Laury Magnus

Dr. Laury Magnus is a full Professor in the Humanities Department at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), serving since 1981. She holds a Ph.D. in Modern Literature from The Graduate Center of CUNY. Her research focuses on Shakespearean text and performance, auditory elements in drama, and literary analysis of modern and Renaissance works. She teaches courses in world literature, composition, and performance studies.

Her major publications include Who Hears in Shakespeare? (2012) and a forthcoming Shakespeare’s Auditory Worlds (2020), both exploring soundscapes in Shakespeare's plays. She contributes to the New Kittredge/Focus editions of Shakespeare's plays and reviews performances for The Shakespeare Newsletter.

Prof. Magnus has led campus cultural initiatives like the Arts & World Affairs Program, organizing theater trips and the Mariners' Chorus. She advises the Hear This publication and founded the Kings Point Ballroom Dancing Club. Notably, she was the first woman to achieve full professor rank at USMMA and serves as Mace Bearer.