“Catherine has a keen sense of social responsibility, and she has consistently pursued opportunities designed to support other women.”

Catherine Brist is a PhD candidate in the joint program in English and women’s and gender studies at the University of Michigan. As a new mother, Catherine shows extraordinary persistence in completing her PhD as she cares for her infant daughter, Rosie.

Catherine’s dissertation, “Unsettling Testimony: Readers’ Responses to Controversial Narrators of Sexual Violence,” makes important interventions in life narrative studies and feminist literary criticism. Her research examines contemporary readers’ responses to texts that defy cultural norms dictating how survivors talk about trauma. Catherine’s work seeks to expand the kinds of stories women are culturally authorized to tell about their experiences. Catherine’s dissertation advisor describes her work as “essential and timely”, and adds, “Catherine has a keen sense of social responsibility, and she has consistently pursued opportunities designed to support other women.”

Catherine’s scholarly excellence has been recognized with awards, including the 2024 Dorothy McGuigan Prize for Best Essay on Women. She also has an impressive record of conference presentations at organizations including the National Women’s Studies Association and the International Auto/Biography Association. Her current research is supported by the competitive Rackham Humanities Research Dissertation Fellowship for 2025–2026.

Recognizing Catherine’s commitment to supporting other scholars, the English Department Writing Program selected Catherine to be a graduate student mentor. In that role, Catherine supported 75 graduate student instructors and facilitated professional development sessions for them. She also received the 2025 Susan Lipschutz Award for exceptional scholarly achievement, mentorship, and service to the academic community.

Before returning to graduate study, Catherine undertook diverse teaching experiences, including serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Indonesia, working as a volunteer coordinator for the Appalachia Service Project, and teaching high school English in New York City. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching English from Brooklyn College while working full-time as a teacher.

CEW+ celebrates Catherine’s outstanding mentorship and names her a Gail Allen Scholar.