معرفی
Marissa Nicosia is an Associate Professor of Renaissance Literature in the English Department at Penn State Abington, part of the Pennsylvania State University system. She also serves as an Associate Professor in the Writing Program. Her academic work bridges literary studies, food history, and digital humanities, making significant contributions to our understanding of early modern English culture through innovative interdisciplinary approaches that combine textual analysis with practical experimentation.
Dr. Nicosia received her Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 and her B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from Barnard College, Columbia University in 2007, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Before joining Penn State Abington, she taught at Scripps College, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Her research focuses on the intersections of early modern English literature, food studies, book history, and political theory. Dr. Nicosia examines how literary texts and historical documents reveal cultural practices, particularly around food and temporality. Her methodology combines historical formalism and critical bibliography to uncover how early modern writers engaged with questions of time, politics, and material culture. She has developed innovative approaches that bridge academic scholarship with public engagement through recipe reconstruction and digital humanities projects.
Dr. Nicosia's publications demonstrate a consistent engagement with how historical texts can inform contemporary understanding across multiple formats. Her work spans academic monographs, edited collections, peer-reviewed articles, and public-facing digital humanities projects. She has established herself as a leader in bringing early modern studies to broader audiences through accessible scholarship that connects historical practices to modern experiences in meaningful ways.
- Franklin Research Grant, American Philosophical Society, 2024-2025
- Dibner Research Fellow in the History of Science and Technology, The Huntington Library, 2024-2025
- Faculty Senate Outstanding Research Award, Penn State Abington, 2023
- Margaret Hannay Fellow, Folger Shakespeare Library, 2022-2023
- Ogontz '65 Career Development Professorship, Penn State Abington, 2021-2023
- Resident Scholar, Penn State Humanities Institute, 2022
- Chief Ogontz Award, Penn State Abington, 2022
- President's Award for Engagement with Students, Penn State, 2022
Dr. Nicosia has secured significant grant funding for her research, including a Summer Stipend from the National Endowment for the Humanities (2021) and the Pennsylvania Grants for Open and Affordable Learning (2021-2022). Her innovative teaching approaches have been recognized with multiple awards, including the President's Award for Engagement with Students from Penn State (2022) and the Faculty Senate Outstanding Teaching Award at Penn State Abington (2018). She has mentored numerous undergraduate students through research projects, particularly through her 'What's in a Recipe?' initiative that engages students with early modern manuscript transcription.
Her public humanities project 'Cooking in the Archives' has gained national recognition, being featured in the Washington Post, HuffPost: Taste, Edible Philly, CNN.com, and on Talk of Iowa (NPR). This initiative curates transcribed and updated recipes from early modern English household manuscripts, creating a valuable resource for food historians, students, culinary enthusiasts, and the general public. The project has attracted approximately 300,000 visitors and demonstrates Dr. Nicosia's commitment to making academic research accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
