Columbus State University Department of English

Congratulations to the 5 English Department faculty recognized on Wednesday, February 18th for having made a significant impact on a student in CSU's Women's or Men's Basketball teams!

English faculty recognized: Sundi Rose, Zach Lamb, Judi Livingston, Shannon Godlove, and Natalia Temesgen

English faculty pictured (left to right): Jo Mayo, Shannon Godlove, Leslie Haines, Zach Lamb, Judi Livingston

Special congratulations to our graduating English majors in the Columbus State University Honors College! We are so proud of all of you!

Kennedy Buckner and Casey Carranza graduated Summa Cum Laude. Cynt Short, Evie Smith, and Kennedy Buckner received their Honors College pins. Kennedy Buckner successfully defended her Honors thesis.

🎤 Speaker Reveal!
We’re thrilled to announce that Dr. Susan Hrach, professor and educator at Columbus State University, will take the TEDxColumbusStateU stage this January!

Dr. Hrach brings deep insight into how we learn, think, and grow — blending experience, research, and storytelling to spark reflection and conversation. Her talk will challenge us to see familiar things in new ways and lean into learning as a lifelong, whole-body process.

🎟️ Be in the room when it happens:
👉 https://loom.ly/Tu6IHj8

We are honored to welcome Natalia Temesgen to the TEDxColumbusStateU stage!

Natalia is a playwright, television writer/producer, and Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Columbus State University. Her writing credits include acclaimed shows like Dear White People (Netflix), Julia (HBO Max), and Reasonable Doubt (Hulu). With deep roots in both storytelling and education, Natalia brings a unique voice to the TEDx experience.

🎟 Tickets are on sale now — join us January 15, 2026 at CSU’s Riverside Theater:
👉 https://loom.ly/Tu6IHj8

Join us for a joint Halloween Open House in Arnold Hall on Thursday, October 30th!

Our very own Natalia Temesgen received the Kim Porter Legacy Award for her excellence in the arts! Learn more at the link below.

The Kim Porter Legacy Award Recipient: Natalia Temesgen Columbus native Kimberly Antwinette Porter grew up with a deep love for music and singing—a passion that would shape her life and legacy. She began her career at Uptown Records, where her talent and tenacity helped bridge the cultural gap between the South and the East Coast. Through her

Our very own Dr. Seon Jeon was on this trip and is currently at Chonnam National University International Summer School with 7 CSU students!

We are proud to share that the Georgia Writers Association awarded Carey Scott Wilkerson the Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award and Melissa Pritchard was a Finalist in the Literary Novel category for her novel Flight of the Wild Swan in the 2025 Georgia Author of the Year Awards! 🎉

2025 Winners and Finalists — Georgia Author of the Year Awards Please join us in congratulating all the winners and finalists of the 61st Georgia Author of the Year Awards! READ ON FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WINNERS AND FINALISTS IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: BIOGRAPHY, CHILDREN’S BOOK, DETECTIVE/MYSTERY, FIRST NOVEL, HISTORY, INSPIRATIONAL, LITERARY NOVEL...

Shout out to one of our Creative Writing students, Sal Woessner for this amazing accomplishment!

We are pleased as punch to announce the recipients of our second annual LGBTQIA+ Literary Grants🌈! Sal Woessner won in fiction. Ari Quan won in poetry. Megan Xing won in nonfiction.

Each author receives a grant of $500 and will take part in a special reading at the upcoming Red Clay Writers Conference on Saturday April 26th, 2025. These grants are generously supported by the Alliance for Full Acceptance. Hit the link below for more info on the winners and the grants.

https://www.georgiawriters.org/

Please join us in congratulating these amazing emerging writers, and come to Red Clay to hear them read!

This past weekend, four English students went to Blue Mountain Christian University for the 2025 Southern Literary Festival! The department's literary magazine, Arden, won second place in the Literary Magazine category. One of the entries in the Arden won first place in the Formal Essay category as well. Each of the students on the trip were published in the 2024 issue of the Arden, and two of them were the editors!

Congratulations to everyone who was part of the 2024 Arden issue!

Students who attended: Maddie Ginter, Elizabeth Woods, Cynt Short, and Savannah Flowers

Faculty advisor: Zach Lamb

It saddens us to share the news of Jim Chappel's passing on March 24, 2025. Jim was a beloved professor and colleague. He retired from teaching full time in 1997, but continued to teach until 2011.

Our thoughts are with his family and everyone who was lucky enough to know and work with him.

Please visit the link below for his full obituary and service information.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/columbus-ga/james-chappel-12308879