examines how religious communities coexisted and interacted in shared landscapes, with special attention to sacred topographies and syncretic practices. He employs interdisciplinary approaches combining archaeological fieldwork, epigraphic analysis, and historical documentation to reconstruct social, economic, and religious dynamics of medieval societies. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the archaeology of Muslim cemeteries in Ethiopia, medieval trade networks, and Crusader-period settlements. The research shows a consistent pattern of examining how material culture reflects religious identity, cultural exchange, and social organization in frontier regions. His work bridges regional studies of the Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa, and the Middle East, revealing interconnected historical processes across these areas. Dorso has organized numerous academic events including international conferences and exhibitions in Rome and Aix-en-Provence. He serves as a reviewer for multiple archaeological journals including Journal of Archaeological Methods and Theory and Revue des Mondes Musulmans et de la Méditerranée. His current research projects examine Mediterranean economies at the end of the Middle Ages (1350-1600) and interactions in medieval Ethiopia. As an active field archaeologist, Dorso has directed or participated in excavations at significant sites including the Christian cemetery of Atlit (Israel), Muslim cemeteries in Ethiopia (Bilet, Arra, Habera), and the medieval port of Zayla in Somaliland. His methodological approach emphasizes the importance of small finds and material culture in understanding daily life, trade networks, and cultural interactions in medieval societies.
Péter Ertl is a Research Fellow at the Department of Italian Language and Literature , Faculty of Humanities , Eötvös Loránd University . His scholarly work centers on Petrarch studies, medieval textual criticism, and classical reception in Renaissance humanism. Research Interests: Petrarch's Latin works and marginalia Medieval manuscript traditions Classical and Christian synthesis in humanism Italian literary history Textual criticism and critical editions Historical narratives in Late Antiquity Publications demonstrate expertise in Petrarch's sources (Sallust, Livy, Justinus), Dante commentary traditions, and late medieval religious texts like the Meditationes Vitae Christi . Collaborations include editions with Réka Lengyel and other scholars.
Christian Cooijmans is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Oslo. His academic journey includes studies at Utrecht University, Trinity College Dublin, and the University of Edinburgh, where he earned his PhD in Scandinavian Studies in 2018. Prior to his current position, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Edinburgh's Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) and a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Liverpool. PhD in Scandinavian Studies – University of Edinburgh (2018) MSc in Medieval History – University of Edinburgh (2013) BA in Language and Culture Studies (Medieval and Celtic Studies Track) – Utrecht University (2012) Cooijmans' research focuses on the reach and repercussions of Viking activity across the Frankish realm, as well as its subsequent premodern historiography. At the University of Oslo, his work examines how ideas and images of Viking Age martial ideologies are shaped and perpetuated across the present-day public sphere. His research spans multiple disciplines including archaeology, history, medieval studies, and cultural reception studies, with particular emphasis on Viking encampments, Frankish-Viking relations, Viking Age historiography, and the modern reception of Viking culture in media and popular imagination. His publications reveal a consistent focus on the intersection of historical evidence and cultural memory, demonstrating how Viking activity shaped not only contemporary societies but also subsequent historical interpretations extending to modern popular representations. Cooijmans challenges simplistic notions of Viking culture, particularly questioning hypermasculine stereotypes and exploring more nuanced understandings of Viking societies through analysis of encampments, martial networks, and cultural transmission. Fellow, Higher Education Academy (FHEA), UK Fellow, Royal Historical Society (FRHistS), UK Fellow, Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA) Fellow, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (FSAScot) Cooijmans serves as Committee Member/Editor for the Scottish Society for Northern Studies and is a member of the Viking Society for Northern Research and the Society of Authors. His public engagement includes significant contributions to BBC History Extra, The Conversation, and Epoch magazine, where he discusses Viking history and its contemporary relevance, bridging academic research with public understanding and challenging popular misconceptions about Viking Age societies.
Maria Prozesky is a Senior Lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand specializing in decolonial pedagogy and literary education. Holding a PhD from the University of Auckland alongside MD, MA, and Baccalaureus Artium degrees, she supervises postgraduate research on academic literacy, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and literature curriculum decolonization within South African higher education contexts. Her research program critically examines literary reading as socially responsive practice and relational knowledge-making, with significant contributions to decolonial curriculum design. Key projects include developing multiliteracies learning environments as 'decolonial nexuses,' analyzing African speculative fiction as indigenous remembering, and reimagining digital literacy through post-COVID South African lenses. Her work consistently bridges medieval literature scholarship (particularly Julian of Norwich studies) with contemporary educational transformation. Prozesky's publication record demonstrates sustained scholarly impact across education and literary studies, with 15 major works since 2006. Recent output (2020-2025) focuses on decolonial praxis in literacy education, critical digital pedagogy, and indigenous knowledge reclamation through creative writing. Her research directly informs curriculum development initiatives addressing South Africa's unique educational challenges. As a supervisor, she mentors students through collaborative knowledge production frameworks, emphasizing contextually responsive research that challenges Eurocentric paradigms. Her work with writing centers and academic support programs operates as 'third spaces' integrating university resources with community knowledge systems. Current projects include transformative assessment design using group portfolios and developing indigenous poetry pedagogy through performance practices.
Dr. Leanne Groeneveld serves as Associate Professor of Theatre Studies at the University of Regina, where she researches medieval and early modern religious performance traditions. Her scholarship centers on the York Mystery Plays, Oberammergau Passion Play, and medieval puppetry, examining intersections of theology, material culture, and spectatorship in historical contexts. Her academic background includes: BA Hons, University of Alberta PhD, University of Alberta Dr. Groeneveld investigates how religious narratives were staged through material objects like the Boxley Rood of Grace, analyzing violence-beauty dynamics in biblical cycles and women's experiences as spectators at Passion Plays. Her work combines performance theory with material culture studies to explore medieval communities' embodied engagement with theological concepts. Over two decades, her publications reveal sustained focus on English medieval drama with increasing specialization in York Cycle pageants. Recent work examines previously overlooked elements like the York Vintners' pageant, while maintaining parallel research on Oberammergau's historical reception. Her scholarship appears consistently in leading journals including Early Theatre and Nineteenth Century Theatre and Film . As an active international scholar, Dr. Groeneveld presents at major conferences across North America and Europe. Her productions experience (e.g., N-Town Parliament of Heaven) informs teaching that likely integrates historical research with performance practice. While specific grant details aren't public, her continuous output suggests robust research support for mentoring graduate students in theatre history and medieval performance studies.
Elizabeth Spragins is an Associate Professor at the College of the Holy Cross specializing in Spanish Medieval and Renaissance Studies, with research focusing on the intersections of race, gender, and the body in early modern Mediterranean contexts. Her work bridges literary studies, historiography, and critical race theory through analysis of Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic prose narratives from the 15th-17th centuries. Professor Spragins' research centers on necroepistemology (the role of corpses in knowledge construction), Critical Race Studies in Iberian contexts, and Theories of the Body. She examines how race, gender, and authority operated within multicultural Mediterranean exchanges, with particular attention to textual representations of death, sexual violence, and racial hybridity. Her innovative framework reveals how corpses functioned as epistemic anchors in historical accounts like those of the Battle of al-Qasr al-Kabir (1578). Her recent publications demonstrate consistent exploration of intersectional racecraft in Cervantine literature, necropastoral frameworks in Don Quixote, and early modern raciolinguistics. She connects historical Iberian race concepts to contemporary American caste systems, showing remarkable continuity in racial formation processes across centuries. This thematic coherence positions her at the forefront of decolonial approaches to early modern studies. Professor Spragins has received significant scholarly recognition: Helen Tartar First Book Subvention Award (2021, American Comparative Literature Association) Roland H. Bainton Prize (2024, Sixteenth Century Society) Her collaborative approach is evident in co-authored works with scholars like Emily Colbert Cairns and editorial projects including 'Cervantine Perversities.' She actively engages students through specialized courses (Early Modern Iberian Race, Honors Seminar: Framing the Mediterranean) and campus initiatives like the Spanish Club, Medieval and Renaissance Studies program, and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, creating interdisciplinary learning environments that extend beyond traditional classroom boundaries.
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin KURT is a Professor of Islamic Mysticism (Tasavvuf) at Ahi Evran University's Faculty of Islamic Sciences, Department of Fundamental Islamic Sciences. He earned his PhD from Ankara University (1996-2003) and has held academic ranks including Associate Professor (2018-2023) and Assistant Professor (2009-2018). His research specializes in Sufism, Ottoman mystical traditions, and Islamic philosophy. Research Focus: KURT's work explores Sufi metaphysics, Ottoman Sufi literature, and comparative mystical thought, with emphasis on figures like Rumi, Ibn Arabi, and Said Nursî. He investigates themes of divine love, spiritual psychology, and interfaith dialogue within Islamic mysticism. Publications: His 29 publications (18 articles, 4 books) predominantly analyze historical and philosophical dimensions of Sufism, with recent works examining Anatolian mystics like Yunus Emre (2023). Academic Leadership: He serves as Ethics Committee Member, Department Head (2018-2021), and Dean's Assistant (2018-2022). He received international research grants in Tunisia (1997-1998) and Belgium (2007-2008). Teaching & Advising: Taught 32 courses on Sufism and Islamic literature; currently advising two Master's students on Sufi thought (2024).
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