Sachi Shimomura

Dr. Sachi Shimomura serves as Associate Professor in the Department of English within the College of Humanities and Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her teaching portfolio includes Early & Medieval Mythology, Chaucer, History of the English Language, and Medieval Literature from Old English to Middle English.

Her educational background is impressive:

• PhD in English, Cornell University
• AB and MA in English, Stanford University
• BS in Mathematics, Stanford University

Shimomura's research centers on medieval literature, with a focus on the representation of the body, memory, and judgment in Old and Middle English texts. She has published extensively on Chaucer, Old English elegies, and the visual culture of medieval religious literature, contributing to fields such as medieval cultural studies and manuscript studies. Her scholarship frequently examines corporeal symbolism and mnemonic practices in premodern contexts.

Her publications from 2002-2017 reveal deep engagement with medieval literary traditions, primarily analyzing themes of mortality, embodiment, and visual exegesis in canonical texts. While her 2017 interdisciplinary science history book demonstrates scholarly breadth, her core contributions remain firmly rooted in medieval literary criticism and philology.

Her accolades include:

• Humanities Research Center Fellowship (2015)
• Student Organization Advisor of the Year for Literati (2009)
• College of Humanities and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award (2008)
• Fulbright and Icelandic Government Grants (1991-92)

As an educator, she has mentored student organizations and received recognition for teaching excellence, while her research funding includes prestigious international grants supporting medieval studies and interdisciplinary science history projects.