About the Department
Administration
- Chair: John Ernest
- Associate Chair: Timothy Sweet
- Ph.D Supervisor: Dennis Allen
- M.F.A. Supervisor: Mark Brazaitis
- M.A. Supervisor: John Lamb
- M.A. PWE Supervisor: Brian Ballentine
- Director, Center for Writing Excellence: Laura Brady
- Director, Center for Literary Computing: Sandy Baldwin
The Department
The West Virginia University Department of English is staffed by 42 full-time faculty in literary and cultural studies, creative writing, professional writing, linguistics, and composition studies. Recipients of NEH, ACLS, and NSF grants as well as numerous Fulbrights, our faculty have also been recognized with regional and national awards for outstanding teaching. We teach, advise, and direct the research of over 350 undergraduate majors and 60 M.A., M.A. in PWE, Ph.D., and M.F.A. students.
Program opportunities abound. The Virginia Butts Sturm Writer-in-Residence Workshop enables competitively selected graduate and undergraduate students to work intensively with an outstanding writer. The Undergraduate Literature Symposium gives our English majors an opportunity to share research with students from other universities. The Graduate Student Colloquium Summer Seminar in Literary and Cultural Studies draws faculty and students from across the nation to study with a distinguished scholar. In July, the West Virginia Writers’ Workshop offers four days of workshops, panel discussions, and readings.
The Department fosters community and collegiality within a large research (Carnegie Doctoral-Extensive) university. Professors often host end-of-term get-togethers for undergraduate students. Graduate students and faculty consider each other as colleagues.
