Murray State University Department of English and Philosophy

Congratulations to Dr. T.J. Martinson on the release of his latest novel, BLOOD RIVER WITCH! Set on Kentucky’s Blood River, the novel follows Deputy Sheriff Alicia Moore as she investigates the death of her ex-fiance, whose brutal occultist murder strongly resembles a similar murder decades ago.

Copies can be purchased through tjmartinson.com or major book retailers.

Dr. Martinson also had two essays about crime fiction published this week:

"(A.C.A.G.) All Cops Are Grotesque: Writing the Southern Gothic Police Officer" in Crime Reads.
https://crimereads.com/writing-southern-gothic-police-officer/

"Behind Every Bad Boy" in Oxford American.
https://oxfordamerican.org/oa-now/behind-every-bad-boy

Congratulations, Dr. Martinson!

Congratulations to Dr. Alicia Carthell, whose tenure and promotion to Associate Professor was officially approved last Friday by the Murray State Board of Regents!

Dr. Ho Ryong Park, professor of TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages) in the Department of English and Philosophy, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Vietnam for the 2026-27 academic year.

Established by Congress in 1946, the Fulbright Scholar Program for academics and professionals awards more than 1,700 fellowships each year, enabling 800 U.S. Scholars to go abroad and 900 Visiting Scholars to come to the United States. Fulbright Scholars make an impact in areas such as public service, science and technology, public health, arts, education and the environment. They teach in local schools, lead nations, make groundbreaking discoveries, and advance nearly every discipline and field in academic institutions around the world.

Park, who teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in English and TESOL, says joining the Fulbright community has been a long-standing aspiration. His selection is especially meaningful to him as an educator, linguist and researcher.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected for this prestigious award and excited about the opportunity to visit Vietnam,” said Park, who will be exchanging ideas and best pedagogical practices with Vietnamese educators, students and administrators.

“As one of the fastest-growing countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is known for its rich history and vibrant culture,” said Park. “In addition, Vietnam’s education system is centrally managed, similar to that of South Korea. My experience and understanding of both centralized and decentralized educational systems will enable me to make meaningful contributions to education in Vietnam. Through my project, I hope to enhance students’ awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, strengthen their ability to integrate innovative technologies into education and broaden their pedagogical repertoires.”

Congratulations, Dr. Park!

Last Friday, the Department of English and Philosophy celebrated the release of the 2026 issue of Notations with a reading from contributors and recognized the Outstanding Student recipients. Congratulations to the editors, contributors, outstanding students, and graduating seniors! And huge thanks to Wits' End Records for hosting the event!

Read Notations 2026 at the link below, and check out the accompanying playlist (curated by the contributors) on Spotify and YouTube! The links are in the back of the magazine.

https://canva.link/8util3as0lt8ohx

This year’s Department of English and Philosophy Outstanding Student in TESOL is Sydney Littrell, a double major in TESOL and Spanish Education from Little Rock, Arkansas!

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**What do you enjoy most about your major?**
“I enjoy working with the students and learning language acquisition theory.”

**What academic experience are you especially proud of?**
“I am most proud of my honors thesis, Understanding and Breaking Down Barriers to Higher Education for English Language Learners in United States Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade Schools.”

**Where on campus do you like to study or hang out?**
“My favorite place to study on campus is Pogue Library.”

**What are your plans for after graduation?**
“This summer, I will be serving on the American Delegation to the Korea-America Student Conference. Then, I will pursue opportunities to teach abroad during the school year and begin my MA TESOL at the Memphis Teacher Residency in May 2027.”

**What advice do you have for incoming English majors?**
“You should consider majoring in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) because it is a very fulfilling and high-need field! You get to support multilingual students to help them learn English and understand the material taught in their mainstream classes. There are lots of job openings in the U.S. and this degree also qualifies you to teach English abroad.”

Thank you, Sydney!

This year’s Department of English and Philosophy Outstanding Student in Professional Writing is Kristyn Haney, an English/Literature major and professional writing minor from Aurora, Kentucky.

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**What do you enjoy most about your major?**
“What I enjoy most about my major is the people. The faculty and my peers have created learning environments that I’ve thrived within and sometimes challenge my previous ways of thinking.”

**What academic experience are you especially proud of?**
“An academic experience I’m proud of is a paper I presented at the Southeastern American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies on Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko.”

**Where on campus do you like to study or hang out?**
“One of my favorite places to study is the Waterfield Library gallery.”

**What are your plans for after graduation?**
“I plan to take a gap year before entering a master’s program.:”

**What advice would you give to incoming English majors?**
“A piece of advice for incoming English majors is don’t be afraid to share your opinions or ideas. Everyone has different perspectives on literature that others can learn from.”

Thank you, Kristyn!

This year’s Department of English and Philosophy Outstanding Student in Philosophy is Sid Richey, originally from Madisonville, Kentucky!

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**What have you enjoyed most about your major?**
-“What I’ve enjoyed the most about my major is being able to develop my skills in writing and critical thinking, as well as learning under many of the amazing Professors in this department and so many others! I’ve gotten to have so many wonderful experiences and meet so many wonderful people.”

**What academic experience are you especially proud of?**
“Among the many academic experiences I’m proud of, writing my paper for Dr. Foote’s ‘Judicial Politics’ course in the Fall 2025 semester: “The United States Supreme Court as a Naked Power Organ” where I analyzed how nearly all radical shifts in the court’s rulings can be attributed to changes in roster of the Supreme Court, and highlight how such changes in rulings undermine the legitimacy of the court as an institution in the modern era of the Roberts Court as they repeatedly strike down key protections granted by the civil rights and voting rights acts. Another experience I’m proud of is my paper “Divine Love in a Contingent Existence”, which I wrote in Dr. Panchuk’s ‘Faith and the Divine’ course, where I argued that Descartes’ ontological argument improperly assumes that metaphysical necessary is more perfect than contingent existence, and broadly argue that divine impassibility and immutability are incompatible with divine love.”

**Do you have a favorite club or organization that you’ve been involved with?**
“My favorite organization I’ve gotten to work with on campus is by far Murray’s chapter of United Campus Workers Kentucky!”

**What are your plans for after graduation?**
“After graduation, I intend to take a short break from my education before applying to study law.”

**What advice would you give incoming English majors?**
“A piece of advice I have for incoming English majors is to learn what process works for you, stick to them, and to never stop trying!”

Congratulations, Sid!

This year’s Department of English and Philosophy Outstanding Student in Literature is Lilly Watson! Lilly is an English/literature major and Humanities minor from Paducah, Kentucky.

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What have you enjoyed most about your major?**
“Something I really enjoy about my major: English Literature is such a flexible major that lets me learn more about my interests! I really love theology and philosophy, and this major offers me lots of theology-centered English classes that help build up both my faith and my critical thinking skills.”

**What academic experience are you especially proud of?**
“I am proud of my Scholars’ Week presentation from last fall, which was my final paper in a Medieval Literature course. I researched baptismal theology and salvation in medieval literature, and I liked the topic so much that I’m expanding it into my thesis next year!”

**Do you have a favorite club or organization you’ve been involved with?**
“I’ve been involved in the Newman Catholic Center since I first came to Murray State, and it has become my second home here. It’s my favorite place to pray, study, grow in leadership, and hang out with friends, and I will miss it so much after I graduate.”

**What are your plans for after graduation?**
“I hope to work in Catholic ministry or as a theology teacher after graduation!”

**What advice would you give to incoming English majors?**
“Go out and make new friends, even though it can be really scary (trust me, I know)! Get out of your dorm and meet the people you can find a community with, because having others to lean on will make your college experience so much happier.”

Congratulations, Lilly!

This year’s Department of English and Philosophy Outstanding Student in English Education is Mikaela McChristian, a secondary English Ed major originally from Paducah, KY!

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**What have you especially enjoyed about your major?**
“I really enjoy the connections that I have made, and how I got to split my time between the college of education and the English and philosophy department. I loved getting to grow as a teacher in EDU classes, and as an English major in my ENG classes.”

**Have you had a favorite club or extra-curricular?**
“My favorite club I’ve been a part of is most definitely Murray State’s National Council of Teachers of English. There was no better way to spend my last two years of college than serving as president for an organization that truly embodies what it means to support one another as both English majors, and educators!”

**What are your plans for after graduation?**
“After graduation, I plan on moving to Nashville, TN to teach either middle or high schoolers all things ELA!”

**What advice would you give to incoming English majors?**
“If you are considering becoming an ELA teacher, Murray State has been my home for the past four years and I would not have it any other way. There is not a more supportive group out there that pushes you to grow and flourish into the best educator you can be — both with the English Ed professors and various other ENG professors. Make every moment count!”

Thank you, Mikaela!

We're thrilled to celebrate the Department of English and Philosophy's Outstanding Student award recipients. This year's Outstanding Student in Creative Writing is Erin Tabler. Congratulations, Erin!
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Name: Erin Tabler (she/they)
Major: Creative Writing
Minor: Psychology & Spanish
Hometown: Louisville, KY

**What have you enjoyed most about your major?**
"My favorite thing about being a Creative Writing Major is when I get to have a really good workshop class. I think there's something really wonderful about a group of people coming together to help improve others' pieces and their own craft, too. It's also a great way to practice critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills. I will forever be thankful for the writing community I have found, and the way that we encourage and support one another."

**What's an academic experience you're especially proud of?**
"I am incredibly proud of my thesis (“Mother Nature and The Sense of Our Limits…”). It’s a culmination of years of work and learning, and when I look at it I can see the physical manifestation of everything I have learned in my four years here."

**Do you have a favorite club, organization, or activity?**
"For my entire time here, English Student Organization (of which I am the current president!) has been a great place to decompress, learn something, and make new bonds. Special shoutout to obsession/rant nights— I’m really going to miss that chaotic fun. "

**What are your plans for after graduation?**
This summer I will be a Teaching Fellow with Breakthrough Collaborative in Louisville. After that, I plan to continue my gap year in Louisville working as a preschool teacher before applying to grad schools for Creative Writing.

**What makes English an area worthy of study?**
"Besides learning about literature and writing, studying English is an incredible way to develop skills that will serve you well in life: critical thinking, concise communication, problem solving, creativity, empathy-- the list goes on. The literature I have studied and the classes I have taken have formed the person I am today, and I am proud of that person."