Tamara Ketabgian

Tamara Ketabgian is a Professor of English and William and Gayle Keefer Chair of the Humanities at Beloit College, where she has taught since 2004. She also serves as Director of All-College Residencies. Her research focuses on Victorian literature and culture, environmental studies, and the history of science and technology, with a particular interest in intersections between literature, technology, and posthuman identity.

Education: B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa) from Harvard University; Ph.D. in English from Princeton University. Courses taught include interdisciplinary topics like 'Victorian Garbage,' 'Green Romanticism,' and 'Science Fiction & Speculative Writing.'

Publications include The Lives of Machines: The Industrial Imaginary in Victorian Literature and Culture (2011, shortlisted for British Society for Literature and Science Prize), and peer-reviewed articles on H.G. Wells, Anthony Trollope, and Victorian scientific narratives. Current research explores technological design and spiritual intelligence from Babbage to modern AI.

Recognitions: James K. Underkofler Teaching Award (2024), fellowships from ACLS, NEH, and others. Engages in community service via ESL tutoring with Beloit’s Stateline Literacy Council.

Teaching emphasizes creative interdisciplinary projects, including student-curated exhibits like Frankenstein 200. Advises projects in climate fiction, neo-Victorian literature, and media studies. Active in academic grants and serves on panels discussing posthumanism in Victorian Studies.