About Us

Medieval Studies at Cornell is an intensely alive program. We have a large number of students who are de facto medievalists based in other departments, such as Classics, English, German Studies, History, and Romance Studies. Most of the faculty are not only colleagues, but also friends. There is a great deal of intellectual exchange, informal reading groups, co-teaching, lunches, discussion of one another’s work, supervision of student teaching, lectures, and more.

Cover art for Foreigners and Their Food Constructing Otherness in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Law

50 Years of Medieval Studies at Cornell

In 2016, the Medieval Studies Program celebrated its 50th anniversary. Founding faculty member, Alice Colby-Hall, noted that "Cornell’s medievalists and their students are as enthusiastic as ever and still discover groundbreaking connections between the different disciplines within the field".

Current Program Director, David Powers, added, "program faculty study the medieval period from wide-ranging perspectives in an effort to better understand the human condition. Many of the issues we explore in medieval studies resonate with issues that confront modern society."

Click here to read more about our 50th anniversary celebration.