Steven Frankel will be the Robert M. Beren Professor of Jewish Civilization starting in January 2026. He will join the Hamilton School from Xavier University, where he currently serves as the Smith Professor of Political Economy and Executive Director of the Stephen S. Smith Center. He received his Ph.D. from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago and began his teaching career at the American University of Paris, where he was honored with the Board of Trustees Award for Distinguished Teaching. At Xavier, he played a central role in establishing international study programs in Paris and Jerusalem and helped launch the Smith Scholars honors program in political economy. His teaching excellence was recognized with multiple awards, including the Bishop Fenwick Teacher of the Year and the Roger A. Fortin Award for Outstanding Teaching and Scholarship in the Humanities.
Professor Frankel’s scholarship explores the intersection of philosophy and religion, and his work has appeared in journals such as The Review of Politics, Interpretation, and The Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy. His recent books include Civil Religion in Modern Political Philosophy and Equality and Excellence, with Commerce and Character: The Political Economy of the Enlightenment and the American Founding forthcoming from the University Press of Kansas.
