English and World Languages at Augusta University

Congratulations to recent English Literature graduate Angela Maskey!

Her article, “The Shakespeare Authorship Controversy: A Student’s Perspective,” was recently published in The Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter’s Spring 2026 issue. Angela drafted the article in ENGL 3681 Advanced Style and Editing under the mentorship of Dr. Jun Zhao.

Our world languages students are having an amazing time in Spain!

We are can’t wait to see more of this special study abroad journey as Dr. John Giblin and our Spanish students explore Alcalá de Henares!

Congratulations to our EWL Spring graduates! 🎓 🎊🎓

Bailey Aber, Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Literature and minor in Music

Birdie Calahan, Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Professional Writing and Rhetoric and minor in General Studies

Roni Cindrich, Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and minor in General Studies

Reid Hill, Bachelor of Arts in English with a certification in Secondary Education

Danielle Kennedy, Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and minor in Communication

Amelia Machado, Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Literature and minor in History

Angela Maskey, Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Literature

Bakija Parks, Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Professional Writing and Rhetoric and minor in Psychology

Koryn Parsons, Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Literature and minor in Business Administration

We are so proud of you, and we can’t wait to see what you’ll do next!

Congratulations to Dr. E. Nicole Meyer on her most recent conference presentations!

Dr. E. Nicole Meyer presented “‘Le Cauchemar de l’absence’: Echoes of Silence, Sound and Absence Resonating between Colette’s La Naissance du jour & L’Étoile Vesper” at the 20th and 21st-Century French and Francophone International Colloquium, held March 26-28 at the University of Notre Dame.

Dr. Meyer also presented “I Remember What I Can’t Forget, Holocaust’s Impact on Loridan-Ivens, Sarraute, Duras & Colette” at the Northeast Modern Language Association’s conference, held in Pittsburgh March 5-8.

EWL was well represented at the joint College English Association and South Asian Literary Association 2026 Conference in Charlotte, NC this past March!

Dr. Sonia Sharmin presented two papers: “Cultural Declarations of Identity and Trauma through Magical Realism: Postcolonial Wounds in Babu Bangladesh! Shurjo’s Clan, and One Hundred Years of Solitude” and “Contrasting Collaboration: Partition Trauma in Rahad Abir’s Bengal Hound and in Bollywood’s Refugee.”

Dr. Lee Anna Maynard presented on “Declarations of Worth: Frankenstein’s Women on the Page and (Most-Modern) Screen.”

Professor Valerie Cato presented “Cultural Declarations that Assume a Monstrous Form: The Cracker Barrel Rebranding Campaign as Southern American Gothic.”

Congratulations to our fantastic faculty!

A number of our amazing faculty in EWL were nominated for faculty awards this semester!

Professor Daphne Maysonet was nominated for the Faculty Excellence in Community Engagement Award by the Office of Community Engagement. She was recognized for her work coordinating our Young Writers and JSNA Writing Wednesdays programs.

Dr. John Giblin was also nominated for Faculty Advisor of the Year for his work advising the Korean Club, which won Cultural/Religious Organization of the Year under Dr. Giblin’s mentorship!

Congratulations Prof. Maysonet and Dr. Giblin!

Congratulations to English Literature majors Lilijana Rachel and Koryn Parsons! They recently presented their research at the national Sigma Tau Delta Conference held in New Orleans. Lili and Koryn received funding from Pamplin College and EWL to attend the conference.

Lili’s presentation was titled “’Beyond the Rage or Pain’: Thomas Aquinas, Religious Symbolism, and the Significance of Sexual Violence in The Violent Bear it Away.” Koryn’s presentation was titled “Enoch Emery was Never Meant to be Saved: The ‘Large and Startling Figure’ in Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood.”

Congrats Lili and Koryn!!!

Wishing all of our EWL students good luck as we head into finals!

You’re almost there! 🥳🍀

Congratulations to all of the local students who participated in our Young Writers Competition this year! Students attended an awards ceremony with family and friends this past month to celebrate their winning poetry and prose pieces.

High School Poetry
First Place, Sarah Mackay
Second Place, Angelina Marianna Smith
Third Place, Timothy Lambert and Tiana Mack

High School Prose
First Place, Timothy Lambert
Second Place, Sylas Steele
Third Place, Vivienne Kim

Middle School Poetry
First Place, Arlo Chad and Ayushman Khadanga
Second Place, Haein Kang
Third Place, Tiffany Chang

Middle School Prose
First Place, Daniel Long
Second Place, Ayushman Khadanga
Third Place, Goose Strickland

Thank you to the surrounding CSRA middle and high schools for supporting the Young Writers Competition and for encouraging their students to submit their work. 

Thank you to our creative writing faculty for serving as readers throughout the submission process and to our community judges, Lucinda Clark and Sea Stachura, for their dedication to the program.

Lastly, special thanks to Prof. Daphne Maysonet for all of her incredible work as program coordinator! Prof. Maysonet has devoted so much time and love to the Young Writers Competition throughout the past year. From fundraising efforts to community outreach, this year’s program and ceremony would not have been possible without her!

EWL was well represented at the Popular Culture Association’s 2026 conference, held in Atlanta, GA April 8-11!

Dr. Lee Anna Maynard presented a talk titled, “Decoding Underdogs’ Secret Sauce: The Power of Charisma in Juvenile Fiction from Ragged Dick to The Hunger Games.”

Dr. Edmund Ankomah presented a talk titled, “’Take the World’: Xenology and the Ambivalence of Affect in Brightburn.”

Dr. Melissa Johnson presented on “Learning, Literature, and Libraries: Using The Great Gatsby to Teach Contextual Awareness and Critical Thinking.”

Congratulations to all!