Catherine McKenna

Catherine McKenna is the Margaret Brooks Robinson Research Professor of Celtic Languages and Literatures at Harvard University’s Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures. She has taught at Harvard since 2005 and previously at New York University and the City University of New York. Her research focuses on medieval Welsh narrative prose, bardic poetry (12th–13th centuries), and saints’ cults—particularly Saint Brigit’s hagiography. She teaches courses in Medieval Welsh language and literature, medieval Celtic Christianity, and narrative traditions.

Educated at Harvard, she holds a PhD in Celtic Languages and Literatures from the same institution (no specific year noted). Her work bridges textual analysis, historical context, and cultural studies, with a focus on how medieval texts reflect political, religious, and social dynamics.

Her publications span monographs, edited volumes, and peer-reviewed articles addressing topics such as bardic terminology, saints’ cults’ evolution, and medieval Welsh identity. Current research includes books on Saint Brigit’s hagiography and the Mabinogi’s narrative framework. She has contributed to projects like the Cyfres Beirdd y Tywysogion poetry editions.

She has held no listed awards but is active in academic societies like the Celtic Studies Association of North America. No student advisees or grants are explicitly mentioned in the provided text, though her long tenure suggests mentorship roles. No specific lab or team affiliations are noted beyond her department.