About the Center
The world’s first academic center dedicated to horror studies.
The Horror Studies Center (HSC) positions the University of Pittsburgh as a global leader in interdisciplinary research, teaching, and archival work in horror studies.
As the first center of its kind supported by both a major research university and a dedicated archival collection, the HSC unites Pitt’s longstanding strengths in horror across disciplines. We foster inclusive scholarship, creative practice, community outreach, and collaborations that explore fear, trauma, and horror in their many cultural, historical, psychological, and artistic forms.
Read more about the HSC in the Dietrich School Newsroom.
Why Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh is globally recognized as the place where the modern zombie film originated, thanks to George A. Romero’s 1968 landmark Night of the Living Dead (recently restored by the Museum of Modern Art). Indeed, Pittsburgh and Romero are so closely linked in the public imagination that the Steel City is also regarded by many as a birthplace for the modern horror genre. Romero’s long career as a celebrated horror icon and Pittsburgh’s most influential independent filmmaker has only become more legendary since his passing in 2017.
But horror studies goes far beyond film. The field investigates:
- The business and cultural impact of the horror industry
- The science and psychology of fear and trauma
- The social issues horror reflects and critiques
From ancient storytelling traditions to today’s most popular entertainment, horror connects past, present, and future.
Pitt’s Horror Studies Legacy
The HSC builds on a strong foundation of initiatives already established across the University:
- Horror Studies Collection (2019)
- Curated by the University Library System (ULS), this is the world’s only academic archival collection dedicated to horror. It includes the George A. Romero Collection, the archive's founding acquisition and the basis for an ongoing partnership with the George A. Romero Foundation (2018). Since then, the ULS has acquired multiple other archives and materials connected to horror studies.
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- “Horror Genre as Social Force” Scholar Community (2020)
- Based in the David C. Frederick Honors College, this community brings together faculty, students, and staff across disciplines. Undergraduate scholarships support research and creative projects focused on fear, trauma, and social horror.
- Global Horror Studies Archival and Research Network (GHSARN, 2020)
- A Pitt-led effort connecting scholars, students, and archivists worldwide. With close ties to the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) and Pitt Global, GHSARN expands the boundaries of the field through international collaboration.
- Horror Studies Working Group (2018)
- A collaborative team of faculty, students, staff, and community members that has helped launch horror studies at Pitt by planning special events, inviting guest speakers, and organizing conferences.
Leadership
Adam Lowenstein
Founding Director, Horror Studies Center
Professor of English and Film and Media Studies