C. Board: German Language and Culture

I am a Presidential Associate Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures at the University of Pennsylvania, where I hold a secondary appointment in History of Art. I teach and publish on literature in German since the late eighteenth century, visual culture, history of the book and periodicals, environmental studies, and commemorative culture. My research has been supported by grants from the Mellon Foundation, Fulbright, the NEH, the National Humanities Center, and the Getty Research Institute.

I have been an active member of the GSA. I have given papers, organized panels, as well as convened and participated in seminars, roundtables, and plenary sessions at our annual meetings. I served on the GSA-DAAD Book Prize Committee, Program Committee, and I was the Program Director in 2021. I currently represent the Association on the Advisory Committee of the Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies. I always try to be practical and transparent when problems need to be solved. It would be an honor to support the GSA in its advocacy role for the study of language and the humanities on our campuses, as well as in its function for professional development, mentorship, and intellectual exchange at our conferences.

I am an Associate Professor of German at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. My research interests include German-language comics, diversity and representation in German-speaking Europe, and the works of Hermann Broch. My first book, Hermann Broch and Mass Hysteria: Theory and Representation in the Age of Extremes, analyzed how Broch used literature and theory as distinct but complementary means of conceiving and countering the mass hysteria of National Socialism. The book received the Radomír Luža prize in 2023. My current book project will present the first comprehensive history of German-language comics written in English. Since joining the GSA in 2014, I have worked consistently to promote the study of comics within German Studies by developing numerous panel series, as well as co-founding and co-organizing the GSA Comics Studies Network in 2017. As co-organizer, I have collaborated with colleagues in networks including Black Diaspora Studies, Queer and Trans Studies, and Asian German Studies. If elected, I would bring this interdisciplinary spirit to the GSA Board. I am especially eager to work for greater inclusivity and accessibility within the GSA. Further, I hope to work with colleagues to develop strategies for sustaining German Studies for the long term.