Sara Pankenier Weld specializes in childhood in literature and culture; Russian literature, Scandinavian literature, comparative literature, and world literature; avant-garde literature, art, and theory; literatures of the north; Indigeneity and childhood; word and image; childhood studies, children’s literature, and picturebooks. 

Sara has taught at UCSB since 2012. Her teaching encompasses Russian literature and culture, comparative literature, and children's literature. She lives in Santa Barbara with her family, including her three children.