Profiles
Humanities Faculty | Natural Sciences & Mathematics Faculty | Rhetoric Faculty | Social Sciences Faculty
Humanities Faculty
Kevin Stoehr
Chair and Associate Professor of Humanities
AB (Philosophy), Bowdoin College, Magna cum laude; MA, PhD (Philosophy), Boston University
kstoehr@bu.edu
Research interests: Philosophy and Film, Film Studies, and History, Philosophy
Christopher Coffman
Lecturer of Humanities
BA (English and Psychology), Franklin and Marshall College; MA, PhD (English Language and Literature), The Catholic University, America
ccoffman@bu.edu
Research interests: Contemporary American fiction and poetry; William T. Vollmann; Thomas Pynchon; James Merrill
Sheila Cordner
Senior Lecturer of Humanities
BA (English Literature), Smith College; MA, (English and Comparative Literature), Columbia University, PhD (English Literature) Boston University
scordner@bu.edu
Research interests: Nineteenth-Century British Literature, History, Education; Irish Literature; Women’s and Gender Studies
Christopher Fahy
Senior Lecturer of Humanities
BA (English), Bates College; MA, PhD (English), Boston University
goodwood@bu.edu
Research interests: Religion and literature; nineteenth-century American literature
John Fawell
Professor of Humanities
BA (General Studies in the Humanities); MA, PhD (Comparative Literature), University, Chicago
jfawell@bu.edu
Research interests: 19th-century European literature film, particularly studio-era Hollywood
E. Thomas Finan
Senior Lecturer of Humanities
BA , PhD (Literature and Philosophy); Boston University
etfinan@bu.edu
Research interests: Narratives, the real in American literature, American intellectual history, connections between philosophy and literature
Neal Leavitt
Senior Lecturer of Humanities
BA (Philosophy) Harvard University; MA, PhD (Philosophy) Boston College
leavittn@bu.edu
Research interests: Human rights and the Human Development Report; history of political philosophy; Indian ethical and political philosophy; Amartya Sen; John Rawls; Rabindrinath Tagore
Joellen Masters
Master Lecturer of Humanities
AB (English Literature), Mount Holyoke College; MA, PhD (English Literature), Boston University
joellenm@bu.edu
Research interests: Victorian and New Woman Fiction
Natalie McKnight
Dean; Professor of Humanities
BA (English and Drama), Washington College; MA (Creative Writing), Johns Hopkins University; PhD (English and American Literature), University, Delaware
njmck@bu.edu
Research interests: Victorian literature, creative writing, gender studies
Indu Ohri
Lecturer, Humanities
BA, English, Boston University; MA, English and American Literature, Boston University; PhD, University of Virginia
Research interests: Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century British Literature, Transatlantic Women Writers, Global Anglophone Literature, Supernatural Fiction and the Gothic, Feminist Theory and Gender Studies, Digital Humanities, Neo-Victorianism, Community Engagement
Joshua Pederson
Associate Professor of Humanities
BA (English), University, Michigan; PhD (Religion and Literature), Boston University
pederson@bu.edu
Research interests: Twentieth-century American literature, religion and literature, and the Bible
Adam Sweeting
Associate Professor of Division of Humanities
BA (Philosophy), Clark University; MA, PhD (American Studies), New York University
sweeting@bu.edu
Research interests: American literature, environmental writing, and climate change; faculty governance.
Meg Tyler
Associate Professor of Humanities
BA (English), Kenyon College; PhD (Twentieth Century American, British and Irish Poetry), Boston University
mtyler@bu.edu
Research interests: History of Lyric Poetry, Contemporary Poetry, Poetry in Translation, Irish Literature, Intersections between Art History and Literature, Art and Ethics
Jeffery Vail
Master Lecturer of Humanities
BA (English Literature), Washington College; MA, PhD (English Literature), University, Delaware
jwvail@bu.edu
Research interests: British and Irish Romanticism
Robert Wexelblatt
Professor of Humanities
BA (English), University, Pennsylvania; MA (English and American Literature), University, Michigan; PhD (English and American Literature), Brandeis University
wex@bu.edu
Research interests: Twentieth-century literature, philosophical problems, fiction, poetry, informal essays
Emeritus Faculty
Linda Wells
Professor Emeritus
Jim Wilcox
Professor Emeritus
Natural Sciences & Mathematics Faculty
Kari Lavalli
Chair and Senior Lecturer of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
BA (Bio-Mathematics), Wells College; PhD (Marine Biology Studies), Boston University
klavalli@bu.edu
Research interests: Behavioral ecology, decapods, predator-prey interactions, animal behavior, inquiry-based science education and community involvement in resource conservation
Leonard Andres
Senior Lecturer of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
AB (Computer Science), Brown University; MS (Physiology), Harvard University; PhD (Nutritional Biochemistry and Physiology), Tufts University
landres@bu.edu
Research interests: Biomechanics, hitting and pitching, how weather impacts pitched ball flight in MLB, statistical analysis, baseball or sabermetrics, and how ulnar collateral ligament injuries impact release point in MLB pitchers
Millard Baublitz
Associate Professor of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
BS (Physics and Astronomy), University, Maryland; PhD (Physics), Cornell University
baublitz@bu.edu
Research interests: Foundations of quantum mechanics and various topics in solid state physics
Sandra Buerger
Senior Lecturer of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
sbuerger@bu.edu
617-358-0314
Research interests: Communication and survival strategies in environmental microbial communities; dormancy in medically relevant microbes; trends in bacterial infections
Kristina Luisa Cohen
Lecturer of Natural Science and Mathematics
BS Biology, Siena College; MA Science Education, Teachers College, Columbia University; PhD Biology, Boston University
kcohen@bu.edu
617-353-2915
Research interests: Environmentally cued hatching in treefrogs, herpetology, behavioral ecology of early life stages, science education, course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs)
Sal Genovese
Lecturer of Natural Science and Mathematics
BA (Biology), Swarthmore College; PhD (Biology), Northeastern University
benthos@bu.edu
617-358-0297
Research interests: Marine biology and oceanography
Robin Hulbert
Lecturer of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
BA (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry), Middlebury College; Ph.D (Microbiology and Immunology), Dartmouth College
rhulbert@bu.edu
617-358-0318
Research interests: Virulence gene expression in bacteria; human-microbe interactions; public health microbiology
Gregg S. Jaeger
Associate Professor of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
BSc (Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics), University, Wisconsin; PhD (Physics), Boston University
jaeger@bu.edu
Research interests: Foundations, physics, information theory and quantum optics
Robert Schoch
Associate Professor of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
BA (Anthropology), The George Washington University; BS (Geology), The George Washington University; MS , PhD (Geology and Geophysics), Yale University
schoch@bu.edu
Research interests: Geology, paleontology, evolution, environmental science, ancient Egypt and prehistoric/ancient cultures around the world
Emeritus Faculty
Peter Busher
Professor Emeritus
William E. Davis
Professor Emeritus
Samuel Stern
Professor Emeritus
Rhetoric Faculty
Stephanie Byttebier
Chair and Senior Lecturer of Rhetoric
BA (Linguistics and Literature: Germanic Languages (Dutch-English), University of Ghent, Belgium; MA (American Studies), University of Antwerp, Belgium; MA & PhD (English) Boston University
sbytteb@bu.edu
Research interests: American literature (1870-1945); turn-of-the-century fiction and drama; women’s writing; literature and social activism; transatlanticism.
Rick Cole
Lecturer of Rhetoric
BA, MA (English), University of Massachusetts
rickcole@bu.edu
Research interests: Composition pedagogy and cultural studies
Karen Guendel
Lecturer of Rhetoric
BA (Chemistry and English), Cornell University; MA and PhD (English), Boston University
kareng@bu.edu
Research interests:
American Modernist poetry, English and American romantic poetry, the body in literature, organic aesthetics, cognitive literary studies, metaphor theory
D. Lynn O’Brien Hallstein
Associate Professor of Rhetoric
BA (Speech Communication), University of Pittsburgh; MA (Speech Communication), University of North Carolina; PhD (Communication), Ohio State University
lhallst@bu.edu
Research interests: Rhetoric, cultural studies, feminist theory, and contemporary understandings of motherhood and mothering
Regina Hansen
Senior Lecturer of Rhetoric
BA (English/Anthropology), Tufts University; PhD (English Literature), Boston College
rhansen@bu.edu
Research interests: Supernatural literature and film, the fantastic in popular culture, religion in film, Neo-Victorianism
Charles Henebry
Senior Lecturer of Rhetoric
BA (Science and Literature), Harvard University; PhD (English Literature), New York University
henebry@bu.edu
Research interests: Comic books and other graphic narratives, the human and the superhuman
Beth Kramer
Senior Lecturer of Rhetoric
BA (Biology), University of Pennsylvania; MA, PhD (English), New York University
bek212@gmail.com
Research interests: Victorian women and culture, and nineteenth-century reform movements
Kate Nash
Lecturer of Rhetoric
BA, MA (English), Boston College; PhD (English), Fordham University
kmnash@bu.edu
Research interests: Modernism, writing pedgagogy, feminist theory
Matthew Parfitt
Associate Professor of Rhetoric
BA, MA (English), University of Toronto; PhD (English), Boston College
parfitt@bu.edu
Research interests: Composition, literary theory, British literature 1880–1930, gender studies, World War I, Robert Frost
Davida Pines
Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development, Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning, Associate Professor of Rhetoric
BA (English), Yale University; MA (English and American Literature), New York University; MPhil (English Romantic Poetry), Oxford University; PhD (English and American Literature), Brandeis University
dpines@bu.edu
Research interests: Long-form autobiographical comics, the relationship between image and text, and the teaching of writing
John Regan
Master Lecturer of Rhetoric
BA (English), Central Connecticut State University; MA (English), Southern Connecticut State University; PhD (English), University of Rhode Island
jregan@bu.edu
Research interests: Assessment and general education; intellectual property and plagiarism; nineteenth century American literature
Joelle Renstrom
Senior Lecturer of Rhetoric
BA (English), University of Michigan; MFA (Creative Writing), University of British Columbia
jrenstro@bu.edu
Research interests: The intersection of science fiction and science/technology, cultural and social effects of technology, space exploration, evolution, transhumanism, travelogues
Matthew Stewart
Associate Professor of Rhetoric
BA (English), Coe College; PhD (English), Emory University
mstewart@bu.edu
Research interests: Film and literature of war
Faculty Director BU Inclusive Pedagogy Initiative; Associate Professor of Rhetoric
BA (English), Albertus Magnus College; MA (English), Southern Connecticut State University; PhD (British Literature), University of Rhode Island
msullvan@bu.edu
Research interests: Inclusive Pedagogy, Irish literature and culture, women’s studies, mass incarceration
Kathleen Vandenberg
Senior Lecturer of Rhetoric
BA (Biology), Belmont Abbey College; MA (English Language and Literature), Winthrop University; PhD (Rhetoric and Composition), The Catholic University of America
vberg@bu.edu
Research interests: Style pedagogies, the spatial turn, and modern rhetoric
Aaron Worth
Associate Professor of Rhetoric
BA (English & Theater), Bates College; MA, PhD (English Literature), Brandeis University
worth@bu.edu
Research interests: Victorian Literature and Culture, History of Science, Cognitive Literary Studies, and Media Studies
Social Science Faculty
Michael Holm
Chair and Senior Lecturer of Social Sciences
BA (History), University of Southern Denmark; MA (History), McGill University; PhD (History), Boston University
mholm@bu.edu
Research interests: U.S. foreign policy, 20th century political history, diplomatic history, immigration history
Richard Samuel Deese
Senior Lecturer of Social Sciences
BA (History), University of California, Berkeley; MA (History), University of Oregon; MA (Creative Writing), Boston University; PhD (History), Boston University
rsdeese@bu.edu
Research interests: Cold War technologies and global environmentalism
Andrew David
Lecturer of Social Sciences
BA in History, BU, 2005; MA in History of International Relations, London School of Economics, 2006; PhD in History, BU, 2018
andavid@bu.edu
Research interests: 20th Century US political history, history of the US presidency, history of US foreign policy
June Grasso
Associate Professor of Social Sciences
BA (Asian Studies), Wellesley College; MA (Asian Studies), PhD (Modern China, Japan, and International Relations), Tufts University
jgrasso@bu.edu
Research interests: U.S.–China policy; modern Chinese history
Kathryn G. Lamontagne
Lecturer of Social Sciences
BA (Humanities), Providence College; MA (European History), Providence College; MA (Cultural Memory), University of London; MA, PhD (British History), Boston University
kgl@bu.edu
617-358-0324
Research interests: Catholic women in Britain; employing genealogy in micro- and cultural history; identity in immigration
Shawn M. Lynch
Lecturer of Social Sciences
BA (History), Merrimack College; MA, Villanova University; PhD, Boston College
shlynch@bu.edu
Research interests: Free speech in times of crisis; the Reagan revolution and the era of Neo-Liberalism; impact of the Cold War on US political institutions; Massachusetts labor history
Michael Kort
Professor of Social Sciences
BA (History), Johns Hopkins University; MA, PhD (Russian History), New York University
mkckektk@bu.edu
Research interests: History of the Soviet Union, the bombing of Hiroshima and the end of World War II, and American foreign policy during the Cold War
John Mackey
Master Lecturer of Social Sciences
BA (History and Certification in Secondary Education), Dickinson College; MA, PhD (History), Boston College
jmackey@bu.edu
Research interests: Britain and the British Empire in the nineteenth-century, and interest in themes of race, ethnicity, and class in Victorian humor and comedy; the history of dress and fashion; modern Irish history and Irish identity
Scott Marr
Senior Lecturer of Social Sciences
BA (History), Kansas State University; PhD (History), Boston University
smarr@bu.edu
Research interests: Religious and social history of early modern France, European encounters with non-Europeans, and the comparative history of religious coexistence
Daniela Melo
Lecturer of Social Sciences
Ph.D. Political Science, University of Connecticut; MA Political Science, University of Connecticut; BA International Relations, Italian, Connecticut College
dfmelo@bu.edu
Research interests: Contentious Politics (Activism and Social Movements, Revolutions), Gender and Politics, European Politics, Foreign Policy, European Union, Transnational Activism, Non-State Actors
Christopher Rhodes
Lecturer of Social Sciences
BA (Government), Harvard University; MA (Government), Harvard University; PhD (Government), Harvard University
cerhodes@bu.edu
Research interests: Political economy of religion, identity and politics, African politics, organizational behavior and political activities
Chun-Yi Sum
Lecturer of Social Sciences
BA (Sociology and Anthropology), Washington and Lee University; MA, PhD (Cultural Anthropology), Boston University
cys@bu.edu
Research interests: Morality, Identity and Belonging, Emotions, Kinship, Citizenship, Civil Society, Socialism, China
Benjamin E. Varat
Master Lecturer of Social Sciences
BA (Biology), Trinity College; MA (History), Boston University; PhD (Modern International Relations/Modern French History), Boston University
bvarat@bu.edu
Thomas Whalen
Associate Professor of Social Sciences
BA (History), Bates College; MA (American History), PhD (American History), Boston College
tjw64@bu.edu
Research interests: Modern American politics, presidential leadership, Boston history, and sport and American society
Emeritus Faculty
Jay Corrin
Professor Emeritus
William Tilchin
Professor Emeritus