Dr. Dennis M. Kratz
The School of Arts and Humanities welcomed two new professors this fall to expand the literary studies program at UT Dallas.
Dr. Ashley Barnes, assistant professor of literature, focuses on 19th- and 20th-century American literature. Dr. Manuel Martinez, professor of creative writing and literature, is an expert in Chicano and American countercultural literature.
“The addition of Drs. Barnes and Martinez significantly enhances our expertise in the increasingly important area of narrative studies,” said Dr. Dennis M. Kratz, dean of the school and the Ignacy and Celina Rockover Professor of Humanities. “Stories are humankind’s most effective means of exchanging ideas and values. Dr. Barnes explores such essential ideas as love and spirituality in 19th-century American fiction. Dr. Martinez creates — as well as writes about — narratives exploring the plight of the ‘other’ in American culture. I look forward to their contributions to the ongoing narrative of the School of Arts and Humanities.”
The school has degree programs in three subjects: art and performance, history and literature. It is also home to seven of the University’s official research centers including the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, the Asia Center, the Confucius Institute and the Center for Translation Studies.
The Center for Values in Medicine, Science and Technology, which promotes the intersection of technology, science and culture, hosts an annual lecture series with scholars from around the world.
In the fall of 2014, the University introduced its newest center, the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History. The institute includes an endowed program for doctoral students in art history, and has an extensive partnership with the Dallas Museum of Art.
New Tenure-Track Faculty
Dr. Ashley Barnes
Dr. Ashley Barnes, assistant professor of literature
Previously: visiting assistant professor, Williams College
Research interests: With 19th- and 20th-century American literature as my dataset, I ask about the ethical aspects of reading. What kinds of recognition do readers, writers and visual artists generate across color lines, gender differences, historical distances, and the basic self-other divide? I study theories of sympathy, sentimentality as it infiltrates various styles and genres, and the difference between sacred and secular interpretation in American culture.
Quote: “I’m excited by the prospect of working with colleagues who mix the arts and humanities disciplines freely. The interest at UTD in translation studies, in museum studies, and in arts and technology — to name just a few programs — will give me many changes to consider the ethics of interpretation in fields that are new to me. And, I love the idea of talking about Moby Dick and many other books with a mix of literary studies majors, chess players, video gamers and future neuroscientists.”
Dr. Manuel Martinez
Dr. Manuel Martinez, professor of creative writing and literature
Previously: professor, Ohio State University
Research interests: Creative writing fiction, countercultural literature, 20th-century American literature, Chicano literature
Quote: “I'm most interested in the lives of Latinos who exist in the shadows and outskirts of American society. My students learn to think about the connections between their personal cultures and ethnicities and the larger national narrative. I'm looking forward to helping students improve their depiction of character and spoken language.”
New Faculty Series
News Center is publishing profiles of tenured and tenure-track professors who have recently joined the University. The following school profiles have been published: