Middle Georgia State Department of English

Congratulations to English major Scarlett Grush!

Finding Greatness: Scarlett Grush, an English major & pre-law student, delivered a standout performance at the recent Regents Cup debate competition, hosted by the University System of Georgia. She went undefeated in the preliminary rounds, earned “Top Speaker” honors, & took home a $1,000 scholarship. ⭐

Read her profile: https://www.mga.edu/news/2026/05/middle-georgia-state-university-finding-greatness-scarlett-grush.php

Nine years ago today, we celebrated the retirement of Dr. Thom Harrison, Professor of English.

Dr. Harrison loved, and published on, John Keats's "To Autumn," which ends:

Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

(Pictured here with his fellow twittering swallows.)

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CagDDXdCv/

Eight student contributors to this year’s issue of Knighted: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Undergraduate Research presented their work at the journal’s release reception on April 30. Congratulations to Sabrina Tingle, Alexis Monroy, Jada Aldana, Shauna Ayers, Reema Bhaskar, Nicolas Hodges, Sarah Ruuth, and Abbi Adams on their outstanding presentations!

On the Macon campus tomorrow afternoon (April 30), there will be two launch events for MGA student publications, both in the general area of the School of Arts and Letters lobby.

At 1pm: The Issue Reception & Launch of Fall Line Review, MGA's literary magazine. This event celebrates the voices and creativity of our student contributors and will include brief readings as well as reflections from student artists featured in the issue.

At 2pm: A reception for Knighted: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Undergraduate Research. Copies of the journal will be distributed and students will give brief presentations about their research. Student presentations, which will take place in the Rehearsal Hall, will include:

Sabrina Tingle, "Unmarried Men in Shakespeare"

Alexis Monroy and Jada Aldana, "Speech and Language Impairment in Elementary Education: Characteristics, Impact, and Evidence-Based Instructional Implications"

Shauna Ayers, "AutismTok: An Experimental Study into TikToks and Self-Diagnosis"

Reema Bhaskar, "The AI Rosetta Stone: How Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Are Translating the Unknown, from Animal Languages to Ancient Texts and Hidden Cures"

Nicolas Hodges, "The Effects of Imagery on Three-Point Shooting Accuracy, Shooting Under Pressure, and Shooting Confidence: A Case Study of a Former Collegiate Basketball Player"

Sarah Ruuth, "Education, Race, and Partisanship in the Fair Counting of Votes"

Refreshments will be served at both receptions. We hope to see you at one or both of these events!

Please join us Thursday, April 30, on the Macon campus to celebrate the research accomplishments of the students published in this year's issue of Knighted: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Undergraduate Research. The Knighted reception, where copies of the journal will be distributed and students will give brief presentations about their research, will be at 2:00pm in the Arts Complex Theater Rehearsal Hall, School of Arts and Letters .
Student presentations will include:

Sabrina Tingle, "Unmarried Men in Shakespeare"

Alexis Monroy and Jada Aldana, "Speech and Language Impairment in Elementary Education: Characteristics, Impact, and Evidence-Based Instructional Implications"

Shauna Ayers, "AutismTok: An Experimental Study into TikToks and Self-Diagnosis"

Reema Bhaskar, "The AI Rosetta Stone: How Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Are Translating the Unknown, from Animal Languages to Ancient Texts and Hidden Cures"

Nicolas Hodges, "The Effects of Imagery on Three-Point Shooting Accuracy, Shooting Under Pressure, and Shooting Confidence: A Case Study of a Former Collegiate Basketball Player

Sarah Ruuth, "Education, Race, and Partisanship in the Fair Counting of Votes"

We hope to see you there! Middle Georgia State University Middle Georgia State University - School of Arts & Letters

No fewer than three English professors received awards for excellence at this year’s Honors Convocation!

Dr. Sharon Colley, Excellence in Service

Dr. Lorraine Dubuisson, Excellence in Full-Time Teaching

Dr. Shane Trayers, The Provost’s Award

Let’s just say that we’re not not the best department on campus. 🙂

Congratulations to these outstanding faculty members!

An Open Mic, co-sponsored by the English Studies Organization and SOAL, will be held on April 20th at 1pm in the Macon Writing Center. Students are welcome to share their poetry, short stories, and spoken word performances, or just listen to other folks' work and eat snacks. Please join us!

Thanks to the Middle Georgia State University Foundation for spotlighting Dr. Miller!

Dr. Monica Miller, associate professor of English at Middle Georgia State University, has been named the Carolyn Wynn Smalley Distinguished Chair of Georgia Studies, a prestigious role recognizing her dedication to scholarship, teaching, and Georgia’s cultural heritage. Since joining MGA in 2017, Dr. Miller has actively supported the university through education, research, and philanthropy. In her new role, she plans to expand Georgia-focused academic offerings, including a new course on Georgia writers, and foster student engagement with the state’s literary and artistic traditions. An accomplished author and scholar, Dr. Miller is committed to honoring Georgia’s legacy, especially its trailblazing women, while building MGA into a hub for Georgia Studies through innovative programming and community support.

Congratulations to MGA English grad (and former English Department student assistant) Katelyn Morgan, who is doing outstanding work for Middle Georgia Regional Library!

Calling all MGA students and faculty!

Get ready for the Spring 2026 Interdisciplinary Student Conference, happening April 8–10, 2026, across MGA campuses. This year’s theme — “Our South: Resources and Challenges in the Natural World” — invites you to explore the connections between people, place, and environment through research, creativity, and collaboration. 🌎✨

👉 Students: Submit your papers or posters by February 27, 2026, for a chance to share your work and join a campus-wide conversation about the future of our region and its natural resources.
Submit here: https://tinyurl.com/p5usexmr

👉 Faculty: Submit student posters or a presentation panel from your Fall or Spring semester classes here: https://tinyurl.com/cu28d7au

Please note that the conference submissions do not have to align with the conference theme. We welcome all papers, creative works, posters, and roundtable presentation ideas.

🔗 For more info about the Conference: https://tinyurl.com/57zn6c8s