- Newsworthy: English Symposium Series Presents Janisse Ray
- Angela Farmer to Present at Graduate School Research Forum - March 9
- Deadline for Department Dissertation Fellowship Nominations - March 10
- MTPC Oral Exam - John Lucas - March 13
- Tenured Faculty Meeting - March 15
- English Research Colloquium - March 18
- Professorial Faculty Meeting - March 22
- Deadline to Enter The Nation Essay Contest - March 31
- April in Auburn Meeting - April 8
- Cathy Rex Awarded Merriwether Fellowship
- Amanda Wood, Angela Farmer Earn EGO Honor
Newsworthy: English Symposium Series Presents Janisse Ray
Writer, naturalist, and activist Janisse Ray will present “Community, Language, and a Life Waiting to Be Imagined” as part of the 2005-06 English Symposium Series.
Ray's presentation will be Thursday, March 9 at 3 pm in the Gordon Bond Auditorium (Haley Center 2370). A reception and book signing will follow in HC 2352.
Ray is the prize-winning author of three books of literary nonfiction— Ecology of a Cracker Childhood (1999), Wild Card Quilt: Taking a Chance on Home (2003), and Pinhook: Finding Wholeness in a Fragmented Land (2005)—as well as a chapbook of poetry, Naming the Unseen. Among the periodicals in which she has published are Audubon, Natural History, and Sierra. Among the multiple anthologies in which her work appears is The Norton Book of Nature Writing.
A native of Georgia, Ray and her family now divide their home time between that state and Vermont. She travels extensively giving readings and lectures, speaking out against global industrial capitalism, and on behalf of the diversity of life, especially the beleaguered Southern landscape, and on how we can, through restoration, remake a world in which we can be fully human. Her writing has drawn intensive praise. Derrick Jenson calls Pinhook “a wonderful book, fierce and loving, defiant and joyful.” Ann Raver of The New York Times says that in Ray “the forests of the South find their Rachel Carson.”
For more information about Ray, visit the website of her publisher, Chelsea Green.
March 9 - Angela Farmer to Present at Graduate School Research Forum - 1 pm - Foy 208
PhD Student Angela Farmer will present “Are PhDs Prepared for the Professorate: Responding to Recent Assessments” at the Graduate School Research Forum.
Angela's presentation will be Thursday, March 9 at 1 pm in Foy Union, Room 208.
Angela Farmer is one of this year's Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning Preparing Future Faculty Fellows. This project has evolved from her involvement in the PFF Program.
March 10 - Deadline for Department Dissertation Fellowship Nominations
The English department is offering up to three fellowships for ABD students in English who are nearing completion of an outstanding dissertation. This dissertation fellowship allows $6,000 for summer support. Students should submit materials to Dr. Hilary Wyss by Friday, March 10.
No tuition fellowship accompanies this award, and the student may not hold a GTA during the time period covered by the award. The recipients of the English Department Dissertation Fellowship are chosen by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department of English, who consider the following criteria:
- A cover letter by the student specifying the date doctoral exams were passed and the date the prospectus was approved and describing the current state of the dissertation and plans for its completion.
- A letter of support from the student’s major professor
- The student’s curriculum vitae
- The dissertation prospectus or a detailed chapter outline for the project as currently planned
- All completed chapters of the student’s dissertation
The following criteria may also be considered as the GSC reach their decision:
- The student’s academic record
- The nominee’s potential for substantially completing the dissertation and preparing to defend within the semester of support
The fellowship winners will be announced at the spring awards ceremony on Friday, April 21.
March 13 - MTPC Oral Exam - John Lucas - 3:30 pm - HC 2346
MTPC student John Lucas will present materials from his portfolio and coursework on Monday, March 13, at 3:30 pm in HC 2346.
MTPC students fulfill their degree requirements by completing an oral exam and portfolio presentation. During the oral exam, students present many of the documents they have created in their MTPC classes and that appear in their portfolios. Students also incorporate information from their course readings and discussions into their presentations.
Members of the student's advisory committee conduct the oral exam. Department members and guests are invited to attend and ask questions.
March 15 - Tenured Faculty Meeting - 3 pm - HC 3104
A tenured faculty meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 15 at 3 pm in HC 3104.
March 18 - English Research Colloquium - 10:30 am - Haley Center
The second annual intra-departmental English Research Colloquium will be Saturday, March 18 beginning at 10:30 am in HC 3106.
The goal of the colloquium is the same as last year: to promote active participation in the academic scholarship of our field in an informal, friendly atmosphere. This year's colloquium will feature eight panels and 33 presentations. A complete schedule will appear in next week's edition of The English Channel.
March 22 - Professorial Faculty Meeting - 3 pm - HC 3104
A professorial faculty meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22 at 3 pm in HC 3104.
March 31 - Deadline to Enter The Nation Essay Contest
The Nation, a national magazine, is sponsoring a student writing contest looking for original, thoughtful, provocative student voices to tell us what issue is of most concern to their generation. Entries (only one per student) will be accepted through March 31.
Essays should not exceed 800 words and should be original, unpublished work that demonstrates fresh, clear thinking and superior quality of expression and craftsmanship. The Nation will select five finalists and one winner, who will be awarded a $500 cash prize and a Nation subscription. The winning essay will be published in the magazine and featured on our website. The five finalists will be awarded $100 each and subscriptions, and their entries will be published online.
The
contest is open to students at American high schools and to undergraduates at American colleges and universities. A winner will be announced by May 31. Please send entries to studentprize@thenation.com or faxed to
(212) 982-9000. All e-mailed submissions will be acknowledged. Each entry must include author's name, address, phone number, e-mail address,
short biography, and school affiliation.
Please email questions to studentprize@thenation.com.
April 8 - April in Auburn - 9 am to 3:30 pm - Haley Center
The Department and the Birmingham Chapter of the Society of Technical Communication (STC) will host the 7th annual April in Auburn meeting on April 8 from 9 am to 3:30 pm in Haley Center.
This year's meeting will focus on practical sessions for professionals and will feature presentations by several Department of English faculty members. The sessions include:
- New Industry Standards for Website Design, HC 3116, 9:40-10:30 am, presented by Jason Kneip, Librarian II, Archives and Special Collections, Auburn University-Montgomery and Michelle Sidler, Assistant Professor, Department of English
- Editing Workshop, HC 3104, 10:45 am to 12 pm, presented by Joyce Rothschild, Coordinator, Technical and Professional Communication Program, and Assistant Professor, Department of English
- Best Practices in Document Design, HC 3104, 1-1:50 pm, presented by Keith Gibson, Assistant Professor, Department of English
The meeting is held every April on Auburn's campus, giving students and STC members a chance to meet and interact while providing students with a network-friendly environment. Students also traditionally display their portfolios, allowing for valuable feedback from attending professionals.
The registration fee is $15 for STC members and $25 for non-STC members. There is no registration fee for students or presenters, but all attending must register. All proceeds go into the Donald H. Cunningham Scholarship fund.
Register for the program online at birminghamstc.org, and, if possible, please do so by Monday, April 3, so that we may order the appropriate number of lunches. Lunch and refreshments are provided courtesy of the Auburn University Department of English.
For additional information, please contact Joyce Rothschild.
Cathy Rex Awarded Merriwether Fellowship
PhD student Cathy Rex was recently awarded the graduate school's Merriwether Fellowship. This award is presented to outstanding doctoral students whose work is nearing completion.
Amanda Wood, Angela Farmer Earn EGO Honor
EGO is proud to announce that Amanda Wood and Angela Farmer are the recipients of our EGO Travel Award for 2005/2006. Their conference papers were of exceptional quality and deserve recognition and congratulations.
To include an item in The English Channel, submit text items by Tuesday at 4 pm for publication Wednesday. Submit items by email to Will Brinkley or put the information in his mailbox. Please check your submission for accuracy and completion—all calendar items and meeting announcements must include the date, time, and location of the event.
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Last updated March 8, 2006