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Biography/History
The Center for 21st Century Studies supports multidisciplinary research in humanistic
studies of contemporary culture. Since its establishment in 1968 as the Center for Twentieth
Century Studies, the Center has developed a variety of interdisciplinary programs, including
literary theory and criticism, contemporary arts and literature, film history and criticism,
social theory, and cultural and technological studies. Public lectures, seminars, symposia,
and national and international conferences further enhance current research trends in the
center. The Center reports directly to the dean of the College of Letters & Science. In
2001 the Center changed its name, naturally enough, to the Center for 21st Century
Studies.
Though appointments to the Center are made independently with no departmental affiliation,
close cooperation with individual departments on appointments is maintained. The center
functions wholly with invited staff whose purpose is the pursuit of research in a company of
scholars, so that through the sharing of thought and effort the established departments of
the university may find their individual instructional and research programs reinforced.
Interest in institutionalism is minimal, ideally non-existent, resulting in invitations to
scholars in all fields of twentieth- and twenty-first century studies not only from UWM but
from universities world-wide. No member of the center staff is granted permanent tenure in
the center, though no maximum limit is placed upon the number of consecutive annual
appointments which a scholar may hold.
The Center draws its scholars from departments such as English and Comparative Literature,
Art History, Fine Arts, and French and Italian. In recent years, the Center has made a
particular effort to integrate its research with the interdisciplinary concentration in the
Modern Studies in the Department of English and Comparative Literature's master's and
doctoral programs.
Center for Twentieth Century Studies Directors
| 1968-1969 |
Roeming, Robert F.
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| 1970-1974 |
Roeming, Robert F., Acting
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| 1974-1978 |
Benamou, Michel
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| 1978-1979 |
Krupnick, Mark, Acting
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| 1979-1981 |
Ewens, Thomas
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| 1982-2000 |
Woodward, Kathleen M.
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| 2000-2002 |
Hamilton, Kristie
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| 2002-2008 |
Sherman, Daniel J.
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| 2008-2010 |
Weisner-Hanks, Merry (Interim)
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| 2010-2015 |
Grusin, Richard
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| 2015-2017 |
Ferguson, Kennan
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| 2017-2021 |
Grusin, Richard
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| 2021-present |
Basting, Anne
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