She holds a PhD in Scandinavian Studies from UC Berkeley. Specializing on Northern Europe, Verena's research focuses on the intersection of literature, material culture, and social history in Scandinavia from the Viking Age until today. Her first book "Icelandic Origins - A History of Iceland's First Viking Settler" examines representations of the figure of the first Icelander in the context of (national) identity, nationalism, and memory formation. Besides coursework in Medieval Studies (Old Norse-Icelandic language, mythology, Icelandic sagas and poetry), Verena also teaches classes on modern subjects pertaining to Scandinavia, including Swedish language and literature.