IMPACT
Washington State University
English Department Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 1, Spring 2008
The Chair's Corner
Dear Alumni and Friends,
I’m thrilled to be writing for the first time from “The Chair’s Corner” in trying to help keep us all up-to-date on the many activities, challenges, and successes of the WSU English Department. As many of you know from other opportunities to chat about what’s been going on, the last couple of years have seen the full implementation of connections our new English major. The major has been pared down from the six options to only four: Literary Studies, Creative Writing, English/Teaching, and Rhetoric and Professional Writing. The English Department has also become the academic and administrative home for a new interdisciplinary degree program, Digital Technology and Culture (DTC), which had its beginnings at our regional campus in Vancouver and has since spread east to Pullman and our other campus in Tri-Cities.
We are very happy to say that the state of English studies, as formed by these various interests and concentrations is strong and healthy. In Pullman alone, we continue to have more than 200 English majors and more than 60 DTC majors; combined with our majors in Vancouver and Tri-Cities, we are approaching record numbers of more than 310 English majors and some 200 DTC majors. No doubt about it—this is good, even remarkable, growth and development.
Our graduate program also remains strong and stable. Our students continue to present papers at regional and national professional meetings (averaging between 10 and 15 a year), several of which result in publications, and to secure good jobs at places like California State University—Sacramento, the College of Charleston, North Carolina State University, Illinois State University, and Iowa Sate University.
One thing can be said for sure about this growth is that we’ve been happily forced to keep ahead of the hiring curve and have been able to appoint numerous highly capable, energetic scholars and teachers in various areas of our program. You can catch up with them in the “What’s New with Faculty” segment that includes nicely informative biographical sketches of the new folks—and some of us oldsters as well. But for now, the areas we have been able to hire in range from 19th-Century British and Anglophone literatures, to African-American and 20th century American literature, to applied linguistics/ESL/TESOL, to rhetoric/composition/technology, and finally to Digital Technology and Culture.
Along with the new folks, we have been cheering on those who’ve been in the ranks for some time as they’ve been successful in their own scholarship and teaching. Drop in on “What’s New with Faculty” to check out the many new achievements of our faculty ranging from publications in many different venues to Fulbright and Guggenheim fellowships. You’ll agree with me that this is a remarkably interesting and productive group of people to work with and learn from.
I can say with some confidence that we are holding our own in this often trying world of competition for limited resources, and I’m convinced that we as a department continue to create a much better place to work together to effect the kinds of changes we want to determine, and not those that could be determined for us. But we can continue to do this only with your generous support; please keep in touch and we will do the same.
But that’s not all, folks! I want to thank Debbie Lee, our new coordinator of research and development, and Jessica McCarthy, one of our advanced Ph.D. students, as well as other faculty, staff, and students and alumni for the incredible energy and hard work they have put into producing this newsletter. They have been both creative and congenial—and have made this new venture truly enjoyable and rewarding.
Best to all of you,
The R&D Desk
Dear Readers,
It is with great pleasure that we release our first edition of Impact!
While Impact covers newsworthy items of interest to WSU English Department students, alumni, and faculty, it is meant to be more than that. We hope to develop partnerships with people around the country and around the world who, like us, are striving to positively impact their environments and communities.
For helping us put this thing together, a special thanks to: Nick Kiessling, Dick Law, Peter Chilson, Michael Hanly, Marie Drews, Dawn Gaither, Patty Ericsson, Andrew McCarthy, Alex Hammond, Annette Bednar, Larry Hufford, Stephanie Lee, Paul Muhlhauser, Sarah White, Jerri Smith, and Trevor Bond. Send corrections and contributions for the next edition of Impact to: deblee@wsu.edu
Enjoy!
Debbie Lee and Jessica McCarthy
Research and Development