John Levi Barnard, a professor in the Department of Comparative & World Literature, has been named a 2024 Conrad Humanities Scholar by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

The Conrad Humanities Scholars Award recognizes promising mid-career scholars and provides financial support for continued achievement, research, and scholarship in humanities. The designation is for five years. The awards are funded by a gift from the late Arlys Conrad (AB, ’44, education).

Barnard is one of four professors honored with the appointment this year. 

Since joining the University of Illinois in 2019, Barnard has become a leading scholar in the interdisciplinary field of environmental humanities.

According to his nomination, he writes about the historical emergence of the global animal economy from fisheries and slaughterhouses to fast food restaurants and their importance to American culture.

His honors include a Donnelley Family Fellowship from the National Humanities Center; he also was named a Helen Corley Petit Scholar by the College of LAS in 2021. In 2023, his essay “Colonization to Climate Change: American Literature and a Planet on Fire,” was awarded the annual Research Prize for Faculty from the Humanities Research Institute.  

Editor's note: This award was first announced on the College of LAS website.