Professor Matthew Sergi, who joined the Department of English in 2013, specializes in late medieval drama and performance, contemporary dramatic literature and performance, the history of the English language and Middle English poetry and prose. His research in recent years has turned increasingly to practice-based research and experiments in live performance. With a background in Applied Theatre, Professor Sergi’s scholarship bridges technical expertise in Middle English language and literature with the embodied practices of theatre both within the classroom, through U of T dramatic productions and in the larger arts community. As the Scholar-in-Residence at Toronto Harbourfront’s World Stage from 2014-2017 (a program he co-founded), Professor Sergi has provided innovative community-building educational programming alongside theatrical performances. 

Professor Sergi’s pedagogical approach utilizes a variety of student-specific tools to turn the classroom into a performative space and engage students in challenging the established discourse of the English language. This has earned him the prize essay for the University of California Berkley’s Teaching Effectiveness Award during his PhD studies. At U of T, Professor Sergi actively works to empower marginalized or underrepresented voices. He has developed and published on new History of the English Language curricula, which draws on the diversity of university students’ varied experiences with English.  He is also currently creating a workshop in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts & Sciences Dean’s office and the English department on the integration of inclusive policies and practices for humanities instructors.