Hannah Johnson

Hannah Johnson is a Professor of English and A&S Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Recruitment at the University of Pittsburgh’s Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. She specializes in medieval and early modern literature, focusing on antisemitism, exclusionary rhetoric, and religious studies. Her work bridges historical analysis and contemporary social issues, particularly through examining damaging rhetorical patterns in medieval Europe. Johnson is affiliated with the Collaboratory Against Hate, Jewish Studies, and the Provost Academy. She has led international research projects, including a Fulbright-supported collaboration on The First Era of Fake News, exploring historical parallels to modern exclusionary narratives.

Her research spans Chaucer studies, witchcraft accusations, and the fairy tradition. Major publications include Blood Libel: The Ritual Murder Accusation at the Limit of Jewish History (2012) and co-authored The Critics and the Prioress: Antisemitism, Criticism and Chaucer’s Prioress’s Tale (2017). She has received prestigious fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation, ACLS, and others. Johnson teaches courses on conspiracy theories, historical witch hunts, and medieval literature, and has engaged in global academic outreach through Pitt’s Study Abroad programs in London, York, and Sydney.

Johnson’s work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining literary analysis with intellectual history and gender studies. She co-edited a special postmedieval issue on 'The Holocaust and the Middle Ages' and advocates for critical engagement with historical rhetoric’s modern manifestations. Her grants include support from the Hewlett and Beinecke Foundations, underscoring the societal relevance of her scholarship.