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Department of English
North Dakota State University
322 F Minard Hall
NDSU Dept. 2320
FARGO, ND 58108-6050

Phone: (701) 231-7152
E-mail: verena.theile@ndsu.edu


 

 
 

Professional Portfolio
 

Dr. Theile earned her Ph.D. in 16th- and 17th-century British literature from Washington State University and her M.A. in 17th-century Metaphysical Poetry from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Before joing the English department faculty at NDSU, Dr. Theile served as Assistant Professor of English at Gonzaga University (AY 2007-8) where she taught introductory courses to literature, literary/cultural theory, and European literature in translation.

Dr. Theile's research focus lies with early modern English literature and culture. Her dissertation, Staging the Occult: Continental European Influences on the Literature of the English Stage, traces the transmission of beliefs from continental Europe to England and examines the impact of demonological treatises on the stage literature of early modern London. Both her research and teaching have found support not only through mentors and peers, but also through grants and awards. Thanks to a fellowship from the Dr. Günther Findel-Stiftung, for example, she spent the summer of 2005 at the Herzog August Bibliothek in Germany, studying early modern pamphlets and treatises that dispute contemporary beliefs in magic, witchcraft, and sorcery.

Dr. Theile has presented her research to peers at national as well as international conferences. Her teaching is informed by her multi-cultural approach to life and literature. In her courses, students explore the cultural contexts from which literature derives inspiration and within which it takes shape. Together, Dr. Theile and her students engage with systems of belief in order to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural circumstances that give birth to writing.

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Theile tries to help her students to live up to their potential; she is committed to offering her students the support they need to accomplish their personal and professional goals. Some of the writing assignments, reading prompts, and research tools that she successfully employed in the past are available here. For students this link provides syllabi, homework assignments, and updates on course events. top

Designed by Verena Theile © 2006                                                                   Last updated August 2008