Jacqueline A. Heinzelmann

Jacqueline A. Heinzelmann is a Research Associate at the University of Zurich, affiliated with the SNSF research project Ecopassions. Her work bridges narrative research, ecocriticism, and transmediality, with a focus on feminist, queer, and environmental themes in speculative fiction and children’s/youth literature.

• Education: PhD in Empirical Cultural Studies (2024–present) at the University of Zurich; MA in Literary Studies (2021–2024) at the same institution; BA in International Relations and East Asian Studies (2014–2018) from the University of Rochester.

Her research explores the intersection of fairy tale motifs (e.g., the Sleeping Beauty narrative) with contemporary discourses on gender, ecology, and media. She investigates how speculative fiction across platforms interrogates temporality, identity, and environmental ethics.

Recent publications and lectures highlight her expertise in transmedial storytelling, plant studies, and feminist reimaginings of classic narratives. For instance, her work examines the sleeping motif as a lens for ecological and gendered continuity in speculative fiction.

• Scientific Awards: Dean’s List (University of Rochester, 2015–2018); Alice DeSimone Award (2018); MLC Book Award (2016); Research Interest Grant (2014).

She contributes to academic networks such as the Zurich Science Fiction Network and the Society for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Research, while engaging in editorial and teaching roles in literary and language studies.