Xander Lenc

Why is it so difficult to imagine justice without incarceration? Why is the architecture of the prison so intuitive to the American public? My dissertation research explores the historical foundations of California incarceration beyond the criminal justice system: in ecology, urban design, maritime architecture, medical science, and mining.

My work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Brechin-Chlebowski Fellowship, the Global Humanities Initiative, and the Center for Science, Technology, Medicine & Society. I study with Professors Jake Kosek, Jovan Lewis, and Desiree Fields in Geography, Rebecca McLennan in History, and Jonathan Simon at Berkeley Law. As an undergraduate I studied entomology, with a special emphasis on honey bees.

When my dissertation work gets too depressing, I instead study the politics of architecture preservation in Southern California, which as it turns out is fairly depressing as well! I also share a sustained research project on the history of the concept of “depth” with fellow Berkeley geographer Nick Anderman. I am also an avid in-line skater, climber, and sumo wrestling fan.