Ellen is Professor of Nordic Literature and Head of Department at the Centre for Ibsen Studies at the University of Oslo. Previously she held postdoctoral research fellowships in Nordic Literature at the University of Oslo and Åbo Akademi University, and was Associate Professor of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Oregon and at Arizona State University. Ellen’s research focus is Nordic literature and film and she has published more than four dozen journal articles and book chapters on the topic. Her most recent book Cabins in Modern Norwegian Literature: Negotiating Place and Identity, was published by Fairleigh Dickinson University Press in 2014. Ellen lists three things from her time in the Scandinavian Studies Department that most influenced her career. First, choosing the thesis option for her Masters degree showed her that she had the necessary skills for a research career. Second, a course on Henrik Ibsen’s plays that she took from Otto Reinert sparked an interest that eventually qualified her for a position at the Centre for Ibsen Studies at the University of Oslo. Finally, being awarded a Fulbright fellowship for dissertation research allowed her to do archival research in Oslo and improve her language and research skills. The time she spent in Oslo was critical to her success and she encourages all students to study abroad, if possible. Ellen will spend her upcoming sabbatical (2019-2020) in the Scandinavian Studies Department at UW, coming full circle back to the department where she completed her graduate studies. She looks forward to meeting students and collaborating with colleagues during her time at UW.