Inger S B Brodey

Inger S B Brodey is a Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and inaugural faculty member of the School of Civic Life and Leadership. She holds adjunct roles in Asian and Global Studies and serves as Affiliate Faculty in Asian Studies. Her academic leadership includes directing the Comparative Literature Program, founding Global Cinema initiatives, and leading the Office of Distinguished Scholarships. Brodey is renowned for her expertise in Jane Austen studies, with a focus on British literature, comparative literature, and digital humanities.

Education: PhD (1993) and MA (1991, 1990) from the University of Chicago, BA (1987) from Colorado College. Her research spans 18th/19th-century British literature, Japanese literature, and the intersections of literature with political theory and visual culture.

Research Interests: Jane Austen’s narrative techniques, cultural adaptions of classic texts, digital humanities, and comparative global literature. Notable projects include the NEH-funded 'Jane Austen’s Desk' and the Jane Austen Summer Program. Her 2024 book *Jane Austen and the Price of Happiness* redefines Austen’s endings as critiques of marriage norms.

Awards: Multiple teaching awards, including the Johnston Award and Chapman Family Award, alongside recognition for public humanities work like the Harlan Joel Gradin Award. Her 2008 book *Ruined by Design* won the SAMLA Studies Book Award.

Grants and Leadership: NEH grants, Bank of America distinguished professorship (2012–2017), and academic leadership roles. She co-founded the Jane Austen & Co. web series and directed *The Feast in Visual Arts and Cinema* project.

Labs/Teams: Leads public humanities initiatives like the Jane Austen Summer Program and collaborates on digital archives such as VirtualFeast.net.