Jessica Straley

Jessica Straley is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Utah, where she has served since 2005 (Visiting Assistant Professor 2005-2007, Assistant Professor 2007-2016, Associate Professor 2016-present). She holds a PhD in English from Stanford University, an MA in Literature, Culture, and Modernity from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, and a BA in English from Cornell University.

• Education:
  • PhD, English - Stanford University
  • MA, Literature, Culture, and Modernity - Queen Mary and Westfield College
  • BA, English - Cornell University

Her research focuses on intersections between Victorian literature, children's literature, animal studies, disability studies, and ecocriticism. She explores how literary imagination interacts with scientific and moral discourses, particularly in 19th-century contexts.

Recent publications analyze feral child narratives, zoo representations, and evolutionary theory in children's texts. Her work bridges historical literary analysis with contemporary critical frameworks like disability rights and environmental ethics.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Faculty Fellowship Award (University Research Council, 2017)
  • Ramona W. Cannon Award for Teaching Excellence (2016)
  • Tanner Humanities Center Fellowship (2016)
  • University Research Committee Faculty Fellowship (2011)
  • Newberry Library Short-Term Library Research Fellowship (2008)

She teaches courses in 19th-Century British Literature, Intellectual Movements, and Honors Thesis/Project supervision. Her external grant (Animal Testing URC, 2017-2018) demonstrates institutional support for her interdisciplinary work.