Rachel Geer

Rachel Geer is an Associate Professor in the Department of French at the University of Virginia and serves as the French House Director. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary and both her Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Virginia.

• Education
  • Bachelor of Arts, College of William and Mary
  • Master of Arts, University of Virginia
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Virginia

Her research focuses on medieval and early modern French literature, manuscript and book history, readership analysis, digital humanities, intersections of war and literature, gender in writing practices, and literary interpretation theory. Her work bridges traditional textual analysis with digital methodologies to explore material legacies of medieval authors like Guillaume de Machaut.

Rachel’s single known publication, Devotional and Political Consolation in Manuscript BnF fr. 994, reflects her expertise in manuscript studies, digital humanities, and political-literary intersections. This work contributes to ongoing discussions about Machaut’s material legacy and medieval consolation literature.

• Scientific Awards
  • 2015 Wente Faculty Seminar on Digital Humanities (Valparaiso University)
  • 2014 Mellon Teaching Seminar for Excellence in the Humanities (University of Virginia)
  • 2012 AHSS Summer Research Award (University of Virginia)
  • 2006–2011 President’s Fellowship (University of Virginia)

She has presented at major medieval studies conferences, including analyses of Machaut’s political memory, Jean Gerson’s emotional rhetoric, and Aquinas translations in visionary texts. Her teaching experience includes roles at Valparaiso University and the University of Virginia as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.