Wendy Beth Hyman, Ph.D.

ACADEMIC INSTRUCTOR

Wendy is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Oberlin College, a Trustee of the Shakespeare Association of America, and an ardent educator who relishes unlocking the potential inside every student. A Pell Grant recipient who went on to earn a Ph.D. in English from Harvard, her diverse educational journey began at Bard College at Simon’s Rock (where she studied Environmental Studies and Sociology), and Smith College, where she turned to English literature, graduating Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. A scholar-teacher with 20 years of experience, she has authored and edited books and articles on Renaissance poetry, Shakespeare, social justice, and early modern science, but it is connecting with students that has been the most meaningful part of her career — in fact she is currently writing a book with a former student, called How to Read Shakespeare: A Visual Learner’s Companion! She believes that in an era of AI, writing well is an ethical act that helps us reach beyond ourselves to others, and to articulate what is beautifully, messily, irreducibly human. 

Outside of the classroom, Wendy is an avid painter, and her passions range from silent film to rare books to punk rock to world travel. She also regularly teaches classes in England and Italy, so in the summer you’ll often find her in museums or among ancient ruins with a group of students. She lives in Cleveland with her husband Matt, a fellow English professor, travel enthusiast, and jazz promoter, and their rescued three-legged American Staffordshire terrier, Oliver.