Rachel Gevlin

Rachel Gevlin is a Teaching Assistant Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the College of Humanities and Sciences, where she also serves as affiliate faculty in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. Her academic work bridges eighteenth-century British literature, feminist theory, and legal histories of marriage and divorce, with significant contributions to Jane Austen scholarship and novel theory.

Dr. Gevlin's educational background includes:

• PhD in English from Duke University
• MA in English from Duke University
• BA in Literature and Mathematics from Bennington College

Her research interrogates the intersections of gender, law, and literary form in eighteenth-century fiction, particularly examining how marriage, adultery, and divorce function as narrative devices and social critique. She extends this analysis to contemporary feminist discourse through protofeminist and postfeminist frameworks, while maintaining pedagogical innovation in literature instruction.

Analysis of her 2020-2024 publications reveals consistent engagement with Jane Austen's works and eighteenth-century novelistic traditions, exploring themes of gendered power dynamics, legal constraints on women, and satirical representations of masculinity. Her scholarship uniquely connects historical legal contexts with literary analysis, demonstrating how divorce law evolution shaped narrative structures and character development during the novel's formative period.

Dr. Gevlin has received significant recognition for her scholarship:

• International Visitor Fellowship, Jane Austen Society of North America
• Lift Award, VCU (2024-2025)
• Huntington Library Travel Grant (2023-24)
• Jane Austen Scholar-in-Residence, Goucher College (Summer 2023)
• Mayers Fellowship, Huntington Library (2020-21)
• Traveling Lecturer, Jane Austen Society of North America (2025-2026)

As co-chair of the Women's Caucus of the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (2025-2027) and incoming Traveling Lecturer for the Jane Austen Society of North America, Dr. Gevlin actively shapes scholarly discourse while securing research support through competitive fellowships. Her Peace Corps service in Burkina Faso informs her cross-cultural pedagogical approach, though specific grant funding details beyond awarded fellowships remain unreported in available sources.