Alumni News

forsytj3 2023 Fond Farewells, 2023 Newsletter

Ning Yu

The English Department bids a fond farewell to Ning Yu, who is retiring to devote more time to his writing. 

Initially trained and educated as an aeronautical engineer and international relations expert in China, Professor Yu read Thoreau one evening after work and his life—and our department—was forever changed.  

Jettisoning his first career and blasting off in a new direction to follow his new-found love of American literature, Ning moved to the U.S. and became a scholar and teacher of Nineteenth-Century American literature and ecocritical studies. 

“I could have worked for Boeing,” he once said. “But I’m glad I didn’t.” 

Known for his engaging class discussions and the wide breadth of the readings he assigns, Ning is the author of 5 books and dozens of articles, essays and commentaries. In fact, his most immediate motivation for retirement is to devote himself more fully to his writing and scholarship. He is under contract for an annotated edition of the complete works of Xun Zi, a classic Chinese philosopher, and he has recently published a collection of essays and a book of Chinese literary criticism. In China his essays and nonfiction have been reprinted in The Best Essays of the Year volumes.  

“Prof. Yu taught with distinction in the English Department for thirty years,” notes English Chair Kelly Magee.  “Nin has been instrumental in developing our Literature curriculum, including specialty courses in Asian American Literature, Nature Writing, and Ecocriticism, and he has taught a variety of literature courses to students at all levels of our undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Prof. Yu’s colleagues will miss him profoundly, and they have greatly appreciated his dedication and good humor, as well as his advocacy on behalf of faculty and students, including frequently serving as an advisor for the literature program.”

Professor Yu earned his Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut, writing his dissertation on Thoreau’s metaphorical use of geography. He has taught at Western since 1993, offering a wide range of courses in American Literature, nature writing, and eco-criticism.  

A whole-hearted engagement with research and literature characterized Ning’s entire career at Western. His interest in Thoreau and eco-criticism led him to ask how poets from centuries ago envisioned their interactions with the environment. These questions led him to a years-long study of more than 60,000 poems from the Tang Dynasty. This research resulted in two well-received books, Borrowed from the Great Lump of the Earth: An American Ecocritic’s Translation of Tang Poems, and a second volume, In Response to the Howling Monkeys along the Yangtze: An American Ecocritic’s Translation of 315 Tang Poems.   

Professor Yu’s research included physical field-work as well as archival and literary investigations. Exploring the Angel Island Immigration Center, where Asian immigrants were detained for extended periods following the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, he discovered Chinese poetry and other textual remnants carved into the walls of the buildings. After transcribing and preserving these texts, he researched similar carvings along the railroad Chinese Americans built, following the tracks and history all the way to Utah. These texts enlivened his courses and helped Western students to better understand the lives and contributions of Chinese American laborers to the American West.  

forsytj3 2023 Fond Farewells, 2023 Newsletter

Bruce Beasley

The Department bids a fond farewell to Professor Bruce Beasley, who is retiring after 31 years at Western.

Professor Bruce Beasley

Known for his broad smile, infectious chuckle and passionate love for poetry, Bruce taught an extraordinarily wide range of courses in poetry and poetics at Western, including such curricular innovations as Slam and Spoken Word Poetries and Poetry and the Work of Dreams.  For many years he co-taught “Monsters,” a popular and interdisciplinary GUR course with Thor Hansen from Geology on the literature, mythology, and science of the monstrous.  Beasley won WWU’s 2013 Peter J. Elich Excellence in Teaching Award.

“Bruce Beasley is a beloved poet and teacher at Western and in the field at large, and students have always clamored to get into his classes,” notes English Department Chair Kelly Magee. “Students, to put it simply, love Bruce. His teaching is known throughout the department as some of the best in the university. Indeed, students rave about his classes, telling stories about how they performed in poetry slams and the gentle way that Bruce encouraged them to take risks, volunteer ideas, and even take opposing viewpoints with ease and compassion. His strong presence as part of the creative writing program can’t be overstated, as well, especially the tenacity with which he has worked to improve that program for students and for his colleagues. Bruce’s practical and inclusive positions have strongly influenced our department for the better, and he will be greatly missed!”

Born and raised in Georgia, Professor Beasley graduated from Oberlin College (B.A. in English, 1980), Columbia University (M.F.A. in poetry, 1982), and the University of Virginia (Ph.d. in American literature, 1993). He is the author of nine collections of poems, including most recently Prayershreds, just published in May 2023 by Orison Books, and All Soul Parts Returned and Theophobia (both from BOA Editions). 

Professor Beasley’s books have won three national competitions: the Ohio State University Press/Journal Award for The Creation; the Colorado Prize for Poetry for Summer Mystagogia; and the University of Georgia Press Contemporary Poetry Series Award for Lord Brain.  His work has appeared widely in such journals as Kenyon Review, Gettysburg Review, Poetry, New American Writing, and Yale Review.  He has won fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Artist Trust, and three Pushcart prizes.  His work appears in The Pushcart Book of Poetry: The Best Poems from the Pushcart Prize and many other anthologies.  His work draws widely on theology, philosophy, cosmology, neuroscience, dreams and dream theory, and visual arts.

More information on Bruce and his writing can be found at his website, Brucebeasley.net

starre2 2025 Fond Farewells

Fond Farewells

by Lysa Rivera

Erica Dean-Crawford

As we close this academic year, I would like to take a moment here to honor someone whose impact on our graduate program cannot be overstated — our incredible Graduate Program Coordinator, Erica Dean-Crawford. From managing application cycles to mentoring students and fielding endless questions with kindness and good humor, Erica has been the steadfast heart of our graduate program since 2014. I had the good fortune of working closely with Erica as Director of Graduate Studies, and during those two years I would often hear students refer to her as their “lifeline” and their “the go-to” for pretty much everything. From September to June, it was Erica who was there, ensuring that every student knew where to be and when. Although most of what she does happens behind the scenes, the impacts of her work run deep. It is her insight, tireless support, and strong organization that keeps this large program running smoothly. As Chair, I continue to appreciate Erica’s essential role in department, and I have come to regard her as a deeply caring, thoughtful, and witty woman. It was always Erica who would remind me of a birthday, who would have the forethought to buy cards, and who would lovingly craft homemade gifts for the staff, myself included, on holidays — and sometimes just because. The staff jokingly refer to Erica as “Ms. HGTV” on account of her boundless energy when it comes to decorating our shared spaces. Many folks probably don’t know this, but it was Erica’s tenacity that finally got the College to give the department a manageable bid for what will eventually become a new faculty and staff lounge. And, yes, the lounge shall be named in her honor — placard, epithet, and all. You will be deeply missed, Erica! 

Pam Hardman

This year our department also bids farewell to Pam Hardman, an invaluable member of the faculty who has served this department since 1993 when she was hired to provide instructional support for the English Education courses in our curriculum. During her time with us, she also taught a range of courses outside of this area, including a very popular course on 19th Century Women Writers, and courses in Literary Theory, Young Adult Literature, and Linguistics. Prior to writing this, I did some research and learned that during her time here, Pam often taught the same three courses for several consecutive years. For many faculty, this type of repetition can be difficult and stifling: it can lead to burnout. Recalling her teaching evaluations from her previous review, and just knowing what I do from years of anecdotal evidence, it is no secret that Pam is one of our department’s most beloved and respected teachers. I have had dozens of mutual students with Pam and the narrative they share with me is always the same:  Students overwhelmingly find her to be an attentive, brilliant, and exceedingly supportive educator. Our English Ed program would not be where it is today without Pam’s dedication, hard work, and capacity to meet students where they are in their learning. Make no mistake about it, though. Pam’s capacity to inspire and teach extends far beyond the classroom. One of four very close siblings, Pam is from Tennessee – and that large family vibe and Southern hospitality shows: she sees herself as one among many and in that capacity she always struck me as someone who put others before herself. She raised her beautiful daughter Alice on her own and, of course, she is the most devoted dog lover I know. Pam has always been a source of inspiration to me: her models of motherhood and mentoring have left their mark on me, and I will forever be grateful and feel fortunate that I got to call her a colleague for all these years. Thank you, Pam! You too will be deeply missed. 

forsytj3 2024 Front Page

2024 Front Page

The WWU English Community Celebrates a Year of Outstanding Accomplishments

by Jenny Forsythe
June 6, 2024

WWU English Faculty gather in June of 2024 to celebrate a year of accomplishments

The WWU English Community enjoyed many noteworthy accomplishments during the 2023-2024 academic year. This alumni newsletter includes riveting roundups of alumni news from across six decades of Western alums and of faculty news from this academic year. You can also find profiles of new faculty members and touching tributes to faculty members who retired this year. Jane Wong penned a fond farewell to Brenda Miller, and Donna Qualley enjoys two tributes, one from colleague Dawn Dietrich and another from colleague Nancy Johnson.

You can also read highlights from Department programming here. They include news of Professor Alassane Abdoulaye Dia’s time as Visiting Professor in the English Department, of the long-anticipated launch of a new major in Film and Media Studies, and of two new creative writing scholarships generously endowed by Professor Brenda Miller. 

Gratitude for Graduates

Every year English graduates enter many fields: they become teachers, lawyers, doctors, community organizers, curators, editors, publishers, agents, art program directors, screenwriters, film directors, game designers, reviewers, essayists, novelists, scholars, poets, environmentalists, publicists, historians, musicians, and mountain climbers. They generously offer us their hard-won knowledge.

Whatever endeavor has engaged you, all of you are contributing to our global social, political, and cultural conversation. Thank you!

Publications from 2024

Bellingham Review Issue 88
Jeopardy Magazine 60th Edition
starre2 2025 Featured Articles, Notes

“MUTTER COURAGE” Reading Series

J.D. Pleucker performing in February 2025

This past November, English Department professor Stefania Heim and Fairhaven College professor Yanara Friedland relaunched the MUTTER COURAGE Reading Series at the Geheim Gallery in downtown Bellingham. Originally founded at Bruna Press and Archive in 2018, the free and occasional reading series and conversation space showcases writers engaging with poetic, embodied, and intersectional practices. MUTTER COURAGE references Berthold Brecht’s eponymous play, which unfolds in expressions of courage in voice. 

With free readings featuring acclaimed writers from all around the country, MUTTER COURAGE is making a vital contribution to Bellingham’s cultural community. The series presented four events this year, featuring writers, translators, editors, and multi-media artists from Colorado, Texas, and North Carolina. We hosted poupeh missaghi, JD Pluecker, Stalina Emmanuelle Villarreal, Brandon Shimoda, and Lightsey Darst, reading alongside local writers Caitlin Roach, Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi, and Emgee Dufresne. Each event draws in a lively crowd — creating meaningful exchanges between visiting writers and engaged local audiences. Stefania and Yanara are already working on next year’s schedule—inviting more incredible writers and thinking about even deeper ways to involve students at WWU. 

starre2 2025 Featured Articles

Meet Ablaye Diakité, Coordinator for the English Department’s Senegal Program

Ablaye (“Laye”) Diakité has been Program Coordinator for the English Department’s Global Learning Program in Senegal since 2019. During that time, he has gotten to know more than 75 of our students, to whom he has introduced to Senegalese culture and literature. Laye did his graduate work in Linguistics at Université Gaston Berger in Saint Louis, Senegal. He is also the Coordinator of the Endangered Archives Project at Boston University to preserve Ajami literatures in Africa, i.e. African language literatures that are alphabetized with an Arabic script, including Woolf, Mandé, Soninke, Pulaar, and other languages.

What is the nature of your literary research? Briefly describe what you do with Boston University for an audience who is unfamiliar with this kind of research.

I am a linguist, translator and researcher on West African languages. I am currently working with Boston University on EAP (Endangered Archives Preservation) in Fouta Djallon in the Republic of Guinea. It consists of digitizing fifty thousand pages of endangered archives written in Arabic and Fula Ajami. I first met Professor Wise in 2008 when he visited his colleague Professor Fallou Ngom who was teaching at Gaston Berger University in Saint Louis, Senegal as a Fullbright Scholar. It was during his stay that they (Professor Wise and Professor Ngom) first visited Alwaar as part of Professor Wise’s research on El Hadji Oumar Tall.

What have you enjoyed most about working with WWU students? How are WWU students different from students in Senegal? Are there other programs like the WWU Program in Senegal?

I have the most enjoyed WWU students’ desire to learn more about African culture in general and Senegalese culture in particular, their open-mindedness, their sense of adaptation to Senegalese culture during the program. There is no big difference between WWU students and Senegalese students. The only difference is that WWU students have the chance to have a program which helps them to spend three weeks in a foreign country in order to learn a different culture and meet people. There are other study abroad programs held at WARC (West African Research Center) in Dakar. But WWU’s program is the best because it combines African literature, history and religion, and students visit many areas.

What are some of the most memorable experiences you’ve had coordinating the program?

The most memorable experience experiences I have had coordinating the program are our visit in Alwaar, the cultural event in Tareeji near Podor on Fula fishermen tradition, and the presentation on Senghor in his home village in Djilor among others.

starre2 2025 New Faculty, Notes

2025 Welcome New Faculty!

Eddy Troy Interview

Where did you live/work before coming to Western?

I did my PhD work in Southern California at the University of California, Riverside (2010-2017). After that, I moved to South Carolina and was a Senior Lecturer in the English Department at Clemson University, where I taught courses in film, writing, and literature. 

What is your area of specialty?

Most of my work focuses on the intersections of film, philosophy, and literature. My training is largely in comparative literature, so my research interests are somewhat eclectic by design. For example, I am currently finalizing an article that explores the connections between existentialism and the work of Senegalese filmmaker Djibril Diop Mambéty. My larger book project similarly addresses philosophical approaches to transnational Francophone cinema.

What do you like so far about being at Western?

Working with students who genuinely care about what we’re reading and discussing in the classroom. This may seem like a small thing, but I think it’s part of what makes Western special.

What stirs joy within you outside of your work?

Cooking, the occasional game of pickup basketball—and, of course, my kids!

What is your secret “superpower”? Tell us something that others may not know about you.

I went to WWU for my undergraduate and master’s degrees. I was a first-gen student who worked through college. I like to think this gives me some insight into students’ experiences—though calling it a superpower is undoubtedly a stretch!

Jamie Rogers Interview

Where did you live/work before coming to Western?
Before coming to Western, I was a Visiting Assistant Professor and lecturer at Clemson University in South Carolina. Before that, I went to graduate school at the University of California, Irvine. And before THAT, I was actually here at Western. I had the great pleasure of receiving my masters in English Studies here, and I couldn’t be happier to be back.

What is your area of specialty?

My focus is on Black film, feminist studies, and cinemas of social justice. I am starting to work on a project involving geographies of cinema and race, so that is a new specialization I’m also moving into. 

What do you like so far about being at Western?

I love the students here. Western students seem to have a genuine interest in learning and engaging with thought, while also not taking themselves too seriously, which is a lot of fun to be around. My colleagues here at Western are also wonderful — encouraging, challenging, smart, and like the students, fun to be around. And last, I love the beauty of the campus and the beauty of Whatcom County. I try to take advantage of all the outdoor opportunities as much as possible.

What stirs joy within you outside of your work?

Being outside! I love hiking, camping and gardening. 

What is your secret “superpower”? Tell us something that others may not know about you.

I’m a really good listener when folks need someone to vent to, bounce ideas off, or get something off their chest. I don’t think I give particularly good advice, but I’m great at hearing you out! 

Sean Golden Interview

Where did you live/work before coming to Western?

I grew up in Southern California on the Pacific Coast, in between Long Beach and Seal Beach. At 18 I moved to Southern Minnesota to play college tennis. Upon graduating some friends and I decided to explore Minneapolis a bit. That exploration lasted ten years! After 14 years in the midwest I needed to migrate back home to the west coast. I know the bay is technically not the ocean, but I’m excited to get to become familiar with this pocket of the Pacific.   

What is your area of specialty?

My doctorate is in curriculum and instruction, specifically young adult literature and fugitive pedagogy. In the Studies of Young Adult Literature course my students and I dig into the social construction of the adolescent and the big life moments an young person encounters. 

What do you like so far about being at Western?

Western is such a beautiful place! I think my favorite part is my walk to and from work through Connelly Creek! It is such a great space to reflect on the day to come and what has just passed. 

What stirs joy within you outside of your work?

I am a descendant of travelers, and that gene to see and explore did not skip me. I love travelling, connecting and collaborating, and being present in new cultures. Urban hikes and mountain hikes thrill me. Sitting on a paddleboard in quiet water is so peaceful. Yoga in the morning and tennis at night is invigorating. (Honestly, I just like to be on the move, why sit still when there are playgrounds all over?) 

What is your secret “superpower”? Tell us something that others may not know about you.

I always had an inkling about this superpower, but it was confirmed one summer at the Chakra Shack in Laguna Beach. I have an orange and green aura which means I’m a connector. Specifically with animals, especially with dogs; 9 out of 10 dogs want to be my best friend. 

Melissa Guardrón Interview

Where did you live/work before coming to Western?

I’m originally from Upstate New York, but I spent the last six years in Ohio, studying and teaching at Ohio State University. I’ve also lived in South Korea, where I worked as an English teacher. 

What is your area of specialty?

My area of specialty is rhetoric of health and medicine (RHM)–I combine rhetoric, technical and professional communication, and disability studies to study how humans navigate unpredictable health-related situations. Much of my work is site-based and community-oriented, and I’ve also begun exploring the use of AI in healthcare. 

What do you like so far about being at Western?

I love the location. Ohio was so flat. It’s nice to be sandwiched between Bellingham Bay and the Sehome Hill Arboretum. 

What stirs joy within you outside of your work?

I love recipe testing and being outdoors. 

What is your secret “superpower”? Tell us something that others may not know about you.

I have a terrific memory for terrible songs but I can only recall the lyrics when the songs are playing.

Dennin Ellis Interview

Where did you live/work before coming to Western?

I lived in Columbus, OH for five years as I completed my Ph.D program at Ohio State University.

What is your area of specialty?

My area of specialty is literary theory, with an emphasis on critical theory, cultural studies, media studies, and narrative theory, but I’m one of those people who reads theory books for fun because I feel like a Pokémon player when it comes to theoretical approaches – gotta catch ’em all!

What do you like so far about being at Western?

I like the arboretum; getting to walk through the woods on my way to/from the classroom is a great way to zone in on whatever I’ll be teaching, and then decompress afterwards. I also like my students a lot, especially the English majors in the upper-level classes I’ve taught; they’re weird and goofy in the best way.

What stirs joy within you outside of your work?

I like to play guitar; I like to work in my garden; I like to spend time with my wife, dog and cat; I like to read (see above answer) and write.

What is your secret “superpower”? Tell us something that others may not know about you.

Some people might call me a ‘supercrip’ – a concept from disability studies suggesting that certain people with disabilities have some other ability to compensate for the disability. For me, the issues I encounter from being autistic (sensory issues, social difficulties) are ‘compensated for’ by my ability to work/concentrate for hours and hours on a single task, and my ability to cultivate encyclopedic knowledge on my special interests, whatever they happen to be (comics, rock music, theory). I’m not sure if this counts, but it’s also been great to identify and connect with my neurodivergent students and hopefully make them feel more comfortable in the classroom.

starre2 2025 Faculty News

Faculty News 2025

Nicole Brown enjoyed teaching courses in the Professional Writing and Rhetoric minor and continues to evolve her course projects around making meaning with others and staying human. She presented at the Popular Culture Association conference in New Orleans on rhetorics of entanglement and old growth forests in the PNW as vibrant matter. She is excited about completing two book chapters which will come out in 2026 on new materialism and more-than-human communication beyond the anthro. One of the collections is titled Sacred Culture and is being published by DeGruyter/Brill. Through this chapter, she has the privilege of collaborating and co-authoring with Dr. Marcelo Zaiduni, a traditional Aymara doctor living a teaching in Bolivia. Marcelo is a social communicator with a PhD in epistemology and semiology specializing in ancestral knowledge and indigenous peoples.

Felicia Cosey presented her paper titled “From Personal Trauma to Ecological Grief: Seeking Transformation in the Shimmer of Annihilation,”—which she is in the process of turning into a book chapter for Bloomsbury’s Environment and Society Series —at the LACK V Conference in March.  She also presented a paper titled “Transatlantic Tensions: Black British Actors, Hollywood, and the Perception of Racial Excess” at the 83rd Annual College Language Association Convention in April.  Additionally, her video essay titled “Jouissance at the Margins: Revisiting Bersani’s ‘Is the Rectum a Grave?’ through the Lens of Swallowed” was published in Monstrum journal in January. 

Carol Guess published a book entitled Infodemic with Black Lawrence Press (2024). Her book focuses on contemporary queer life during the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of Trump’s presidency. Beginning with the memory of a thwarted kidnapping attempt and ending with musings on life after death, Guess engages philosophical questions about spirituality, ethics, and politics, incorporating prose narratives with lineated poems, and capturing the humor and interconnectedness of the author’s queer chosen family. Infodemic was published by Black Lawrence Press in 2024. 

Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi published his debut poetry collection in May 2025 entitled Disintegration Made Plain and Easy with Pizama Press. Surreal, absurd, dreamspeak poems full of humor, autobiographical mistruths, pop culture references, and heartfelt abstractions. Complete with line art illustrations from Gautam Rangan. See this link.

Geri Forsberg was elected as co-president of the International Jacques Ellul Society (IJES). Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) was a French philosopher, sociologist, lay theologian, and communication theorist, known for writing over 60 books and more than a thousand articles. He is well known for his books: The Technological Society and Propaganda. 

During spring break, Geri visited Wheaton College with her former student, Moriah Pitts, and project manager Raeef Barsoum. They spent an entire week in the archives at Wheaton, where they scanned nearly 500 documents related to Ellul. These documents will need to be translated from French to English, and this translation project will continue over the next year. 

After their time at Wheaton, Geri and Moriah traveled to the University of Notre Dame to prepare for a conference scheduled for July 2026. The theme of the IJES conference will be “The Word Humiliated,” based on Ellul’s book The Humiliation of the Word. The main question guiding the conference discussions will be: How is language changing in our social media, AI, and propaganda culture? Geri is also working on peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and a collection of her selected writings. https://ellul.org/ 

In December 2024, Stefania Heim published her translation of Metaphysical artist Giorgio de Chirico’s posthumous novel, Mr. Dudron. Following the 1929 publication of his novel Hebdomeros—declared by John Ashbery to be the finest piece of Surrealist literature —de Chirico began work on Mr. Dudron, the humorous (mis)adventures of his autobiographical hero: a painter who wanders, remembers, frets about art, polemicizes, and tells stories. The novel begins with Mr. Dudron in his studio having his siesta, and ends with him going to sleep, “because, as Arthur Schopenhauer used to say, a long sleep is indispensable to persons of genius.” In between, the novel whisks him on a series of adventures, both mundane and mythological. He attends dinner parties in the Italian countryside, and sneaks cans of sardines and tuna into his hotel. There is a centaur family, and three caged lions left alone in a suburban field. A requiem mass for a student, memories of the distant days of his childhood, and the strange world of dreams. De Chirico continued working on the novel steadily for four decades, printing excerpts of Dudron’s adventures in both Italian and French. The novel was finally published in Italian in 1998, the twentieth anniversary of the artist’s death. This publication is the first time the novel will be available in its entirety in English. For her translation of Mr. Dudron, Heim received an NEA Translation Fellowship and a fellowship to attend the ViceVersa Workshop at Villa Garbald, Switzerland.  

Caitlin Roach’s book Surveille was selected as winner of the 2024 Brittingham Prize in Poetry by award-winning poet and professor of English at Stanford University, Amaud Jamaul Johnson, Surveille interrogates the multiple violences inflicted on bodies in our current historical moment—from natural to self-inflicted to state-sponsored—and a simultaneous deep reverence for the body’s capacity to nevertheless bear life. The poems in Surveille are born from encounters with sites of surveillance and political violence, like the militarized zones of the US/Mexico border wall, Creech Air Force Base, the Sonoran Desert, inside a Las Vegas casino, or outside a courthouse in Albuquerque where ICE agents apprehended undocumented people on their way to their scheduled court appearances. At its heart, Surveille confronts the various ways we watch and are watched—by ourselves, by others, and the state—and tracks a speaker with a subjectivity within the American empire who becomes pregnant by someone outside it, and the new life that sits at that fraught nexus. In his judge’s citation for the book, Amaud Jamaul Johnson writes, “Born between the twin flames of Brigit Pegeen Kelly and Mary Oliver, this book is both intimate and political…urgent and heart-piercing. This debut challenges us to stand witness.”  Surveille was published by the University of Wisconsin Press in November 2024.  

Jamie Rogers presented a paper at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies 2025 Conference in Chicago called “Archiving Space, Placing Race in RaMell Ross’ Hale County This Morning, This Evening and Garrett Bradley’s America.” 

Kate Trueblood’s essay, “Blank Spaces, Black Frames,” was selected as the winner of the 2025 Rico Prize for Nonfiction from Reed Magazine and will be published in its 158th edition in May.  Excerpted from Trueblood’s memoir The Big Ask, Blank Spaces, Black Frames,” is about her mother’s decision to voluntarily stop eating and drinking rather than enter assisted living during Covid 19. Reed Magazine recently posted a podcast with Trueblood on their website that addresses some of the issues caused by death denial in our culture: In the Reeds Podcast.  Reed Magazine is the oldest journal west of the Mississippi, named after James Reed of the Donner Party.  Trueblood will appear at the Chuckanut Writers Conference in June 2025, where she will offer sessions on “Time Travel” and “Fear of Writing the Erotic.” 

For more info: https://kathryntrueblood.com/ 

Cori Winrock‘s new book-length essay, Alterations, will be published as part of Transit Book’s Undelivered Lecture Series in July. Threading together stories of textiles and texts, from the first space suits and the seamstresses who made them, to Emily Dickinson’s famous white dress, to the Steinian rhythms of Goodnight Moon, Winrock constructs and reconstructs an essay in order to accommodate devastating loss. A work of process and possibility, Alterations enacts the hidden labors of mourning.

Christopher Wise and students in the Senegal Program 2025 were guests of honor at a televised “poetry slam” in Podor, a fishing village on the border of Senegal and Mauritania in the Sahara Desert. The event can be viewed here.  Wise also appeared in a documentary on the Malian writer Yambo Ouologuem, the controversial author of The Duty of Violence and Sufi mystic.  Senegalese filmmaker Kalidou Sy filmed the documentary, which was nominated for the Thomas Sakara Prize at FESPACO in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The documentary on Ouologuem can be viewed here.  Wise also published a memoir entitled Conjurations about his experiences researching West African Sufism (Sahel Nomad). Here is an excerpt from Kirkus Reviews about his new book: “[Wise’s] book offers poignant insights into the intersection of religion, ethnicity, and racism, from Oklahoma and Nazi Germany to West Africa and the Levant. It also doubles as an accessible introduction to Islamic Africa.” 

Jane Wong’s memoir Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City (now in paperback) won the 2024 Washington State Book Award and won the 2024 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award in Creative Nonfiction. She is also the recipient of writing residency fellowships from the Carolyn Moore House and the Vermont Studio Center (the James Merrill Poetry Fellowship), both in 2025. Her poems and essays this year have appeared in or are forthcoming in Literary Hub, Terrain, Creature Conserve: Writing at the Intersection of Arts and Sciences, and others. She continued her book tour and read at numerous events this year, including for the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers Series, Ohio State University’s Visiting Writer Series, All Island Reads, the Poetry Palooza Festival, and others. Wong is working on two new manuscripts—a new book of poems and a collection of short stories. As a poet and ceramicist, she is also collaborating with chef Sean Arakaki at Itsumono for a special event at the Frye Art Museum this summer. 

briggsz2 2025 Alumni News, 2025 Newsletter

2025 Alumni News Roundup

WWU alumni have accomplished incredible things this year. Our overview of alumni new features updates from former students who have graduated across six decades, from the 60s to the 20s.

From the 60s… 

Carole Charlene Hanaway (BA, 1968) 

I will be 80 years old this summer. I now have former students who are in their 60’s and have communicated with me to make sure I am still alive. My career as an educator has been one of the most satisfying elements of my life. Western challenged and prepared me for a long career in public education then overseas teaching in Istanbul, Muscat Oman, and Malaysia. I ended at Skagit Valley Community College guiding journalism students and GED migrant farm workers.

From the 70s…

Wayne Lee (BA, 1972; MA, 1975) 

Wayne Lee’s collection Dining on Salt: Four Seasons of Septets was published by Cornerstone Press in April 2025 and his collection The Beautiful Foolishness is forthcoming from Casa Urraca Press in March 2026. Lee, who lives in Santa Fe, NM, is the founder and host of the online poetry-mediation community Tuesday Poetry Practice. 

Scott Cairns (BA, 1977; MFA, 1981; PhD, 1990)

I’m an English grad from the class of 1977. I’m  currently Curators’ Distinguished Professor of English, Emeritus at University of Missouri.

I’ve just signed the contract for Makarios, my 15th book (my 13th poetry collection). Recent other poetry collections include Anaphora (2019), Lacunae (2023), Correspondence with My Greeks (2024). This last was nominated for the Runciman Award, and will appear in French translation in 2026. I received a Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry in 2006, and the Denise Levertov Award in 2014.

From the 80s… 

Dian Lissner (BA, 1980) 

Dian Lissner, nom de plume Dion O’Reilly, recently had a book published by Floating Bridge Press. The collection of poems, Limerence, was a finalist for the John Pierce Chapbook Competition for Washington State Poets. She also has recent publications in Tar River Poetry, Chicago Quarterly Review, and New Ohio Review. More info at dionoreilly.com. 

S.J. Hodson (MA, 1984) 

I received my M.A. degree in writing from WWU in 1984. My principal instructors — for whom I have felt a deepening sense of gratitude over the years — were Marjorie Donker, Bob Huff, Knute Skinner, and Annie Dillard.

One day in her short-fiction seminar, Annie Dillard observed that a good way to become a writer is to write what needs writing wherever we happen to be. That sounded like smart advice to me, and I made my living for a number of years as a technical writer, including fourteen years with an industrial safety consulting company of experts for whom I wrote three books, tens of trade publication articles, and sets of training manuals dedicated to keeping breadwinners uninjured and whole for their whole working lives.

I moved on from there to become an attorney, having discovered that the practice of Anglo-American law is a language art. For the last seventeen years of my working life I was a class-action labor-law litigator suing companies for the back wages and salaries of working people.

Throughout those years I made literature in the form of poetry and essays for myself and my circle of friends.

Since my retirement in 2019, I have turned my primary attention to music performance, and to writing poetry and a big prose project laying out a new theory of time, combining and advancing the insights of St. Augustine, Kant, Heidegger, and Krishnamurti.

In June 2025 my book of poetry “New Songs of Innocence” (cover art attached below) is being published by St. Augustine’s Press (www.staugustine.net). The book is also available on Amazon.com

I wrote a number of poems in the book while I was a graduate student in the WWU English Department.

Genet Simone (BA, 1984) 

Genet published a memoir, Teaching in the Dark, about her first year as a teacher in the Arctic village of Shishmaref, Alaska. She is pleased to say that her book has won multiple awards, most recently First Prize, Hearten Book Award for Uplifting & Inspiring Non-fiction, and First Prize for (then Grand Prize) for the book cover! (Contest with Chanticleer Book Reviews in Bellingham, WA.) She is currently working on a sequel titled Teaching in the Light. 

Kristin Uhrig (BA, 1985) 

While some may consider teaching as the best use of an English department degree, it was never my intent. I hoped to become a more effective communicator because this is essential to many different career paths. I ended up becoming a business owner, Yeager’s Sporting Goods, right here in Bellingham, and I use my degree every single day. There is so much writing required in running a business. From inter-office emails and communicating with vendors, to negotiating contracts, setting policy, collaborating with city officials, making speeches, and writing advertising copy for radio, print and social media. I’d like to thank Dr. R.D. Brown at WWU for challenging me to hone my critical thinking skills, enlarge my vocabulary, and hammer away at the nit picky technical aspects of writing so that I could succeed in this pursuit.    

From the 90s… 

David Wallis (BA, 1991) 

Since graduating from WWU in 1991, I’ve spent my career working in public service. I started at the local County Assessor’s Office working in mapping and appraisal management for 15 years. I was then appointed as the IT Director and served in that role for 8 years. WA State L&I recruited me away from the county to serve as Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) for 3 years. I moved on to serve as the IT Director at Lower Columbia College. I was recently appointed as the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Professional for the City of Battle Ground and will build their GIS mapping program from scratch. It has been a rewarding career in public service, and I have relied daily on my training from WWU. Go Vikings! 

Jenny Gwinn McGlothern (BA, 1991) 

Owner of Life Coaching and Retreat business, Mama Needs a Refill, LLC, Jenny Gwinn McGlothern’s first book was published in 2023. This tool for all care givers, Mama Needs a Refill: Finding Light in the Midst of Madness, can not only be purchased from your favorite local bookstore or on Amazon, the audio version, narrated by the author will be available on Spotify and numerous downloadable locations, on May 2, 2025. 

Kathren Whitham (BA, 1992; MA) 

Kathren has just finished her 20th year as a full time tenured English instructor at South Seattle College after teaching part-time for 10+ years at Seattle Central College. She is currently illustrating and co-writing an historical nonfiction graphic memoir about Japanese war brides in the United States. Here’s a drawing of her mom in Tokyo, 1957. 

Jayne Entwistle (BA, 1995) 

Jayne moved back to Bellingham from L.A and she is so glad to once again be in the beautiful PNW. She is still working in film and television, most recently acting in four episodes of a new TV show starring Melissa McCarthy, Clive Owen, and Margo Martindale. She narrates audiobooks from her lovely little studio downtown and has a monthly show at New Prospect Theatre called, To Whom It May Concern, where folks read their letters on stage. She has a children’s book and a narrative non-fiction memoir in the works. She misses the structure and deadlines of classes to keep herself on track! 

Joanna Nesbit (MA, 1995) 

Joanna continues to live and work in Bellingham as a freelance writer for publications like US News, Wall Street Journal, Money, AARP, and college magazines. She’d love to hear from others who graduated with her. 

Catherine (Cate) Perry (BA, 1996; MA, 2002) 

Cate Perry just released her debut novel, Before the Next Mistake. She currently enjoys teaching English and Multilingual Learners in the Stanwood-Camano School District, as well as freelance editing. www.cperry.com   

From the 00s… 

Lizz Holm (BA, 2000) 

In May of 2023, Lizz graduated from CU Denver with a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education. She is now the Education Coordinator at Mountain Sprouts Academy at Copper Mountain in Colorado. 

Jeremy Voigt (BA, 2001) 

Jeremy will complete his viva PhD in English Literature from the University of Birmingham this spring. His thesis is titled: Gerard Manley Hopkins and the Ecological Self. Additionally, his first full-length book of poems Something to Carry Home and Not Kill should come out sometime in the next several months from Elixir Press. 

Cynthia J. Hollenbeck (BA, 2002) 

Cynthia “Cindy” Hollenbeck took a job as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for the new Public Health degree at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman. This year, Cindy celebrates 13 years of service at WSU. In addition, she’s been accepted into the Master of Social Work program at Eastern Washington University in Spokane. 

Carol Hansen (BA, 2003; MA) 

Carol retired in 2024 after 20 years as a high school ELA teacher. She began art business, Broken for You, in 2024. She won Best of Show award for 2D Art at Skagit Tulip Festival Street Fair in 2025. She also had a poem published in Elder Voices 2025. 

Deborah Gallaher (BA, 2004) 

After 34+ years in K-12 education, Deborah is now Director of Libraries for Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington and San Diego, California. The small pink building, the English Department then, provided her an indelibly rich experience when she thinks back to Meredith Cary who peeled away some of the most powerful themes in Women’s Literature, Knute Skinner who coaxed her inner poet (Jeopardy, Volume 21), and Bonnie Barthold who opened her world to African History and Black Authors. There are many more worthy of mention, but as an educator she can appreciate the phenomenal care they gave her and attention to their craft. 

Audra Rundle (BA, 2005) 

Audra is now working as an ASL/English educational interpreter in Spokane, WA. She is married with two kids. She is also an ultra runner. 

Ken Edward Rutkowski (BA, 2005) 

Well, a lot has happened since graduation. I’ve been living in Vietnam for the past 11 years, currently in Vung Tau on the southern coast. I am an English teacher for VUS and contribute writing/ art to various publications. I am a featured writer with Mad Swirl and Unlikely Stories. While in Asia, I have travelled around Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Borneo (which is 3 countries) and Thailand. I will be 50 this year! and am still active outdoors surfing, swimming, mountain running, traveling and generally keeping my mind and body active and alert! Cheers to Western and the time I spent there…particularly encouraged by Katherine Trueblood, Carol Guess and Bruce Beasley. Thank you. https://madswirl.com/author/kerutkowski/  https://unlikelystories.org/creators/ken-edward-rutkowski 

Joanne Granger (BA, 2008) 

April of 2025 marks my 15-year anniversary of Federal Service with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Benefits Administration. My English Literature degree from WWU was critical in getting my foot in the door as a claims processor. My emphasis in secondary education gave me the edge I needed to work my way up and find my niche there as a Training Consultant. 

Though the future of my federal career now seems at an impasse, I am grateful for the time I’ve had to learn, contribute, and grow. I’m fulfilled having served my mission helping hundreds of thousands of Veterans obtain the benefits they are entitled to and so greatly deserve. I am proud of the thousands of VA employees that I’ve trained and how they continue to serve our Veterans, especially in these disparaging times. I am proud of myself for all that I’ve accomplished. It’s really not the worst way to go out, but it does make it all so bittersweet. 

When we all chose our schools and educational programs, many of us had a pretty clear idea of how we would apply our learning when it came time to pursue a career path. I will say mine didn’t turn out at all as I planned or expected – it turned out even better. Sometimes we have to take a chance on the unexpected to achieve greatness. And then other times we have to accept what is lost to us to achieve growth.  

Though our country is facing perilous times, I remain hopeful that there are some more unexpected opportunities awaiting me. I just need to keep my eyes open and be brave enough to seize them when they present themselves. 

From the 10s… 

Jeff Dodge (BA, 2011) 

In 2024, I was a delegate to the Washington State Democratic Convention. Aside from volunteering for political campaigns and organizations, I wrote a short story called Harriett, which was published this year in the 2025 Whatcom Writes anthology book The Book That Changed My Life, which is available to buy at Village Books. This is my second published short story; my first, You Gotta Give Em Hope, appears in the 2024 Whatcom Writes anthology, Legacies. 

David Beaumier (BA, 2013; MA, 2020) 

David is the Communications and Marketing Manager at Chanticleer Book Reviews and Media https://www.chantireviews.com/  

He has also joined the editorial staff at HamLit, a PNWA online literary journal for fiction and poetry! Check out their website and sign up for our newsletter: https://hamlit.org/  

Finally, he has his first book, The Mourning Fields, coming out in September of 2025! It’s a collection of Greek myths retold as dark fictions in the modern day. 

Zoë Wise (BA, 2013)

Zoë graduated in May 2025 with a Juris Doctor and certificate in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. Zoë received her B.A. in English from Western Washington University and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. During law school, Zoë interned at the Alaska Native Justice Center and worked as a Summer Associate at Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson & Perry. Additionally, she clerked at the Tohono O’odham Nation Judicial Branch. Zoë also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Arizona Journal of Environmental Law & Policy and was recognized by the Native & Indigenous Law Students Association as a standout graduating member for her advocacy and commitment to Indian Country. After graduation, Zoë will work as a Law Clerk for Chief Justice Carney of the Alaska Supreme Court. Zoë is an enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

Jocelyn Marshall (MA, 2015)

Jocelyn has accepted a tenure-track position at the University of South Florida as an Assistant Professor of Contemporary Art History. Jocelyn recently won the 2024 First Book Prize from the National Women’s Studies Association and University of Illinois Press, which honors the best dissertation or first book manuscript in the field that year. Entitled “Dissent Nearby: Diasporic Feminism and US Imperialism,” here is how the awards committee described Marshall’s project: “… a very strong, well-researched, timely and creative manuscript on U.S.-based immigrant and exiled women artists and their late-20th-century art works. Using a transnational feminist approach, and combining disciplinary insights from trauma, art, migration and gender studies, the study proposes an intertextual reading of diasporic women’s

expressions and experiences of trauma, placing these firmly within the histories of institutionalized racism, patriarchy and violence of US imperialism. A truly interdisciplinary study that engages a large set of sources ranging from the art works, archival sources, oral histories and interviews to scholarship drawn skillfully from different disciplines, this timely and innovative manuscript is set to make important contributions to feminist inquiry.” After graduating from WWU, Jocelyn attended the University at Buffalo where she received her PhD in English with emphases in Gender Studies and Visual Art. She has since held a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the American Association of University Women and was a Dissertation Scholar at Brandeis University’s Women’s Studies Research Center, as well as teaching at Emerson College.

Madison Price Zender (BA Accounting, 2015; MPAcc, 2016) 

BELLINGHAM, WA January 1, 2025 – VSH CPAs, a renowned accounting and consulting firm with offices in Whatcom and Skagit counties, is excited to announce the promotion of Madison Price Zender, CPA, MPAcc, to Principal, effective January 1, 2025. This milestone recognizes her impactful contributions and leadership within VSH and the greater business community. 

Madison began her career with VSH in 2015 as an intern while earning her Master of Professional Accounting at Western Washington University. She has spent her entire professional accounting journey with VSH, advancing through various roles and earning her CPA designation. 

Madison is known for her hands-on approach, specializing in tax strategies for privately held businesses in industries such as construction, trucking, timber, real estate, and hospitality. She works closely with client teams and visits their sites to gain a deep understanding of their operations, enabling them to make confident and informed financial decisions. 

Madison’s commitment to our values putting people first, striving for excellence, and continuous improvements have been instrumental in driving our firm forward, said Chris Sullivan, Managing Partner of VSH. This promotion is a well-deserved recognition of Madison’s leadership and contributions, and we look forward to seeing her continue to excel in her new role, said Chris.  

As a lifelong resident of Whatcom County, Madison takes pride in giving back to the community where she lives and works. She proudly serves on the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce board, supporting local businesses and strengthening community connections. Madison is also a Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants (WSCPA) member. 

About VSH: Rooted in decades of excellence, VSH CPAs is a full-service accounting and consulting firm committed to empowering businesses and their owners to grow and thrive. Guided by the core values of putting people first and unwavering pursuit of excellence, VSH delivers value-added accounting and consulting services with a personal touch. From offices in Bellingham and Burlington, Washington, the firm serves clients locally and internationally, offering expertise in cross-border and international taxation, strategic business consulting, and innovative financial solutions. 

Tanner Abernathy (BA, 2017) 

Tanner continues to chair the English Department at Decatur High School. He’s recently had several pieces published, including jokes and an essay in Points in Case, as well as a memoir piece, “Tall Genes”, in an international literary magazine. With the help of a staff of student editors, The Swamp Review, Decatur High School’s preeminent creative journal, has entered its second year. You can read more on theswampreview.com 

Christopher Lovegreen (BA, 2019; MA, 2021) 

Christopher Lovgreen is currently a PhD student at Miami University (Oxford, OH) and serves as the Assistant Director of Composition. He was recently awarded the English Department’s Outstanding Teacher Award. 

Hal McAbee (BA, 2019) 

Hal McAbee graduated with their MA in Secondary Education and Teaching from Seattle Pacific University. 

Leslie Cogley (BA, 2019)  

Since graduating, Leslie has worked in the nonprofit sector in a variety of roles that align with their English degree including technical writing, editing, and grant writing. They currently serve as the Sponsorships Manager for the Spokane Hoopfest Association, which hosts the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world. Outside of work, they’ve had four poems published, which they are very proud of. 

From the 20s… 

Destiny Brugman (MA, 2020) 

Destiny Brugman graduated with her PhD in Composition and Rhetoric from Miami University (Oxford, OH). This fall, she will join the faculty at the University of Indianapolis as an Assistant Professor of English. 

Elinor Serumgard (BA, 2022) 

Elinor is delighted to announce that their debut chapbook is now out with Bottlecap Press! They have worked hard to piece together poems that would work as a cohesive collection and are excited to share the result with you now. 

These poems are slivers of different seasons in their life. From summer to winter to summer again, Elinor notes their desire for captivating sensations and self-creation. It features the natural world, something they are constantly coming back to in their work. Thank you to everyone who has supported their writing! You can order Analogous Annum today at this link: https://bottlecap.press/products/analogous 

Caylee Caldwell (BA, 2024) 

Caylee is currently serving as an English Teaching and Youth Engagement volunteer in the Peace Corps Georgia. She teaches English to grades 3rd through 9th and will be receiving her final placement site in June. Her service continues into 2027. 

Larissa Gomez Capella (BA, 2024; BS,2024) 

Since graduating, Larissa has been working as a freelance science writer. She is happy to share that she has got some stories published with Space.com and EOS. She recently started working with Science News Explores (she will soon publish her first story there)! 

Here are the links to her Space.com and EOS stories so far :) 

https://eos.org/author/larissa-g-capella

https://www.space.com/author/larissa-g-capella

She also plans to publish a fiction book in the future, but for now, she loves how she can put both of her degrees together into a fulfilling career. 

Mystery Graduation Dates…

Avery Araya

Avery is currently in the MFA program, won first place in the “Rotten 2025” contest at marrow magazine (Issue 12) for the short story “The Bend in the Road,” available at this link. The Bend in the Road – marrow magazine

Sophie Hall

Sophie’s chapbook Greenhouse was published in 2024. greenhouse – FIRST MATTER PRESS

Keegan Lawler

Keegan’s chapbook My Own Private Idaho was published in 2025. My Own Private Idaho by Keegan Lawler — Red Bird Chapbooks

Tanya Young

Tanya is currently a PhD student at The University of Rhode Island. Her writing has been featured in Salt Hill, Santa Clara Review, New York Quarterly, and others. She also is a VONA fellow.

forsytj3 2024 Fond Farewells, 2024 Newsletter

Celebrating Donna Qualley: An Informational Tribute of Admiration, Appreciation, and Friendship

by Nancy Johnson, WWU English Department (1994-2019)

Professor Donna Qualley

In the fall of 1994, after traveling cross-country from New Hampshire and settling into a salmon-orange rental on South State Street, Dr. Donna J. Qualley stepped into the Humanities Building for what would become an almost three-decade career of stellar teaching and service at Western. Yet back then, all our “class” of new hires knew was where our offices were located (Donna settled into HUM 319 for the next 29.33 years), when new faculty orientation started, and maybe, just maybe, where to find coffee on campus. We had little clue of our longevity at WWU, nor the trajectory of our careers. Nor did we know the impact and enormous contributions Donna would make at Western and in the field — teacher extraordinaire, masterful and dedicated mentor, director of composition for more years than expected, and friend across campus, in the department, the classroom, and in the broader composition teaching/research community.  

Donna and I were hired in 1994 within weeks of each other. I distinctly remember English Department Chair Rick Emmerson’s comment when he offered me the Elementary English Education job: “You’ll really like the new hire in Secondary English Education. I bet you’ll become good friends.” Such a spot-on prediction! Not only a friend, I also became an ardent admirer of Donna’s knowledge, her commitment to teaching and learning, and her work ethic, and I treasured the hours we talked about books we loved, what challenged us, even what we found problematic about our work. In fact, I still do. Everyone should be so fortunate to have such a colleague and forever friend, even beyond retirement.  

And yet, I’m guessing not everyone in the English Department–current and past faculty, staff, and students–knows the other careers, interests, and experiences that directly (and indirectly) influenced Donna’s 30 years at WWU. These include:

Teacher/Librarian: While the market for teachers in the US was dire in the 1970s, there was a teacher shortage in Australia. With her newly earned BA and teaching credentials in tow, Donna took advantage of a recruitment program airlifting teachers from the US (filling three jumbo jets!) and settling them in mostly rural areas of Australia to kick-start their careers. Donna landed in Moe, Victoria, Australia, population less than 20,000, where she spent the next 9.33 years first as an English and history teacher and then a librarian. She introduced her students and colleagues to pioneers in young adult literature, authors such as John Donovan and his groundbreaking I’ll Get There, It Better Be Worth the Trip and Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War. Over thirty years later she stepped into teaching YA Literature at Western, introducing undergrads to a new wave of YA authors and books. As with all of Donna’s teaching, she read (and read) deeply and widely, and created syllabi that invited students to develop thoughtful, appreciative, and critical knowledge and appreciation for literature written for teens. 

Cowgirl/Farmer: A horse fanatic as a child, Donna kept scrapbooks with clippings of Kentucky Derby winners (fun fact: she remains a Kentucky Derby fan today) and hankered to become a cowgirl. That dream was rekindled in Australia, prompted when she rented a little house from a local dairy. After the school day ended, Donna would help with the dairy runs, driving Clydesdale horses to deliver milk. Later she moved in with friends who purchased a 500-acre sheep farm. Then she moved to a place where a woman owned New Forest ponies. And in there somewhere was help with house building and more time working with sheep and goats and even a short stint owing a horse. 

Waitress/Roadie: Donna left Australia and returned to the US in 1983 where she took on a few new jobs before beginning doctoral work at the University of New Hampshire. One was a more traditional job–waitress; the other, less so–roadie. With the strength of her Australian farmer muscles, she helped load and unload trucks, and set up and dismantled equipment while traveling and working as a roadie for notable musicians, including pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck, singer-entertainer Wayne Newton, and the rock band INXS. 

Ten years later, following completion of a doctorate at the University of New Hampshire and numerous years teaching as an adjunct, she accepted a position as assistance professor in the English Department at WWU and moved to Bellingham to begin a nearly thirty-year career. Now, we celebrate her accomplished career and abundant contributions that include:   

Contributions to the Department

Over our mutual careers, Donna transitioned from Secondary English Education and advising (with well over a hundred advisees), to a many year focus on composition and service as Director of Comp (and not just for one term — she stepped in again and again leading and directing the Eng 101 program when the need arose) and mentor to oh, so many grad students, many who would go on to careers in writing studies themselves. It seems important, even mandatory, to pay tribute to Donna’s heroic and long-term contributions to the department in this role and to also acknowledge her commitment to behind-the-scenes matters, such as offering keen eyes and sharp insight to scheduling, attentive reading and review of colleagues’ files, and dedication of hours and commitment to committee work.   

The impact of Donna’s dedication, smarts, and effectiveness as a leader, teacher, and mentor (to students and colleagues) is hard to measure, yet certain to be missed. She was our need-something-done-and-done-well colleague. And she’s irreplaceable, that’s for sure.

Contributions to Western

Donna championed writing studies not only in the department but across campus. Her focus on writing processes and pedagogy was a hallmark of her contributions to the field of composition studies, and marked significant contributions to writing studies at WWU. For example, in 1998 along with Carmen Werder (University Writing Center Program) and Gary McKinney (Institutional Assessment Office), she published a paper on writing assessment at WWU based on a Washington state-wide and multiple-year writing project engaging participants from all the baccalaureate institutions reading and rating senior-level writing samples. The statement outlined their findings about student writing at WWU and proposed specific recommendations for a university writing program at WWU. Donna’s enduring commitment to enhancing writing instruction, not only in first-year writing courses but across WWU at all levels, culminated in her leadership of the Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE) where she spearheaded a sweeping, and pending, proposal for revising general education writing requirements.

Contributions to the Profession

Donna is not a self-promoter, even though she’s done plenty deserving of shout-out attention. Her high regard and contribution as a vigorous supporter for writing studies expands beyond the Humanities Building and Western’s campus into the wider professional community. It’s noteworthy that her book, Turns of Thought: Teaching Composition as Reflexive Inquiry(Heinemann, 1997), remains one of the most influential and foundational books in composition studies. Over 25 years since its publication, this thoughtful and philosophical analysis, practical demonstration, and personal reflection about reflexivity remains a hallmark of Donna’s teaching, learning, and thinking. 

Respect for Donna as a thinker, teacher, and scholar earned her selection as one of 45 writing researchers from the US and other countries to participate in the Elon University Research Seminar on Critical Transitions and the Question of Transfer held at Elon University, North Carolina over the course of two years in 2011–2013. Her research project centered on examining the transition from first-year writing courses, but she was also engaged in the collective study of transition in multiple contexts. The seminar produced an influential statement on transfer in writing studies and findings which were presented in multiple professional contexts including the Conference on College and Communication (CCCC) and the International Scholarship of Teaching (ISSOTL). Donna’s work in this high-profile writing studies seminar also highlighted her previous and ongoing focus on the importance of designing effective writing instruction, not only in first-year writing instruction but across multiple disciplines and courses.

Writing this tribute for Donna has involved a fair bit of reflexive inquiry (Donna would delight in this!). Personally, it afforded me a chance to reflect on our nearly thirty years as colleagues and our over thirty years as friends. It also offered me a chance to do some sly “interviewing” during our weekly walk-and-talk, turning on my phone to record while inquiring about her life before WWU (Donna might be dismayed by this!). While I confirmed and extended what I already knew (or thought I knew) about Donna, and as I wrote this tribute of admiration, appreciation, and friendship, I offered a silent thank you to the English Department members who, in the winter of 1994, had the wisdom to offer Donna Qualley a position as assistant professor. And, I offer a hearty and heartfelt thank you to Donna for choosing Western as her professional home, and contributing years of above-and-beyond teaching, scholarship and service. 

On one of our walks not long after she retired, Donna reflected on what she was feeling, quoting from the end of The Lord of the Rings, when Aragon states, “The time of the elves is over,” in reference to the Elves’ diminishing presence in Middle-earth. I hope I assured her that, while it might feel that way initially, in truth that’s just a fantasy. While Donna’s physical presence on campus might be diminishing, we all know there is powerful and enduring resonance from her contributions. And aren’t we the lucky ones to have reaped the rewards from these — and from her?    

With gratitude and admiration we wish you the best on your retirement, Donna!

forsytj3 2024 Faculty News, 2024 Newsletter

Retiring Professor Brenda Miller Endows Two New Creative Writing Scholarships

Professor Brenda Miller and Barnaby

Retiring professor Brenda Miller has endowed two creative writing scholarships: one for undergraduate students writing creative nonfiction, and one for MFA students specializing in creative nonfiction. These scholarships are part of her estate and will be endowed at $30,000 and $50,000 respectively, to provide funding over many years for the creative writing program at WWU.

Endowed scholarships provide perennial financial support to Western students thanks to the generosity of donors like Brenda. Endowed funds are invested and managed in such a way that the fund principal remains untouched and a percentage of the fund value is available each year for scholarship support, allowing them to last in perpetuity.

The English Department scholarships are listed on this page in the English dept. website: https://chss.wwu.edu/english-department/english-department-scholarships This page includes helpful information for applicants on eligibility and application requirements. 

Matthew Hammatt, J.D., Senior Director for Planned Giving at Western, wants future donors to know that they “have a significant say in how their gift would be used, and they can help to craft the eligibility criteria for any scholarship they create.” According to Matt, establishing a scholarship with a gift from the donor’s will/trust and/or from their IRA, 401k/403b “requires no outlay of cash during the donor’s lifetime. By focusing on a testamentary gift, a donor is able to look at their overall net worth (investments, real estate equity, deferred-tax accounts, etc.) rather than simply their cash on hand. By looking at overall net worth, even a relatively modest percentage can translate into a significant financial gift.” 

Readers who are interested in learning more about establishing a scholarship can contact Matt at hammatm@wwu.edu 

A big thank you to Brenda and to all the donors who have helped support the education of WWU English students over the years!

forsytj3 2024 Fond Farewells, 2024 Newsletter

In Celebration of Donna Qualley’s Retirement 2024

by Dawn Dietrich

Professor Donna Qualley

Donna Qualley (or DQ) and I have been office neighbors for at least a decade–but long before that our friendship grew out of our shared interest in the intersection of writing studies/rhetoric and digital culture. Our conversations were always interesting because we came from different disciplinary backgrounds (Writing/Literacy Studies and Literature/Film); and while we frequently saw correspondences between our relative fields the differences were even more fun to discuss.  I loved our exchange of ideas as we caught conversations between classes or while waiting for meetings, as many faculty do. And, anyone who knows Donna knows that “catching” her was easy, because her door was always open when she was there–and she was there A LOT! Every day, all day, when she was the Director of Composition. Donna and I enjoyed discussions ranging from digital pedagogies to remix aesthetics, book design to graphic novels—snatches of conversation we basically stole because we were always “busy with other things.” But, beware, friends: in those fleeting interstices, an entire career unspools.

Some of you may not know that Donna moved into administrative work as soon as she arrived at WWU in 1994. In her first year, she became the Secondary English Education advisor when the current professor left Western a week before the start of fall quarter. The next year, she became the Director of Composition, a position she held for fifteen of the next twenty years. During this long tenure, we ended up in overlapping graduate administrative positions during 2005-2008, a happy accident that deepened our friendship and turned us into departmental collaborators. As the Writing Program Administrator for the English 101 program, Donna’s responsibilities included yearly curriculum creation and the development of customized English 101 essay collections; ongoing teacher preparation for our TAs in the program (Comp Camp, weekly staff meetings, end-of-quarter student paper readings, teaching English 513—and occasionally donning her Harry Potter Sorting Hat!); and multi-year mentorship and advising. At this time, the WPA was also responsible for overseeing the 200-level GUR writing courses, leading to Donna’s serving as a permanent member of the Teaching Faculty Committee.

DQ’s Sorting Hat

In 2005, I stepped in as the department’s Director of Graduate Studies, and Donna and I, along with our wonderful Graduate Program Manager, Aline Franklin, sought to build on our already robust program, while being responsive to our students’ evolving needs. We collaborated on everything from recruitment and retention to admission criteria, advising, and curriculum development—not without disagreement, certainly—but always with a goal of finding a productive path forward. Oh, the conversations! Of significant importance to us was diversifying the program in as many ways as possible to optimize the learning environment for everyone. And, while living in Bellingham wasn’t inexpensive in 2005-2008, it was still possible to recruit nationally with our graduate funding. We welcomed students from Florida, North Carolina, California, Michigan, Minnesota, Tennessee, Utah, Montana, and Texas. At the time, it was rare to have WWU students in the program. We also appreciated welcoming graduate students with a diversity of ages and life experiences; we found it created a rich cohort and the opportunity for unique conversations and mentoring possibilities, among other things. 

At this point in Donna’s career, she had already developed a reputation for mentoring strong teachers, who were successful in obtaining tenure-track jobs in high schools and community colleges and/or who were accepted into Ph.D. programs in Composition and Rhetoric (some of whom eventually stepped into Writing Program Administration positions or other adjacent fields). Regional community colleges sought WWU English graduates for their stellar preparation as teachers and writing instructors and often solicited applications from our students.

Donna still regularly hears from former students expressing their appreciation for her teaching, mentoring, and advising. She was particularly known for her yearly annotated syllabus and notebook, of which I also received a copy.  Students have attested that they returned to it again and again, as they moved into their professional careers. Here is an excerpt from one such student, an email from former graduate student George Such (2012), who wrote to Donna in 2020, when he was teaching at Rutgers.

“I am writing this note to express my gratitude for the education that you provided for all of us during the years I attended Western many years ago. Recently I have been meandering through my copy of “The Notebook,” lingering on pages here and there, enjoying not only the nitty-gritty details of teaching writing, but all the photos, cartoons, and quotations, features that give the notebook a yearbook quality. I’m noticing details that I missed when I was a student and I’m being rewarded by rereading the text now. I appreciate the fact that there is something I have to reread, as had you not been put in the situation to take over the composition program in 2011, I would not have been able to benefit from the useful tome that rests in front of me as I type these words. So, thank you DQ for all the careful compiling that went into its creation and the memories that are linked to it. Your teaching continues to enrich my teaching and that is something I celebrate.”

Another DQ ritual that was uniquely hers was the tradition of giving each graduate student a personal book from her own collection–replete with marginalia! She worked very hard to customize the choices, based on her knowledge of her students’ interests and passions and could almost always find the “perfect” text to delight them upon graduation. This “graduation” ceremony took place at WWU’s Lakewood facility, situated on the beautiful shores of Lake Whatcom, and was accompanied by an overflowing potluck laid out for the celebrants.

Jamie Rogers accepts her book from Donna Qualley (2008).

A Happy Graduation hug from Donna Qualley (2008)

Over the years, Donna and I couldn’t have been more proud of our graduate students’ achievements in their fields ranging from creative writing/editing and publishing to literature, linguistics, technical writing, English Education, and film/media studies. Our deepest pleasure in sustaining such long careers in teaching has certainly been the relationships we have established and maintained with our former students. And, as happens with academic posts, when we eventually moved on from our collaboration, taking up different leadership roles over the years, we gradually found that our wonderful students had become our stellar colleagues. Now, the greatest pleasure in attending a conference is not to present our research but to connect with the amazing WWU alums who at one time or another found root in our English graduate program. We are thankful for all of the learning we did together, and for the immeasurable gifts they brought to us—many of which they will never know. This fall, in fact, after a highly competitive national search, the English department will welcome Jamie Rogers (2005) in a tenure-track position in Film Studies. And, below, you see Donna Qualley attending the Conference on College Composition & Communication 2024 (Spokane, WA), encircled by former students who studied in the English graduate program and who have since gone on to careers in Writing Program Administration and Composition and Rhetoric. Truly, the circle has come fully round. Congratulations on your retirement, Donna Qualley!

Donna Qualley at CCCC with left to right: Kiera Squires, Donna Qualley, LeAnne Laux Bachand, Heidi Aijala, and Lauren Hatch (2024).