Timothy Lomeli

Originally from Wisconsin, Tim became interested in French in high school. He double majored in French and Psychology during his bachelors and afterward he decided to pursue a masters at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. There he met several authors, including Kettly Mars. This experience reading and meeting Kettly Mars inspired him to focus on Caribbean and Haitian studies. He is writing his dissertation on the novels of Kettly Mars and the complex interrelationship that Vodou has on identity and community formations. Alongside his dissertation, he is also expanding his research into her poetry and short stories.

His research and studies led him to explore not only the literature but also the history, art, and social dynamics of Haiti as well as the surrounding islands. This academic journey opened up new opportunities for Tim, allowing him to participate in and organize conferences (with the Winthrop-King Institute at Florida State University) and collaborate with experts, artists, and writers in the field. He has also learned Haitian Creole through Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowships (Summers 2016 & 2019). He is currently learning Guadeloupean Creole.

For his final year of his PhD, he was selected as a Marilyn Yarbrough Teaching & Dissertation Fellow at Kenyon College, where he will complete his dissertation and teach one course a semester based on his research.