Professor Arthur Bahr has been appointed head of the MIT Literature Section, effective July 1. Agustín Rayo, the Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, stated, "Arthur is an exceptional scholar and a proven leader. I am confident that he will guide the unit with judgment, insight, and a deep commitment to its continued success."
Bahr's work blends formalist and materialist approaches to find literary resonance in the physical particularities of medieval manuscripts. He joined the MIT faculty in 2007 and helped lead the Ancient and Medieval Studies program from 2009-2018 and 2022-2023, collaborating with colleagues across the Institute to strengthen and expand the program. He has also served as curriculum chair and undergraduate officer of the Literature Section.
Bahr noted, "Lit@MIT has some of the world’s most innovative literary scholars and some of the Institute’s most dedicated teachers. It has also been my home for nearly 20 years, and I feel both humbled and energized by the opportunity to help shape its future." He continued, "Literature creates opportunities to slow down and reflect on what really matters, and in a fast-paced, increasingly automated world, those skills are more vital than ever."
Bahr succeeds Associate Professor Sandy Alexandre, who has been head of the unit since July 2023. Bahr is the author of “Chasing the Pearl-Manuscript: Speculation, Shapes, Delight” (University of Chicago Press, 2025); “Fragments and Assemblages: Forming Compilations of Medieval London” (University of Chicago Press, 2013); and co-editor of “Medieval English Manuscripts: Form, Aesthetics, and the Literary Text,” a special volume of The Chaucer Review (47.4, April 2013). His essays have appeared in ELH, Studies in the Age of Chaucer, Studies in Philology, and The Chaucer Review, among others.
Bahr has been named a SHASS Faculty Fellow for the spring 2027 semester. His next project combines his interest in manuscripts with his training as a figure skating judge to explore analogies between sheets of parchment and sheets of ice, as sites of performance, inscription, and erasure. Bahr was named a MacVicar Faculty Fellow in 2015 and received the James A. (’48) and Ruth Levitan Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012.
He has served MIT as chair of the Committee on the Undergraduate Program from 2019 to 2021, and served on the pandemic-era Academic Policies and Regulations Team. He was also a subcommittee chair of the Education Group of Task Force 2021 and Beyond, and a member of the subsequent Refinement and Implementation Committee on the Undergraduate Program. Bahr earned his undergraduate degree from Amherst College and his PhD in English Language and Literature from the University of California at Berkeley.
Blogger's Review: Arthur Bahr's appointment not only highlights his profound background in literary studies but also reflects MIT's increasing emphasis on the humanities. In an era of rapid technological advancement, the reflective capacity of literature is more crucial than ever. We look forward to Bahr driving innovation and development within the Literature Section.