Comparative Literature 195 (SAS)
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE 195
Program in Comparative Literature, School of Arts and Sciences
Website: Here
Chair: Ben Sifuentes-Jáuregui
Undergraduate Director: Karen Elizabeth Bishop
Program Coordinator: Fatimah Fischer
Core Faculty:
Ousseina Alidou, B.A., Niamey (Africa); M.A., Ph.D., Indiana
Nicola Behrmann, M.A., Free (Berlin); Ph.D., New York University
Karen Elizabeth Bishop, B.A., Ph.D., California (Santa Barbara)
Lauren Goodlad , B.A., Cornell; M.A. NYU; Ph.D., Columbia
Martha Helfer, B.A., Washington (St. Louis); M.A., Wisconsin (Madison); Ph.D., Stanford
E. Khayyat, B.A. Istanbul; M.A. Istanbul & Columbia; Ph.D., Columbia
Jeffrey Lawrence , B.A. Amherst College; Ph.D. Princeton
Michael Levine, B.A., Cornell; M.A., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins
Preetha Mani, B.A., Tufts; Ph.D., California (Berkeley)
Jorge Marcone, B.A., Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; M.A., Ph.D., Texas
Susan Martin-Márquez, B.A., M.A., Chicago; Ph.D., Pennsylvania
Anaïs Maurer, B.A. Sorbonne; M.A. Sorbonne & Tulane; Ph.D. Columbia
Anjali Nerlekar, B.A., M.A., M.Phil., Pune (India); Ph.D., Kansas
Andrew Parker, B.A., Princeton; M.A., Ph.D., Chicago
Nicholas Rennie, B.A., Princeton; Ph.D., Yale
Richard Serrano, B.A., Stanford; M.A., Ph.D., California (Berkeley)
Ben Sifuentes-Jáuregui, B.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Yale
James Swenson, B.A., Brown; M.A., Ph.D., Yale
Emily Van Buskirk, B.A., Princeton; Ph.D., Harvard
Alessandro Vettori, Dottore in Lettere, Firenze (Italy); Ph.D., Yale
Janet Walker, B.A., Wisconsin; M.A., Ph.D., Harvard
Xiaojue Wang, B.A. Peking (China); M.A., Peking (China); M.Phil, Ph.D., Columbia
Affiliate Faculty:
Ed Cohen, A.B., Georgetown; Ph.D., Stanford
Paola Gambarota, Ph.D., Pavia (Italy); Ph.D., Yale
Jae Won Edward Chung, B.A., Swarthmore; M.A., Ph.D., Columbia
Daniel Da Silva, Ph.D., Columbia
Ryan James Kernan, A.B., Princeton; Ph.D., California (Los Angeles)
Pavel Khazanov, B.A., California (Los Angeles); M.A., London; Ph.D., Pennsylvania
Chloe Kitzinger, B.A., Yale; M.A., Middlebury; Ph.D., California (Berkeley)
Benjamin Koerber, B.A., Indiana; M.A., Ph.D., Texas
Julie Rajan, B.A., Johns Hopkins; M.A., Rutgers; M.L.A., Pennsylvania; Ph.D., Rutgers
Dominik Zechner, M.A., Vienna; M. Phil., Ph.D., New York
Ann Jurecic, B.A., Bryn Mawr College; M.A.T., Brown; Ph.D., Princeton
Mukti Mangharam, B.A., York (UK); M.Phil., Cambridge; Ph.D., Cornell
Louis Sass, B.A., Harvard; M.A., Ph.D., California (Berkeley)
Louisa Schein, B.A., Brown; M.A., Ph.D., California (Berkeley)
Meheli Sen, B.A., M.A., Jadavpur (India); Ph.D., Emory
Weijie Song, B.A., Xi'an Jiaotong (China); M.A., Ph.D., Peking (China); Ph.D., Columbia
Michelle Stephens, B.A., SUNY (Stony Brook); Ph.D., Yale
Andrea Baldi, B.A., Firenze; Ph.D., California (Los Angeles
Camilla Stevens, B.A., Tulane; M.A., New Mexico; Ph.D., Kansas
Wendy Swartz, B.A., California (San Diego); M.A., Ph.D., California (Los Angeles)
Comparative literature is an interdisciplinary program that studies global literary and cultural expressions as they shape and are shaped by science, economics, religion, politics, sexuality, and other historical forces. It attracts students with wide-ranging interests in literature, theory, cultural and media studies, and who wish to read literature in the original language as well as in translation. Students are urged to begin or continue the study of a language other than English, and to study abroad.
The program offers students the opportunity to design an individualized and interdisciplinary major and minor. Students generally begin with Literature across Borders (01:195:201), a course whose theme changes every year and whose weekly lectures are taught by different members of the program¿s core faculty. Students then choose 200- and 300-level courses in comparative literature and other programs that reflect their individual focus. Since students have different preparations and interests, no two pathways through the program are identical. Students might choose as their focus, for example, topics such as a national language and literature, the novel or film studied across cultures, cultural theories and philosophy, literature in relation to art and/or film, or two national literatures. Because of the individualized nature of the major, students are required to confer with the undergraduate director at least once each semester during the registration period.
Comparative literature core faculty members are accomplished scholars and devoted teachers. Many have won awards for their teaching and scholarship from Rutgers and around the world. The major and minor programs offer students the opportunity to work closely with these professors, who are from a wide range of departments, including African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures (AMESALL); Asian Languages and Cultures (ALC); English; French; German; Russian and East European languages and Literatures (REELL); Italian; Latino and Caribbean Studies; and Spanish and Portuguese. Core faculty members are available to mentor students and serve as advisers of honors theses.
Because of the intensive training in analytical thinking and writing, undergraduates who major or minor in comparative literature often go on to study literature or related fields in graduate school, attend law school, or find employment in a wide variety of professional fields such as publishing, business, and government service.