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.

Please take a moment to visit our Department Calendar at the bottom of the page.

Department Highlights

Sarah Wray Wins Undergraduate Advising Award

Undergraduate Advisor Sarah Wray won one of only six university-wide Outstanding Undergraduate Advising Awards for 2011-12. Each year, the Provost's Office solicits nominations for USF's most excellent undergraduate teachers and advisors, and Sarah is greatly deserving of this honor. We're very lucky to have her!

English Earns Recognition as Good Return on College Investment

In a recent Salary.com article highlighting the "8 College Degrees That Will Earn Your Money Back," English is listed among the eight degrees. While we already knew about the many advantages of an English degree, this article supports the usefulness and earning potential of the degree. The article mentions some of the common jobs held by English majors: speech writer, communications manager, and content manager. We would add to that list numerous other jobs, which can be found on our webpage for undergraduates, Why Major in English?

Nancy Morriss Receives Staff Award

Prof. Ylce Irizarry, Nancy Morriss, Yvonne Frank

Undergraduate Program Specialist Nancy Morriss was surprised Tuesday by a visit from USF Staff Senate Quiet Quality Award Chair Yvonne Frank, who came to the department to present Nancy with a Quiet Quality Award. Nancy was nominated by faculty member Ylce Irizarry. The award is given to selected university staff members for demonstrating conscientiousness, professionalism, a positive attitude, excellent work performance, and teamwork. We are proud to have Nancy as part of our staff!

Sipiora's Film Expertise Makes News

Sipiora, second from left. Photo by Bobby Blish.

Professor Phillip Sipiora's effort to get students involved in local filmmaking is the subject of a USF News piece, reported by Barbara Melendez. The article discusses Sipiora's ties to the Gasparilla International Film Festival, his role in getting USF students involved in production, and the unique benefits of local filmmaking.

MFA Program Takes on 15 Views of Tampa Bay

USF's MFA students, alumni, and faculty, along with other local writers, are the authors of 15 Views of Tampa Bay, a new addition to Burrow Press’s 15 Views Series. Series editor Nathan Holic explains, "One author kicks off the sequence with a ~1,000 word story set somewhere in the Tampa Bay area. The next 14 authors must choose a new location to set their story, and include an image, character, plotline (or some kind of connection) to a story that came before theirs. All 15 installments will appear weekly, on Tuesdays, on the Burrow Press Review." USF professor John Henry Fleming is the Tampa Bay editor. His introduction starts off the series and can be read here. Tampa Bay Times's Book Editor, Colette Bancroft, recently published a piece about the online book. Follow the series, which covers well-known and perhaps unknown areas of Tampa Bay and includes such titles as "The End," "Phillippe's Ghost," and "Dog Hater."

Sukrungruang Wins Anita Scharf Award

Ira Sukrungruang

Creative Writing Professor Ira Sukrungruang has been named first winner of the Anita Claire Scharf Award from Tampa Review. His book of poetry, In Thailand It Is Night, will be published in Spring 2013 by the University of Tampa Press and the poet will be invited to read on the University of Tampa campus after the book is published next year.

The Anita Claire Scharf Award is given to support publication of a book of poetry submitted to the annual Tampa Review Prize competition that significantly exemplifies the interrelatedness of visual and verbal art and the interconnections of global culture. The award is named in honor of the founding editorial assistant, and later associate and contributing editor, of Tampa Review who helped define the aesthetic and global values that are part of the journal’s mission.

Creative Writing Alum Publishes Art Book

"Boxing Shoes from Barrett Nabuurs Gym"

USF alumnus Tim Fitts (BA, 1994) recently published a book of photography, 46-45 Verandering, through the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. The publication was part of the Commmotion Project, a public art project funded by the university. The book "contains images of objects, textures, structural icons and screen-print designs from the Commotion neighborhoods," and Fitts's photographs "are informed by the history of the project area as well as the stories shared by community participants." Learn more about the project and the book by visiting the project's website.

Fundraising Challenge!

We are grateful to Stacy Parker DeRaps, USF alumna and former creative writing student, who has donated $2100 from The Brian G. DeRaps Memorial Foundation in memory of her husband. $100 of her donation is to be used now; the remaining $2000 will be placed in a USF Foundation account, where it will be used in years to come to help fund our Florida-themed literary magazine, Saw Palm. Stacy challenges anyone interested in supporting great writing in Florida to add to this donation. Any amount helps and will be greatly appreciated!