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Jessie Abernathy: I was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but I defected
to Auburn in 1996. I graduated from Auburn with a degree in Animal & Dairy Science in June 2000 and
decided to stay here for my Master's work in English. I know I prefer literature to
composition, but that's as far as I've gotten towards choosing a specialization.
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Robin Bates: I have a B.A. in Theatre from Appalachian State
University and a M.Ed. from Georgia Southwestern State University. A Ph.D. in English will
top off my career of collecting academic degrees in different subjects. I am interested in
British dramatic literature in general, and Shakespeare in particular. I am originally from
Americus, Georgia, so I am thrilled about having a shorter drive to the Alabama
Shakespeare Festival.
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Jeff Clayton: I attended the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
(B.A.) and Baylor University (M.A.) before coming to Auburn for my Ph.D. I am a lifelong
and stereotypically proud Texan, born and raised in the Houston area, but I decided it was finally
time to see what the rest of our country is like. I plan to specialize in the areas of
Renaissance and Reformation drama, although I certainly enjoy just about every literary
period and had a difficult time narrowing my focus.
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 | Malissa Dunn: Malissa has a B.A. in English from Mesa State College in Grand
Junction, Colorado, and plans to specialize in Creative Writing at Auburn
University.
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Amy Jo Formby: I grew up as a military dependent and spent
most of my formative years living overseas; by the time I was 14 years old, I had either lived
in or visited seven countries and 35 states. I currently call Mississippi home. I
received my B.A. in English (summa cum laude) at the University of Southern
Mississippi and completed an Honors thesis on theoretical foundations and pedagogical
implications of integrating multicultural literature and conflict resolution strategies
into a secondary English curriculum. I presented my research at the McNair Scholar
Conference 2000, at the University of Maryland--College Park in March. My emphasis in
the Master's program is centered mainly on Rhetoric and Composition, but I am also
interested in comparative literature and TESL. |
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Szidonia H. Haragos: I graduated from Babes--Bolyai University in
Cluj--Napoca, Romania with a B.A. in English and Hungarian Language and Literature. I was born in a tiny
village hidden among the woods and hills of Transylvania, the central part of Romania. When
asked about myself, I tend to give a somewhat confusing answer: "I have come from Romania. My
mother tongue is Hungarian, and I consider myself a true Translyvanian." |
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John Kwist, Jr.: I grew up in Summerville, S.C., a small town about thirty
miles from Charleston. I attended Clemson University--received my B.A. in 1997 and my M.A. in 1999. Now I'm
here and have found that all the people who told me, "Auburn is just like Clemson but
without a lake," were, in fact, correct. |
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Adrea McDonnell: I grew up in South Alabama. I moved to Germany with my
husband in 1996. We spent four years there and have just returned. While in Europe, I
studied at the University of Maryland University College and earned a B.A. in history. I cam to
Auburn for an M.A. in English. I plan to be here for five years, and then head somewhere
colder. |
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Heather Mickler: I am from Montgomery and earned my undergraduate
degree at Faulkner University. I have interests in creative writing and film. |
 | John Miller: I received my
B.A. in English Literature from Virginia Commonwealth University, in the heart of beautiful
downtown Richmond, Virginia. I'm thrilled to be at Auburn working on my M.A., and if
a career in academia doesn't work out, I'd like my own fishing show on ESPN. |
 | Dana Nichols: I graduated from Ball State
University with a Bachelor's degree in theatre and a minor in performance studies. My primary
interests are in drama and creative writing. I'm from Guntersville, Alabama.
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Christy Pagans:
I graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University in May with a B.A. in English and a second degree in Political Science. My
area of focus varies with each stimulating class, but will hopefully become clear after this
semester's sampling. I am interested in both Renaissance and Southern Literature.
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Rhonda Powers: After leaving the university system for eight
years, I was finally forced by the student loan police to complete my B.A. I did so at Southwest Missouri
State University in 1998, and quickly completed my M.A. at the same university in 2000. As an army brat, I
spent three years in Columbus, Georgia, so Auburn feels a lot like home. I have a strong
interest in seventeenth-century closet drama and critical theory.
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 | Sharyn Pulling: Sharyn earned
her B.A. at Southern Louisiana and her M.A. at Auburn.
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 | Derrick Spradlin: Hey diddle diddle /
This War Eagle/Tiger thing's a riddle / (Even more than the cow and the moon). / I grew up in
D.C., / Earned degrees from Lipscomb and Middle Tennessee; / And now a Ph.D., which proves I'm
a loon.
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 | Shea Stuart: Shea earned her
B.A. degree at Troy State University and her Master's degree at Auburn.
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Jason C. Vaughan: I graduated from Columbus
State University with a B.A. in English Literature. An M.A. student at Auburn, I currently
serve as the English Graduate Student Organization (EGO) Parliamentarian. I am interested
in twentieth-century American Literature and Critical Theory. |
 | Shannon Whitlock: I received
my B.A. in English here at Auburn and am currently working on my Master's degree. I hope eventually to
pursue my Ph.D., also in English.
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Each year the English Department offers two fellowships to students who are entering their first year in one of our graduate programs. The Mildred
Enloe Yates Fellowship, worth $4500, goes this year to first-year M.A. student Jessica Abernathy.
