Sarah B. Mohler

About

I was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with honors with a B.A. in Slavic Studies from Northwestern University and earned my PhD in Slavic Studies from Princeton.

I am now an associate professor of English at Truman State University, where I teach undergraduate and graduate seminars in cognitive literary theory, children’s literature, literary adaptation, New Fabulism, as well as Slavic and South Asian literature and film.

I was instrumental in creating the Film Studies, Child Studies, and Cognitive Science interdisciplinary minors at Truman. I currently serve as the chair of the Child Studies minor and the Cognitive Science minor committees.

I also direct Truman’s English Master’s program, which has allowed me to mentor many of Missouri’s finest librarians and high school English teachers.

I am passionate about promoting children’s literacy. I help organize Truman’s annual Children’s Literature Festival, which brings eleven children’s authors and graphic novelists to campus each April. Over 1,700 elementary students from Kirksville and the surrounding communities attend the festival to hear them speak.

My husband and I co-lead the Philosophy for Kids outreach project, which trains teams of Truman philosophy and children’s literature students to engage 2nd-5th-grade students in philosophical debates prompted by children’s books.

I take pride in overseeing Truman’s Free Little Library (Charter # 110339) on campus.

Honors and Awards

• Winner of the inaugural School of Arts & Letters Mission Award, 2019-2020
• Winner of two Truman Teaching Innovation Awards, Fall 2018, Spring 2021
• Finalist for Truman State University’s Educator of The Year, 2018-2019, 2019-2020
• Finalist for Truman State University’s Research Advisor of the Year, 2017-2018
• Semi-Finalist for William O’Donnell Lee Advising Award, 2019-2020
• National Endowment for the Humanities Grant for Summer Institute, “The Cultural and Historical Development of Modern India,” Summer 2011
• National Endowment for the Humanities Grant for Summer Seminar, “Adapting Dickens,” Summer 2007