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Department of English

The faculty, staff, and students welcome you to the USF English department. We offer broad study in literature, rhetoric and composition, and creative writing on both the undergraduate and graduate levels, with classes taught by our distinguished faculty. The links to the left will navigate you through this site.

Department Highlights

TA class

President Genshaft & Vice Provost Smith present the award.

Outstanding Staff Award

Deedra Hickman, Manager of Fiscal & Business Administration for the English Department, was one of only 40 recipients university-wide to receive the award this year. USF's Outstanding Staff Award is a prestigious award that recognizes the outstanding acheivements of university staff. Ms. Hickman is highly deserving of this honor for her endless contributions to the department, and we congratulate her!

Provost's Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Teaching Assistant

Congratulations to the department's three award-winning TAs: Ann Basso, Ashley Donnelly, and Taylor Mitchell. All three students are working toward their doctoral degree in literature. The Provost's Award is a prestigious annual award that recognizes excellence in teaching by a graduate students. Ten students university-wide are chosen as recipients of the award. We are delighted that this year three of the award winners are from the English department.

Spring Awards Ceremony

Congratulations to all of this year's winners! To watch a video slideshow from the event, click here.

Creative Writing Award Winners and Finalists

H.S. Primm Carlton: Winner of Thomas E. Sanders Scholarship in Creative Writing
Winnona Elson Pasquini: Winner of Estelle J. Zbar Poetry Contest for “A Wedding in Cana,” and Bettye Newman Poetry Award for “I Open the Window While Listening to La Boheme”
Brenda Peynado: Winner of Anspaugh Fiction Award for “Tulips on Dirt”
Michael P. Phelps: Winner of Anspaugh Science Fiction Contest for “Quantum Suicide”
Daniel Purificato: Winner of Hirshberg Scholarship in Creative Writing
Josef Benson: Finalist for Bettye Newman Poetry Award for “Parrots, Dogs, and Dragons”
Josue Marrero: Finalist for Estelle J. Zbar Poetry Contest for “Chlorophyllus”
Kyle McKinney: Finalist for Bettye Newman Poetry Award for “An island is soon to fall off the map”
Daniel Purificato: Finalist for Estelle J. Zbar Poetry Contest for “Found a Gun in the Woods, Empty”

Graduate Award Winners

Ann Basso: Winner of Irving H. Rubin and Mollie M. Rubin Award for Outstanding Graduate Student
Bob Batchelor: Winner of Dorothy Newman Linton Award for Academic Promise
Cameron Hunt-Logan: John Iorio Award for Outstanding Graduate Student
Patrick McGowan: Winner of Estelle J. Zbar Award for Teaching & Academic Excellence in English and Irving Deer Memorial Scholarship
Taylor Joy Mitchell: Winner of Joseph Bentley Teaching Fellowship Winner and Jack B. Moore Memorial Scholarship
Daisy Pignetti: Winner of Alice Hearne Scholarship for Outstanding Doctoral Candidate and Alma Bryant Award for Outstanding Graduate Student
Ginna Wilkerson: Winner of Harry S. Newman Award for Academic Promise

MFA Degree

We are thrilled to introduce the newest addition to our graduate degree programs, the Master of Fine Arts. For detailed information on the program and admissions information, visit the MFA program page.