Juliano Saccomani’s research focuses on the use of virtual reality as an aid to the teaching of languages and cultures in the foreign language class. He works with the representation of cultures and their implications in diverse media, such as newspapers, literature, and video games. He is also the editor-in-chief of Revista Vaeranda, an online magazine for students of foreign languages and cultures.
Bel Olid has been regularly active as a translator into Catalan and, to a lesser extent, into Spanish, mainly of feminist and queer literature and children's books, from English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Jessica Kirzane teaches all levels of Yiddish language and enjoys introducing students to a wide range of texts from Yiddish culture, including Yiddish literature written in and about Chicago.
Kimberly Kenny teaches beginning and intermediate Norwegian language, and Norwegian literature. Trained as a literary comparatist, she teaches courses that seek to integrate Germanic literatures such as "Reconnecting Two Germanic Literatures," which examines connections between Knut Hamsun and Franz Kafka, Thomas Mann and Alexander Kielland, and Henrik Ibsen and Gerhart Hauptmann; “Comparative Fairy Tale,” which encompasses Norwegian, Danish (H.C.
Erik Houle’s academic interests include historical and comparative Slavic morphology and syntax, language contact, language and culture, foreign language pedagogy, and second language acquisition. He is Assistant Senior Instructional Professor in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago.
Ariane Echenique Calleja’s research includes bilingualism, code-switching, and the role of culture in language teaching. Deeply passionate about the Basque language and culture, she is dedicated to bringing these elements to life in her classroom, helping students connect with the rich heritage of the Basque Country. Echenique Calleja is Assistant Instructional Professor in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago.
Derek Kennet’s research areas include the rise of Islam, economic responses to arid environments, and the interactions between the Arabian Peninsula and nearby societies. He has coauthored several books, the most recent of which—"Southeast Arabia at the dawn of the second millennium: The Bronze Age communal graves of Qarn al-Harf, Ras al-Khaimah (UAE): Southeast Arabia at the dawn of the second millennium”—is forthcoming from Oxbow Books in 2024. Kennet is the Howard E.
Leslie Buxbaum is a writer and director often working on devised theater productions, which bring together different performance languages such as dance-theater, circus-theater, clown-theater, and music-theater. Her current projects include being book writer and co-lyricist for Out Here (in development at Court Theatre) with composer/lyricist Erin McKeown and David J. Levin.
Julia Rhoads is the founding Artistic Director of Lucky Plush Productions, a MacArthur Award-winning ensemble recognized for its unique blend of dance, theater, comedy, and socially relevant themes. Her work for Lucky Plush has toured to more than 80 venues worldwide, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Joyce Theater, Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, ODC, Wellesley Center, and Teatro Las Carolinas.
David J. Levin’s work focuses on the aesthetics and politics of performance in opera, theater, and cinema. From 2011to 2016, he served as the founding Director of the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry and from 2018 to 2023, he served as Senior Advisor to the Provost for Arts. In addition to his scholarship and teaching, Levin has worked extensively as a dramaturg and collaborator for opera, theater, and dance productions in Germany and the United States.
