Karen Gross

Professor of English

Miller 408, MSC: 58
Office Hours:

Spring 2026: Wednesday 11-1 and by appointment.

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Karen Gross joined the Lewis & Clark English department in 2005. She studies and teaches the European Middle Ages with an emphasis on England and Italy in the thirteenth through fifteenth centuries. She is particularly interested in the reception of classical texts, Dante, medieval literary theory and education, the history of the book, and the relationship between literature and the visual arts. Her research has been supported by grants from the New York Public Library, the Mellon Foundation, the Huntington Library, the Stanford Humanities Center, and the Fulbright program. In 2008 she received the Graves Award, sponsored by the ACLS, for her efforts as a teacher. Currently, she is researching illuminated Apocalypse manuscripts.

News Stories

academics, class spotlight, English, experiential education, experiential learning, special collections, top story, undergrad 

Paging Through the Past

In her Medieval Manuscripts course, Professor of English Karen Gross brings history to life with the help of Watzek Library’s rich archival collections. Students get hands-on experience with centuries-old texts as they explore the art of archival research.

points of pride 

The Ferrara Hours: Teaching Medieval Europe in Special Collections at L&C

Lewis & Clark College has a strong record of teaching that relies upon the medieval and early modern works housed in Special Collections produced during this moment. This year, thanks to the Breslauer Foundation Grant and to Professor Karen Gross for collaboration on our application, we have acquired a Book of Hours produced in the Italian city of Ferrara in the late fifteenth century, a moment when several of the most severe outbreaks of plague ravished the city.  
art history, Chemistry, English, foundation relations, Giving, interdisciplinary, Portland, religious studies, special collections, watzek library 

Special Collections Acquires First Italian Illuminated Manuscript in the Portland Area

Watzek Library’s Special Collections and Archives has recently added another rare book, an Italian book of hours, to its growing collection of archival materials. The book, valued at more than $45,000, was acquired thanks to a highly competitive grant from the B.H. Breslauer Foundation. Starting next spring, students will have the opportunity to examine the text in depth in Professor Karen Gross’s manuscript analysis course.
points of pride 

Dr. Gross Headed to NY Public Library Archives

Associate Professor of English Karen Gross has been awarded a Short Term Fellowship from the New York Public Library (NYPL).
 

Professor Karen Gross Named Teacher of the Year

Associate Professor of English Karen Gross is the 2019 Teacher of the Year 

Location: Miller Hall