Brigitte Fielder

Brigitte Fielder is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, affiliated with the Department of Comparative Literature & Folklore Studies within the College of Letters & Science. Her scholarship focuses on 19th-century American literature, particularly African American and women writers, and she is a leading voice in the study of race, gender, and kinship.

• Ph.D. in English with a minor in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Cornell University

Her research bridges literary analysis with critical race and gender studies, examining how narratives of kinship and identity intersect with historical contexts. Her forthcoming monograph, Relative Races, explores these themes in 19th-century American texts.

Brigitte has held prestigious fellowships, including the Nellie Y. McKay Fellowship at UW-Madison, and contributed to academic governance through roles on the Executive Committee and Advisory Board of C19: The Society of Nineteenth-Century Americanists. Her work on children's literature and doll series, such as the American Girl franchise, highlights her commitment to pedagogy that engages with contemporary social justice issues.

• Nellie Y. McKay Fellowship
• Research Fellowship from the American Antiquarian Society
• Research Fellowship from the Animal Studies Institute – Wesleyan University Animal Studies program