By Mirika Jambudi (IV) This fall, the Pingry community welcomes Dr. Feeley to the Upper School English Department, where she is teaching English 9, American Literature, and American Perspectives.
Dr. Feeley obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Cornell University and her Doctorate in English at Duke. After finishing her Ph.D., she taught history, literature, and American studies at Harvard University at the collegiate level for three years.
Before arriving at Pingry, she was a teacher at the Northwest School in Seattle, Washington. There, she taught the interdisciplinary humanities, combining history and literature. Dr. Feeley remarks that she has “always had a love for literature.” Even in high school, she was drawn to academia because she “wanted to discuss literature with people who were also engaged and interested in thinking about it.”
So far, Dr. Feeley loves Pingry. “The Pingry environment and community members have been very welcoming, and I am excited to get to know all my students this year,” she remarked. Her goals for this year at Pingry are to create an anti-racist community in her classroom, and to “bring in practices of equity and inclusion.” She hopes to promote an environment where students feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to participate.
When she’s not teaching, Dr. Feeley likes to spend time with her family, in nature, and in her garden—where she is experimenting with growing a variety of plants. She is also an avid hiker and is excited to explore New Jersey trails!