Undergraduate Program

Contact

Thomas Anderson, Director of Undergradute Studies

 

What Opportunities Does Our Undergraduate Program Offer?

Kelsey NorrisOne of our English majors, Kelsey Norris (pictured left), has been selected to be a participant in the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Faculty member Donald Shaffer is a graduate of this program, which is designed to introduce traditionally under-represented students to professional opportunities in academia.

Among the many incentives that the program has offered Kelsey, her appointment as a SROP Fellow comes with a stipend of $3,500, including all living and travel expenses. She will be working with Dr. Christopher Freeburg of the English Department at Urbana. In addition to working on a research project that was part of her application and having the chance to present her research in a public conference during the summer, Kelsey has also been invited to participate in the GRE Institute to prepare for the exam.

 

Sara AltenhoffSara Altenhoff (pictured, right) has been offered a paid internship at Kyungpook National University's International Writing Center in Daegu, South Korea. KNU's writing center is the first writing center in South Korea.

Another of our students, Ann Hamilton McGuire, has been selected for a competitive editorial internship at Mississippi Magazine.

Our Chris Ellzey was chosen for the Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Research Award (Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Undergraduate Research Award) of $400 for “Immigrant Perspectives of Life and Language Acquisition in Rural Mississippi.” 

Graduating senior Marianna Prather was awarded First Prize in the University Gender Studies Essay Contest (Undergraduate Division) for her paper entitled "Traffic in Women and Fruit: Sexual Control in Christina Rossetti’s 'Goblin Market.'"

In addition to these awards, for which our students competed with a range of outside applicants, our students have the opportunity to compete for a number of awards and scholarships within the department annually.

Some of Our Recent Student Successes

Mag Herbert (pictured below), received a significant scholarship from South Carolina’s Law School (2010).

Mag Herbert, class of 2010

Our English Majors have been accepted into law schools such as Alabama, Tulane, Ole Miss, University of Memphis, Mississippi College, LSU, University of Missouri and South Carolina.

Other 2010 graduates receiving significant graduate scholarships include Brigid Welsh (University of Memphis) and Erica Cain (Vanderbilt).

Post-Graduation Plans for
our 2011 English Majors

Ralph Taylor may be making the most creative use of his degree. He will be Chef-intern under Executive Chef, David Schnell, at Greenbriar Hills Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. He will be working toward certification as, first, a line cook and then a Sous Chef.

Marianna Prather will be pursuing an MA degree in public policy at the Stennis Institute at Mississippi State. This summer she will be an intern at University Press in Jackson, MS.

Caroline Baker, Jordan Lashley, and Kiley Sullivan have been accepted and offered graduate assistantships to our MA program in English.

Jessica Porter has been awarded a teaching assistantship and full tuition to Alabama’s MA program in English.

Myles Cryer has been awarded a teaching assistantship and full tuition to Auburn’s MA program in Professional Writing.

Ben Floyd will attend the Reformed Theological Seminary in the Fall where he will be taking part in the Marriage and Family Therapy degree program.

Laura Craig has accepted a job with the Republican National Committee as a college representative/recruiter.

Daniel Wynn has accepted an internship with Congressman Nunnelee’s Office in Washington, D.C.

Pursuing the Alternate Route to Teaching are Kathryn Long (in Mississippi) and Kendra Martin (in Texas).

*William Wordsworth, "Lines Composed Above Tintern Abbey"