Catherine Romagnolo

Catherine Romagnolo is Professor of English and Communications and Director of Social Justice & Civic Engagement at Lebanon Valley College, integrating literary scholarship with social justice praxis through narrative theory, gender studies, and intergroup dialogue initiatives.

Her academic credentials include:

• B.S., University of Florida
• M.A., University of Maryland
• Ph.D., University of Maryland

Romagnolo's research centers on narrative beginnings as analytical tools for examining social identity in feminist and African American literature, with recent expansion into intergroup dialogue pedagogy. She investigates how literary form intersects with race, gender, and power structures to foster equitable societal frameworks, bridging theoretical analysis with community-based applications.

Her publication trajectory reveals evolving focus from feminist narratology in 20th-century fiction toward critical race narratology in contemporary works, engaging authors like Rankine, Morrison, and Walker across African American, Black British, and Asian American traditions. This progression demonstrates increasing interdisciplinary integration of literary analysis with social justice ethics.

Teaching excellence has been consistently recognized through major awards:

• Thomas Rhys Vickroy Award for Excellence in Teaching (2011)
• NOMA Multicultural Achievement Awards (2007, 2008)
• HyPE Teacher Appreciation Award (2006)
• James A. Robinson Award for Undergraduate Teaching (2000)
• Multiple Distinguished Teaching Assistant honors (1998-2000)

Research support includes President's Innovation Grants for Intergroup Dialogue Program development (2013, 2015) and international sabbatical research in Italy (2011). Her directorship of Social Justice & Civic Engagement drives curriculum innovation in courses like Black Lives Matter Symposium and Race in 21st Century.

As founder of Lebanon Valley College's Intergroup Dialogue Program, she creates structured frameworks for cross-identity conversations that transform campus culture through facilitated discussions on privilege, equity, and social change, extending scholarly work into tangible community impact.