Prof. Tara Zahra has been reappointed as the Roman Family Director of the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society at the University of Chicago, as announced by Provost Katherine Baicker. Her new term is set to begin on July 1, 2026.
Following the conclusion of her current appointment on June 30, 2025, Zahra will take a one-year faculty research leave. During this period, Prof. David Levin will assume the role of interim director.
“Tara brings extraordinary creativity, rigor and vision to the Neubauer Collegium,” Baicker stated. “She has expanded its global footprint, deepened its interdisciplinary collaborations and championed new ways to engage the public with research. Her reappointment ensures continued momentum for this vital hub of inquiry and exchange.”
Since becoming director in 2022, Zahra has led initiatives that have broadened the Collegium’s international presence and interdisciplinary scope. The Global Solutions Initiative was launched under her leadership, attracting leading artists and researchers from around the world to campus. She also enhanced connections with UChicago’s global centers, forged new partnerships, and elevated the visual and performing arts in collaborative research.
Zahra is recognized as a leading scholar in modern European history with a focus on transnational histories of migration, nationalism, family, and humanitarianism. She has received both a MacArthur Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. and master’s degree in history from the University of Michigan along with a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Swarthmore College.
“The Neubauer Collegium is an extraordinary hub of collaboration and innovation on this campus, and a critical source of support in a difficult time for humanistic research nationally,” Zahra commented. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to continue this work in the coming years.”
Prof. David Levin will step into his interim role with extensive interdisciplinary expertise as he serves during Zahra's leave. He holds positions as Alice H. and Stanley G. Harris Jr. Distinguished Service Professor across several departments including Germanic Studies; Cinema & Media Studies; Theater; Performance Studies; as well as at the College itself. Levin's involvement with major research initiatives coupled with his experience at intersecting fields such as theater opera film makes him well-suited for guiding Collegium operations during Zahra's absence.