Laurel is a visiting assistant professor in American Studies and Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies. She received her PhD from the University of Iowa. She received her BA in English from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota and her MA in English Literature from the University of Colorado - Boulder. Her research interests include popular American cinema, popular culture, and gender and women’s studies. More recently, she has been particularly interested in female-centered horror films as well as the racial and gendered politics of American film awards, including the Academy Awards and Golden Globes. At the University of Iowa, Laurel has taught in both American Studies and English and enjoys working closely with students from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds.

Research interests 

• Popular American cinema
• Gender and women’s studies
• Queer studies
• Popular culture
• Digital humanities