Dr. Valeria Mutc

Biography

Valeria Mutc, Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures from Yale University, is a scholar of nineteenth-century literature focusing on the interplay of literature, theater, history, and science in the Russian Empire. Her ongoing book project, 'Dramatic Turn: Science, Theater, and Russian Literature,' investigates how theater became an essential medium for Russian writers to respond to the challenges and opportunities posed by scientific and industrial modernity. Through analyses of prominent authors such as Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy, and Maksim Gorky, Mutc argues that theater served as a bastion of fictionality amidst the growing influence of positivism in society. In addition to research, she is dedicated to equitable access to education, having developed interactive online resources that promote inclusive pedagogy in theater education. Before joining the University of California, Davis, Mutc was a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University's Society of Fellows in the Humanities and a Mellon Teaching Fellow. Her academic contributions include works on the intersection of science and theater, appearing in notable publications such as the Wiener Slawistischer Almanach.

Research Interests