Welcome to our fall 2021 alumni newsletter! Each semester, we shine the spotlight on important news from around our department, with updates on the activities of our students, faculty, and alumni. In the current issue, you will notice the resilience of our department in the face of the challenges of COVID-19.

The past eighteen months have been tough for most of us, both professionally and personally. We have all worked on our teaching and learning at strange hours and in awkward places. Many of us have done so while also taking care of family members and/or navigating difficult pandemic circumstances—like hospital stays, bereavement, income loss, and loneliness.

Yet I am proud of what we have achieved during this uncertain period. As a department, we have redesigned our major, won grants, produced creative and scholarly work, graduated two classes of students, welcomed new faculty, launched a podcast, planned an undergraduate symposium, and, most importantly, stayed in touch with one another.

In that vein, I trust that you will enjoy reading the stories that we have compiled here. For further updates, please check out the alumni page on our new website and connect with us on Instagram!

Warmly,

Clare Costley King’oo
Interim Head, Department of English