معرفی
Dr. Elizabeth Swann is an Associate Professor in the Department of English Studies at Durham University, where she also serves as Department Rep for English Studies in the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS). She joined Durham as Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Literary Studies in September 2018, following significant research positions at the University of Cambridge and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Dr. Swann's educational background includes:
- PhD in English and Related Literature from the University of York
- Research Associate on the ERC-funded project "Crossroads of Knowledge: The Place of Literature in Early Modern England" at the University of Cambridge (2014-2018)
- Haslam Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2013-2014)
Dr. Swann's research focuses on the intricate relationships between literature, natural philosophy (early science), and theology in England between 1500-1700. Her work examines how literary texts represent knowledge as embodied, passionate, and historically situated practices. She has made significant contributions to understanding how sensory experiences, particularly taste, function as metaphors for knowledge and judgment in early modern contexts. Her scholarship also extends to Critical University Studies, where she investigates how contemporary knowledge production in universities is shaped by historical, cultural, socio-economic, and personal contexts.
Analysis of Dr. Swann's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the intersections of literary studies, history of science, and sensory studies during the early modern period. Her work demonstrates a particular interest in how concepts of knowledge, embodiment, and sensory experience evolved during the scientific revolution. There's a strong thread connecting her examination of taste as both physical sensation and metaphorical concept across multiple publications. Her research increasingly engages with questions of childhood's role in scientific development and the complex relationship between knowledge and power throughout history.
Dr. Swann is actively involved in mentoring the next generation of scholars:
- Kate Paterson - Research Postgraduate
- Mackenzie "Kenzie" Scott - Research Postgraduate
- Wanjie Feng - Research Postgraduate
She has received significant research funding, notably as Research Associate on an ERC-funded project at the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Swann collaborates extensively on academic projects, co-editing scholarly collections and co-curating the online exhibition "Renaissance Spaces of Knowing: Privacy and Performance" hosted by the Fitzwilliam Museum. Her interdisciplinary approach connects her with multiple research centers, particularly the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies at Durham University.
