Education

2020 University of Florida, B.A.
2025 University of Florida, Ph.D.

Courses Taught

Reading Locally and Globally
Writing and Research: The Local and the Global

Career Specialties

Karen Libby's areas of interest are American literature, queer and gender theories, visual rhetoric, and publishing methods. 

Professional and Community Activities

Karen Libby completed her PhD in English at the University of Florida in 2025. Her current research focuses on independent publishing histories through the study of contemporary women and queer American authors. Libby's research uplifts the importance of ephemeral media, which, because it is created on fragile and inexpensive materials, tends to have limited circulation and short lifespan. At conferences, Libby has highlighted how under-acknowledged authors and artists introduce radical contributions to literary, feminist, and queer movements.

Libby's teaching history includes general education composition and literature courses along with specialized composition courses in professional communication and multimodal writing.

In connection with her work on independent publishing, Libby has also spearheaded community initiatives for education on writing, visual rhetoric, and publishing. Through workshops, Libby creates public education utilizing her research and teaching expertise. Libby has previously organized events in collaboration with the University of Florida's Harn Museum of Art and Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere as well as community organizations such as We Rock Gainesville, Civic Media Center, Sequential Artists Workshop, Queer Zine Archive Project to introduce community members to opportunities to create and publish their own media. 

Honors and Awards

2024 Rothman Doctoral Fellowship in the Humanities: University of Florida Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere
2024 Charles T. Woods Student Grant: University of Florida Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies