Rachel Brown
Brown was born in Winchester, Va., moved to Norfolk, Va., and then to Hampton, VA as a teenager where she still lives with her husband and cat.
Rachel Brown is an instructor for the Department of Focused Inquiry. She has been with the department since 2023, starting as a graduate teaching assistant. She is an alum of Virginia Peninsula Community College (formerly Thomas Nelson Community College) where she received her associate's degree in liberal arts in 2021 before transferring to VCU in 2022 where she received her bachelor's and master's degrees in English. Her research is focused primarily on descriptive bibliography for non-traditional book formats, i.e. artist's books, and hopes to develop a cohesive, applicable system for cataloging and recording these non-traditional items. When not in the classroom, she tries to make time for her alma mater's unofficial club, Superscripts, which works on physical texts, manuscript transcription, and preservation of book history and printing techniques. She is a firm believer in service, so the rest of her time is devoted to the Fraternal Order of Eagles which is a social civic charitable organization active in the community.
Q&A with Rachel Brown
Can you tell us a little about your educational journey?
I had a non-traditional path to higher education. When I tried college fresh out of high school, it didn't work for me. After a 10 year sabbatical, I tried again with better support and a clearer idea of what I wanted to do. I obtained an associate's degree at community college before transferring to VCU where I received a bachelor's degree in English and then a master's degree in English.
When did you first fall in love with your field of study? What made you decide to work in academia?
I am very interested in the foundation of higher education, such as critical thinking, rhetorical analysis, and reading and writing as inquiry. After receiving a graduate teaching position during my time as a grad student, I fell in love with the process and the core ideas of focused inquiry. Additionally, focused inquiry is all but the last time most students get access to others outside of their discipline or degree path which helps expand students’ perspectives and access.
What attracted you to VCU? What are you most excited about in regards to VCU and Richmond?
VCU provides some of the most eclectic experiences I have ever had, Additionally, VCU Libraries Special Collections has the best repository of artist's books and other graphic media and book art on the East Coast. Richmond supports public access to museums, libraries, and as the state capital, historical sites.
Can you tell us either a quirky fact about yourself or some of your hobbies?
I have a deep devotion to the charity work that I do with the Fraternal Order of Eagles, where I am currently a Virginia state auxiliary officer and Mason-Dixon auxiliary representative for Virginia. I spend the rest of my time reading, cooking, and playing tabletop roleplaying games with my friends.