The Department of English and World Languages would like to announce the thesis defense of Taylor Green for her BA in Multidisciplinary Studies in Digital Journalism, Honor’s College. Her thesis, titled “An Analysis of Abbott Elementary Through the Lens Black Placemaking” is chaired by Dr. A Nicole Pfannenstiel with committee members Dr. Caleb Corkery and Dr. Elizabeth Thyrum. Her defense will be held tomorrow, April 28th, at 1pm in McComsey room 359.
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Thesis Defense Announcement- “Disability Studies Informed Creative Writing: Care not Cure”
The Department of English and World Languages would like to announce the thesis defense of blue Guckert for his MA in English. His thesis, titled “Disability Studies Informed Creative Writing: Care not Cure,” is chaired by Dr. Emily Baldys with committee members Dr. A Nicole Pfannenstiel, Dr. Jess Hughes, and Professor Michele Santamaria. blue’s thesis defense will be held tomorrow, April 28th, in McComsey 359 at 4:30pm.
Successful Thesis Defense Announcement- William Artz
The Department of English and World Languages would like to congratulate William Artz on his successful thesis defense for his M.Ed. in English. His thesis, which is titled “The Digitized Post-Secondary Transdisciplinary Humanities Classroom,” was chaired by Dr. A Nicole Pfannenstiel with committee members Dr. Kaitlin Mondello and Dr. Emily Baldys.
English Internship Experience- Avery Hartman
I am currently completing an internship with Gemini Wordsmiths and I have to say, I couldn’t have hoped for a better internship. This internship heavily focuses on teaching me about the editing/publishing industry and ensures that they are providing me with projects that I deem useful for my future career. After graduation, I hope to go into the editing/publishing industry. Before this internship, I didn’t have much experience or knowledge of the field, but after completing 15 weeks, I feel that I have learned so much and even have a better idea on what career I hope to pursue after college. I went into this internship thinking that I wanted to go into copy editing. However, after working with Gemini Wordsmiths, I think I would rather pursue a career in book publishing. Not only has this internship taught me so much about the editing/publishing industry, but they have also helped me determine where I want to take my next steps and how I want to start the next chapter of my life.
My linguistic courses have played a major role in my success with this internship as I completed multiple projects in editing authors’ manuscripts. Many of my literature courses also played a major role in my success when it came to projects of recommending publication and research of authors. My degree has set me up for success for my career after college and I couldn’t be happier with my choice.
This internship has challenged me with new experiences in order to gain new skills. One of the projects I was given was to create a monthly newsletter. I had never created a newsletter before and was unsure of how to start. After sitting down with me and going over step-by-step what a newsletter entails, I was much more confident in completing this project and gained new skills to apply on my resume.
Throughout my experience with this internship, I was not only able to apply my relevant coursework to complete projects, but I was also able to expand on my hard and soft skills and gain more knowledge on the editing/publishing industry.
Throughout my college experience, I have developed skills in research, copywriting, copyediting, time management, attention to detail, organization, communication, and independence. A project that I think exemplifies these skills is a project where I was asked to be the first reader for a newly submitted manuscript. For this project, I read the entirety of an author’s draft to their manuscript, fact checked authors to ensure they were truthful in their previous work, researched books similar to theirs to see if they have been successful, and gave a full recommendation on whether or not the internship should follow through with publication. With this project alone, I was able to apply my skills of research, copywriting, time management, and organization as well as gain hands-on experience with the publishing industry. My degree has allowed me to apply recently acquired skills to the success of my internship. When I first applied to be an English major, I questioned if it was the right decision. Everyone asked me what I could possibly do with an English degree and said it would be difficult to find a career with a degree like English. I am so incredibly happy to say that I have successfully applied my degree to relevant work and am confident in my next steps after graduation.
“Integrating Social Emotional Learning through Instructional Strategies in the English Language Arts Classroom”- Natalie Flory Thesis Defense Announcement
The English and World Languages Department would like to announce the thesis defense of Natalie Flory for her B.S.E in English and the Honor’s College. Her thesis, titled “Integrating Social Emotional Learning through Instructional Strategies in the English Language Arts Classroom” is chaired by Dr. Kim McCollum-Clark with committee members Dr. A Nicole Pfannenstiel and Dr. Karen Rice. The defense will be held today, April 14th, at 4:30pm in McComsey English and World Languages conference room 359.
Successful Thesis Defense Announcement- John Biles “Troubling Gatekeeping in Online Fan Discourse”
The Department of English and World Languages would like to announce the successful thesis defense by John Biles for his MA in English. His thesis, titled “Trouble Gatekeeping in Online Fan Discourse” is chaired by Dr. Caleb Corkery. Congratulations to John!
“Exploring Mythology Through Drama: A curricular artifact” Kara Travis Thesis Announcement
The English and World Languages Department would like to announce the thesis defense of Kara Travis for her MA in English. Her thesis, titled “Exploring Mythology Through Drama: A curricular artifact,” will be defended on zoom today, April 5th, at 2pm. Her thesis is chaired by Dr. Kim McCollum-Clark with committee members Dr. A Nicole Pfannenstiel and Dr. Justin Mando.
“L’État actuel du français louisianais” – Hunter Davis Thesis Announcement
The English and World Languages Department would like to announce the thesis defense of Hunter Davis for his BA in French and Spanish, Teacher Candidate, and Honor’s College. His thesis, titled “L’État actuel du français louisianais” or “The Current State of Louisiana French,” will be defended today, April 3rd, at 1:30pm in McComsey 237. His thesis is chaired by Dr. Christine Gaudry, with committee members Dr. Clarence Maxwell and Dr. Elizabeth Thyrum. The abstract for his thesis is included below.
Abstract: “In 2010, the American Community Survey of the US Census Bureau announced that less than 3.4% of the total population of Louisiana still spoke some form of Louisiana-dialectal
French at home (“Language Spoken at Home”). During the last 10 years, that number has only diminished, with a most recent estimate of around 1.5% of the total population in 2021 still speaking some form of the dialect (“Language Spoken at Home”). This shows a loss of 77,434 native speakers of Louisiana French or roughly 54.2% of the francophone population of Louisiana since 2010. The question proposed by this thesis is if there is any way to slow, stop, or reverse the decline of the use of dialectal varieties of Louisiana French in Louisiana. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the longevity of Louisiana French in relation to other linguistic groups who experienced a revival of their heritage language, with the goal of
analyzing their commonalities in order to draw concrete, feasible solutions for the case of Louisiana French.”
English Classes You Should Consider Taking Next Semester
With registration for the upcoming fall semester just around the corner, the English department would like to highlight some of the higher level courses that will be available next semester.
WRIT 280 – Intro to Rhetoric for Writers
Taught asynchronously by Dr. Pfannenstiel
Course Description: “In the past few decades, scholars of writing (Writing Studies and Composition) returned to rhetoric and rhetorical theories to develop productive ways of teaching writing. As part of our Writing Studies program here in Millersville University’s English and World Languages Department, Introduction to Rhetoric for Writers introduces students to the rhetorical theories that form the baseline of how we understand and develop as writers.
This course starts with rhetorical theory in Greek and Roman times. We then jump to contemporary uses. We build an understanding of how rhetoric exists within communication all around us, all the time”
ENGL 331- Special Topic: The Beats- Before, During, and After
Taught by Dr. Ording on Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 11:00-11:50pm
Course Description: “Explore the brilliance and influence of The Beat Generation through the poets from each era. This includes predecessors Whitman, Emerson, then The Beats themselves Kerouac and Ginsberg, and their successors Brautigan, Bukowski, and Morrison.”
ENGL 334- African American Literature II
Taught by Dr. Jakubiak on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:10-2:25pm
Course Description: “Students will read works by 20th and 21st century African American poets, prose writers and playwrights including James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and Colson Whitehead. Explore how these major writers use literary art to ask questions about race and intersectional identity in the United States.”
ENGL 343- Ecofeminist Fiction Seminar
Taught asynchronously by Dr. Mondello
Course Description: “Ecofeminist Fiction centers relationships between women and the natural world in novels, novellas (short novels), and short stories. While sometimes this takes the form of a celebration of connection, it is more often portrayed as a shared subjugation to patriarchal forces. Responses include solidarity between women, animals, and nature, as well as monstrous figures and revenge plots against exploitation. We will read texts from a variety of time periods to consider the history of ideas about the connections between nature and gender in fiction to trace the wide range of styles and techniques across literary fiction more broadly. Readings and class discussions will focus on literary representations of the environment with an emphasis on gendered, racialized and other intersectional depictions of nature, as well as on human and non-human characters who are associated with nature.”
ENGL 428- Contemporary American Literature (1945-Present)
Taught by Dr. Ording on Mondays from 6:00-9:00pm
Course Description: “Explore fiction and other cultural productions in the contemporary period through works by notable writers such as Salinger, Steinbeck, Morrison, and Baldwin.”
WRIT 466- Special Topics Seminar on Rhetoric, Writing, and Social Justice in Educational Settings
Taught asynchronously by Dr. Farkas
Course Description: “Words are powerful and can be used to inspire and foster change. This course will examine the intersections among rhetoric, writing, and advocacy, and in it, students will focus on understanding the ways language and practice can affect systems of inequality, particularly in an educational context. Beginning with a reflection on their own educational journeys and culminating with a case study of an educational context, students will examine whether Pennsylvania and Lancaster County schools (K-12 and higher education) provide a thriving learning environment for every student, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, disability, and sexuality. Students will also analyze the role of power and privilege in shaping educational policies and practices and develop strategies to advocate for equity and justice in education.”
Winnona Piazza Thesis Defense- “The Indigenous Persona: Examining the Modern Native American”
The English Department would like to announce the thesis defense of Winnona Piazza for her MA in English that will take place today, March 30th. Her thesis, titled “The Indigenous Persona: Examining the Modern Native American,” is chaired by Dr. Caleb Corkery alongside committee members Dr. Katarzyna Jakubiak and Dr. A Nicole Pfannenstiel. The abstract for her thesis is included below.
Abstract: “Examination of the modern native looking beyond the stereotype or phenotype used to create the definition. Opening with a historical investigation on established Indian identity and how it was determined through governmental systems both on and off Indian reservations. The controversy with the ways of confirming native identity undermines the individual and negates their experiences. Through the voice of several Native American authors, their fictional characters are used to substantiate that the state of native identity is at a time of flux. The many characters that find themselves to not fully belong to their ethnicity or culture due to mixed blood is formidable. These native fictional characters are used to explore with aid of Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderland theory to reveal that the new native was something that did not meet the romantic view of the indigenous but worked to help create an identity of their own that belonged within the community and culture. Developed with the voice of the new native, four pieces of creative non-fiction written from experiences growing up on a reservation within the Native American culture.”