Ashley Reed

Ashley Reed is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. She serves as the Undergraduate Program Director and explores intersections of U.S. literature, 19th-century religion, and women's transformative roles in the public sphere.

• Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2014)
• Affiliate Faculty, Department of Religion and Culture

Her research focuses on 19th-century American fiction, religious identity, and women's contributions to cultural discourse. Key themes include:

• Religious agency in literature
• Gender and narrative authority
• Digital humanities methodologies
• Public sphere dynamics

Recent publications include analyses of gendered literary criticism, sentimental fiction, and 19th-century cultural history. Her work appears in journals like J19 and Digital Humanities Quarterly, with additional commentary in ThinkND and media outlets.

Scientific awards include the Andrew W. Mellow Postdoctoral Fellowship in Digital Humanities. She mentors students in English and religious studies while leading curriculum development for undergraduate programs.