Dr. Jennifer Oliver

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Jennifer Oliver is an Assistant Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard University, where she specializes in intersections of literary studies and the histories of science, medicine, and technology. Her research interests include nonhuman ecocritical theory and metaphor theory, focusing particularly on pre-modern texts from the medieval to the eighteenth century. Oliver's current book project, 'Mineral Matters: Crafting Ecologies in Early Modern French Literature,' examines how early modern writers and craftspeople contemplated connections between poetics and non-human nature. Oliver's teaching and research encompass a wide range of critical theoretical works, historical literary contexts, and questions around materiality and embodiment. Her publications include the monograph 'Shipwreck French Renaissance Writing: The Direful Spectacle' from Oxford University Press, and she co-founded the interdisciplinary network 'Writing Technologies'. Before joining Harvard, Oliver held teaching and research fellowships at the University of Oxford. In her spare time, she enjoys creating music with her band, Lucy Leave.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

2025-08-01 — Present

Harvard University • Cambridge, MA

Teaching and researching intersections of literary studies and various historical fields.

Requirements for Harvard University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Total
Required:80
IELTS
Overall
Required:6.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a technical or quantitative field
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).