Nicole Berland

Nicole Berland is a Teaching Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill), affiliated with the Department of English and Comparative Literature in the College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a PhD in English and Comparative Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill (2023), an MA in Humanities from the University of Chicago (2008), and a BA in English, Psychology, and Plan II Honors from the University of Texas at Austin (2005).

Her research focuses on television, film, narrative theory, speculative fiction, digital pedagogy, and media studies. She emphasizes digital composition and media literacy in teaching, encouraging students to integrate personal passions into academic work. Key research interests include contemporary American literature, critical theory, digital humanities, rhetoric, and science fiction.

Berland has received multiple teaching awards, including the Betts Award (2021), Undergraduate Teaching Award (2020), and Erika Lindemann Awards (2018, 2015). She has secured grants such as the Mellon Grant for Digital Ethnic Futures (2023–2022) and the UNC-King’s College London Global Partnership Grant (2019, 2017). Her work also includes contributions to the Humanities for the Public Good and Night School Bar initiatives.

Berland’s advising and grants highlight her commitment to interdisciplinary approaches in education and public humanities. While no specific labs or teams are explicitly mentioned, her involvement in digital and media studies projects demonstrates collaborative research engagement.