Biography
- J.D., cum laude, University of Richmond School of Law
- M.A., English, University of Virginia
- B.A., with Distinction, English, University of Virginia
Ann Nicholson brings both a legal and literary background to her teaching at PBA, where she instructs English Composition and Humanities. She earned her B.A. with Distinction in English from the University of Virginia before completing her M.A. in English, also at UVA, and her J.D. cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law. Ms. Nicholson is admitted to the Virginia State Bar and currently serves as Chair of PBA’s Faculty Ethics and Grievance Committee.
In her Master of Arts thesis, titled A Survey of Geoffrey Hill’s “The Pentecost Castle” and “Lachrimae,” Ms. Nicholson paired close reading of individual poems with historical discourse to survey Hill’s volume of verse Tenebrae. Focusing on Hill’s engagement with religious and historical themes alongside traditional forms and deliberately ambiguous language, she examined how his poetry remains relevant to contemporary thought — speaking to the human condition and to a faith that reckons honestly with uncertainty and doubt.
Ms. Nicholson brings this same attentiveness to language, form, and meaning into the classroom, helping students engage thoughtfully with texts, ideas, and the life of faith they share.
Degrees
JD in Law, University of Richmond | MA in English, University of Virginia | BA in English, University of Virginia