Summer/Fall 2005 Edition
Volume 6, Number 2

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The Department of English Welcomes New Faculty

The Department of English is excited to announce the addition of four new professors to our teaching roster. Stacy Boyd, Nina Leacock, Margaret Mitchell, and Alison Umminger bring with them their expertise in fields such as African American Literature, British Literature, and Creative Writing. Here's a more in-depth look into their backgrounds, studies, and interests.

Stacy Boyd received his M.A. in English from West Georgia and went on to complete an interdisciplinary degree from Emory University where he studied American and African American Literature specializing in the African American Novel. He also earned a certificate in Women's Studies. Boyd is presently working on his dissertation entitled "Black Men Worshipping: Intersecting Anxieties of Race, Gender, and Christian Embodiment." Aside from his scholarly pursuits, Boyd spends his time teaching aerobics and caring for his "prissy lady greyhound named 'Hey Celestial.'" Boyd notes, "I'm very honored to be able to be part of such an able department which encouraged me to pursue a PhD. I hope to be able to provide my students with challenging, rigorous courses in African American Literature and Women's Studies."

Nina Leacock grew up in Iowa, later living in California and Germany. She earned her Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of California, Irvine. Her dissertation, '"Wild Manner': Character in the Novel of the Romantic Era," focused on novels by Jane Austen and Goethe. She is presently working on translations of Aristotle into English and German in the eighteenth century. A lover of outdoor sports such as hiking and rock climbing, Leacock spends a lot of her time in the Sierras in California.

Margaret Mitchell comes to us from a rural part of New York near the Canadian border. She obtained her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. Mitchell is the co-editor of the journal LIT: Literature Interpretation Theory. Her collection of short stories, "Northern Lights: River Stories," was a finalist for the 2004 Ohio State University Short Fiction Award and was recently named a finalist for the Eastern Washington University Press's Spokane Prize. Her publications include a short story in the literary magazine Blueline and an article on George Gissing in Women's Studies. A second article on Gissing will soon appear in Studies in the Novel. Mitchell adds, "I very much admire the way this department combines a profound and genuine concern for the students with high standards and academic rigor."

Alison Umminger is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, but grew up in Arlington, Virginia. She has also lived in Boston, London, Missouri, and Indiana. Umminger earned her M.F.A. in fiction writing and her Ph.D. in 20th-Century American Literature from Indiana University. Her novel, Flyover States, will be published by Red Dress Ink in May 2005. Outside of school, Umminger's interests include ballet and the occasional poker game.