Graduate Faculty
Thomas Anderson
Professor
Interim Dean, Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Arts & Sciences
- Ph.D. 2002 Vanderbilt University
- M.A. 2000 Vanderbilt University
- M.A. 1998 Pennsylvania State University
- B.A. 1990 English Literature, History, Vanderbilt University
Shakespeare, Critical Theory, Early Modern British Literature
Thomas Anderson specializes in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century British literature, especially drama from Shakespeare and his contemporaries. He teaches undergraduate and... more
Ted Atkinson
Associate Professor
Editor of the Mississippi Quarterly
2010 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. 2001 Louisiana State University
- M.A. 1996 Mississippi College
- B.A. 1990 University of Mississippi
Southern studies; U.S. literature, 1900-present
Ted Atkinson joined the MSU faculty in 2009 and has served as editor of Mississippi Quarterly since 2012. His areas of research and teaching interest include southern studies... more
Ander Beristain-Murillo
Assistant Professor
2515 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2022
- M.A. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2018
- B.A. University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 2016
Hispanic Linguistics, Romance Linguistics, Basque Linguistics, Phonetics, Phonology, Second and Heritage Language Acquisition, Statistical Methods for Linguistics
Ander specializes in articulatory and acoustic phonetics, bilingual phonologies, and second and heritage language acquisition. His goal is to advance the knowledge of the... more
Lourdes Cardozo Gaibisso
Assistant Professor
2503 Lee Hall
- Ph.D., Language and Literacy Education, University of Georgia
Systemic functional linguistics, science literacy for minoritized populations, culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies, and TESOL
Lourdes specializes in systemic functional linguistics, science literacy for minoritized populations, culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies, and TESOL. Her... more
Shalyn Claggett
Associate Professor
Director of Graduate Studies
2505 Lee Hall
662-325-2357
- Ph.D. 2005 Vanderbilt University
- M.A. 2001 Vanderbilt University
- B.A. 2000 Truman State University
Nineteenth-century British literature, literary theory, science and literature
Shalyn Claggett teaches courses on nineteenth-century British literature and literary theory. Her book Equal Natures: Popular Brain Science and Victorian Women's Writing (... more
Peter DeGabriele
Associate Professor
269-C Allen
- Ph.D. 2009 The University at Buffalo-SUNY
- M.A. 2006 The University at Buffalo-SUNY
- B.A. 2002 The Australian National University
Eighteenth-Century British Literature; Literary Theory
Peter DeGabriele specialises in the study of eighteenth century literature and culture, with a particular emphasis on the relation between literary texts and the political... more
Lara Dodds
Professor
2304 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. 2004 Brown University
- A.M. 1999 Brown University
- B.A. 1997 DePauw University
Milton, Early Modern British Literature, Early Modern Women’s Writing, Research Methods
Lara Dodds specializes in seventeenth-century literature, with a particular focus on Milton and on early modern women’s writing. She teaches undergraduate and graduate... more
Becky Hagenston
Professor
2006 Lee Hall
- M.F.A., University of Arizona, 1997
- M.A., New Mexico State University, 2000
- B.A., Elizabethtown College, 1989
Creative writing, fiction
Becky Hagenston grew up in Maryland and received her MFA from the University of Arizona and her MA from New Mexico State. She is the author of four award-winning story... more
Holly Johnson
Professor
2005 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. 2001 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- M.A. 1989 The University of Maryland
- B.A. 1987 The University of Maryland
Old and Middle English Literature
Holly Johnson teaches courses in medieval English literature and specializes in late medieval sermons. Her recent volume, The Grammar of Good Friday: Macaronic Sermons of... more
Michael Kardos
Professor
Co-Director of Creative Writing Editor of Jabberwock Review
- Ph.D. 2007 University of Missouri
- M.F.A. 2003 The Ohio State University
- B.A. 1992 Princeton University
Creative writing, fiction, 20th/21st century American literature
Michael Kardos co-directs the creative writing program at Mississippi State. He is the author of the novels Bluff, Before He Finds Her and The Three-Day Affair , an Esquire... more
Matthew Little
Associate Professor
2510 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. 1975 University of Chicago
- M.A. 1972 University of Chicago
- B.A. 1971 University of California at Berkeley
American literature, Legal writing
Matthew Little received his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1971, his M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1972, and his Ph.D. from the University of... more
Meg Marquardt
Assistant Professor
Lee Hall 2007
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Composition and Rhetoric
M.A., University of Nebraska-Omaha, English Studies
M.A., Johns Hopkins University, Science Writing
B.S., Creighton University, Physics
Rhetoric of Science, Technical and Professional Writing, Writing with Sound
Meg Marquardt studies the way science is used to make arguments. She has spent time in labs, as a science journalist, and as a technical editor for the U.S. Geological Survey... more
Kelly Marsh
Professor
Faculty Associate, Center for Teaching and Learning Mississippi State University
2504 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. 1997 The Pennsylvania State University
- M.A. 1993 The Pennsylvania State University
- B.A. 1990 Dartmouth College
Contemporary literature, the British and Irish novel since 1900, women and literature, narrative theory
Kelly Marsh teaches courses on British and Irish literature since 1900, contemporary literature, women’s literature, and narrative theory. She is a Faculty Associate with... more
Elizabeth Miller
Assistant Professor
270-D Allen
- Ph.D. University of Maryland, College Park. 2016.
- M.A. University of Alabama. 2011.
- B.A. Mississippi College. 2009.
Rhetorical history and theory, digital rhetoric, and academic writing.
Elizabeth Miller’s research interests include rhetorical history and theory, public writing, and genre studies. Her current book project examines civil rights mass meetings,... more
Bonnie O'Neill
Associate Professor
2508 Lee Hall
- Ph. D., 2003, Washington University in St. Louis
- MA, 1997, Washington University in St. Louis
- BA, 1995, Hamilton College
Early American literature, nineteenth-century American literature, American women writers, American culture studies
Dr. Bonnie Carr O’Neill teaches early American literature and nineteenth-century American literature. Her research focuses on nineteenth-century American literature and... more
Catherine Pierce
Professor
Co-Director of Creative Writing
- Ph.D., University of Missouri, 2007
- M.F.A., The Ohio State University, 2003
- B.A., Susquehanna University, 2000
Creative Writing, poetry, 20th and 21st Century American literature
Catherine Pierce co-directs MSU's creative writing program and teaches classes in creative writing and American literature. She is the author of four books of poems: Danger... more
Ginger Pizer
Associate Professor
Director of Undergraduate Studies
2305 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. 2008 University of Texas at Austin
- M.A. 2002 University of Texas at Austin
- B.A. 1994 Brown University
Linguistics, sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology
Ginger Pizer teaches courses in linguistics and linguistic anthropology. Her research combines approaches from sociolinguistics and first language acquisition to investigate... more
Daniel Punday
Professor
Head of the Department of English
2004 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. 1995 The Pennsylvania State University
- M.A. 1990 The Pennsylvania State University
- B.A. 1988 University of Pittsburgh
contemporary American Literature, literary theory
Dan Punday began his service as Head of the Department of English at Mississippi State University in July, 2016. He has previously served as Head of the Department of English... more
Donald Shaffer
Associate Professor
Director, African American Studies
- Ph.D. The University of Chicago
African American literature
Dr. Donald Shaffer holds a joint appointment to the English Department and the African American Studies Program. more
Megan Smith
Assistant Professor
2502 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. Second Language Studies, Michigan State University, 2016
- M.A. Applied Linguistics, Texas Tech University, 2012
- B.A. New York University, Linguistics and East Asian Studies, 2007
Second language acquisition, linguistics, psycholinguistics, language teaching methods
Megan Smith is a linguist with an interest in second language (L2) acquisition, and particularly in L2 syntax and psycholinguistics. Her research focuses on whether non-... more
Andrea Spain
Associate Professor
2506 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. 2009 University at Buffalo, Comparative Literature
- M.A. 2004 University at Buffalo, Comparative Literature
- M.A. 2000 Colorado State University, English
- B.A. 1994 Colorado State University, English
Postcolonial Literature, World Literature, Critical Theory, Film
Andrea Spain specializes in late twentieth-century and contemporary postcolonial literature, with a focus on post-apartheid South African Literature and culture. She teaches... more
Dhanashree Thorat
Assistant Professor
2310 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. 2017 University of Florida
- M.A. 2013 University of Florida
- B.A. 2011 Kennesaw State University
Post-doctoral research: Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities, University of Kansas.
Ethnic Literature and Digital Humanities
Dhanashree Thorat situates her research at the intersection of Asian American Studies, Postcolonial Studies, and Digital Humanities. Broadly, she examines how colonial and... more
Eric Vivier
Associate Professor
Faculty Fellow, Shackouls Honors College
2002 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. 2014 University of Wisconsin-Madison
- MA 2007 University of Wisconsin-Madison
- AB 2005 Duke University
Shakespeare, Early Modern Literature, Satire
Eric Vivier specializes in early modern English literature, with a particular focus on satire. He teaches classes on Shakespeare, early British literature, and the Honors “... more
Jervette Ward
Associate Professor
269-B Allen
- Ph.D., University of Memphis
African American Literature, Contemporary Cultural Studies, Media Studies, and Women’s Literature
Dr. Jervette R. Ward is the editor of Real Sister: Stereotypes, Respectability, and Black Women in Reality TV (Rutgers University Press, November 2015). Her research and... more
Robert West
Professor
2008 Lee Hall
- Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- M.A. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- B.A. Wake Forest University
American, British, and Irish literature after 1900
Robert West is the editor of The Complete Poems of A. R. Ammons, published by Norton.Robert West (B.A., Wake Forest; M.A., Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill... more