Suzanne Conklin Akbari Elected as Fellow of Medieval Academy of America

Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Professor in the School of Historical Studies, has been elected to the Medieval Academy of America’s Fellows Class of 2022. The highest honor granted by the academy, it is bestowed upon scholars “who have made notable lifelong contributions to Medieval Studies through their scholarship, teaching, and service.”

Akbari joins a long list of Fellows which includes colleagues in the School of Historical Studies, Professor Emerita Caroline Walker Bynum and Professor Emeritus Patrick J. Geary, and the late Professor Giles Constable, as well as incoming IAS Director David Nirenberg. 

Akbari’s research is particularly concerned with pushing the boundaries of traditional readings of texts from the Middle Ages. In the past, her research has traced the evolving relationship between sight and knowledge as manifested in a range of poetic texts, explored the relationship between Islam and Christianity, challenged the notion of medieval European literature’s insularity, and highlighted the influence of Arabic poetry, music, and philosophy. 

Founded in 1925, the Medieval Academy of America is the largest organization in the United States promoting excellence in the field of Medieval Studies. Within the academy, there are nearly one hundred members serving on over twenty different committees. The academy also publishes the quarterly journal Speculum, and awards various prizes, grants, and fellowships. 

Akbari will be formally honored at the annual Induction Ceremony during the Fellows Plenary Session on Saturday, March 12, 2022.