Michael Subialka

Background

About Michael Subialka

I teach and research with a focus on understanding how ideas become realities. I have taught for a decade at several leading institutions (UC Davis, Oxford, Bilkent University, and the University of Chicago), working with students to help them become deeper thinkers and more effective communicators. I am an expert in writing pedagogy and have taught argumentative writing skills to hundreds of students. I also have worked with students on creative projects to help them use their passion of literature, art, and philosophy to reach others - for example, by directing student plays and working with students on creative thesis projects. My academic research focuses on comparative literature and modern Italian literature and culture. I study the intersection of literature and philosophy, especially, examining how Italian literature and thought relate to European literature and thought, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries. As a part of this interest, I am actively engaged in translating short stories, philosophical essays, novels, and other works to make important Italian voices available to an international audience.I also work with organizations in the Sacramento community to pursue educational equity and serve disadvantaged youth in the region.At UC Davis, I am the Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Comparative Literature. I am also the President of the UC Davis Chapter of the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa.