Central Washington University - English Department: Undergraduates

English Alumni News and Notes

2009-2010 Updates

Jeremy Vetter has been accepted in the MFA program at the University of Idaho. He started this Fall.

Lucas Peters received a post starting this Fall at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. For at least the next two years he will be teaching English Composition and Public Speaking courses. The University hosted the UCLA Fulbright Program this summer. Before going to Morocco Lucas was employed as an editor for Business Wire, doing freelance edition, and volunteering as a tutor.

Jeff Lane has been accepted for an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He started this Fall.

Shannon Wilson is working on her Ph.D. in English, with funding, at Texas A&M. She is a T.A. and has an essay coming out this year in a collection on Sandra Cisneros. She is also co-president of EGSA at Texas A&M.

Eric Chandler is working on his Ph.D. in English at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Sean Armstrong is completing his Ph.D. in Composition and TESOL at Indiana University.

Mark Holbrook is completing his Ph.D. in Composition and TESOL at Indiana University.

Chris Rose is the Office Manager for TRIO at Portland State University, and also working as an instructor and tutor at Portland CC. This Fall he started at PSU to earn an MA in Education with a focus on Higher Ed Administration and Student Affairs.

Julie Swedin and Mary Dahlin are teaching at YVCC.

Alison Powell is working in Human Resources in Kent, WA.

Matt Huett is teaching at the secondary level in Oregon.

John Enrico is teaching in China.

David Stellman was teaching at a Community College in Austin, Texas.

Bob Cutler is teaching in Taiwan.

Jessica Durgan and Gary Rees got married last summer. Jessica is in her fourth year of the doctoral degree in English at Texas A&M and getting ready to file the dissertation proposal. She is taking a year off teaching and is instead working at a Journal published by A&M entitled The World Shakespeare Bibliography. She is also organizing a conference entitled The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century British Women Writers Conference. She had an article on Jane Austen film adaptations published in the on-line Jane Austen journal Persuasions. She continues to go to conferences, the most recent of which is on Jonathan Swift and Thing Theory, upcoming at the national MLA in Philadelphia in December. Gary continues to pursue his Ph.D. in English at the University of Houston. He has finished his preliminary exams and beginning to work on his dissertation. He presented a paper on Faulkner and the Cold War at the Society of the Study of Southern Literature conference in 2008.

Amanda Ross, Lissa Richardson and Tye Robinson are all teaching at Heritage University, thanks to the efforts of Paulus Pimomo.

Dustin Sander is doing his student teaching in Washington State. He and his wife are expecting another baby and Dustin is thinking of applying to Ph.D. programs for 2010.

Jasen Nickels got married and lives with his wife in Berlin. Several of his translations (from German to English) appear in The Journal (http://thejrnl.com) and he also teaches TEFL in Germany.

Octaviano Gutierrez is finishing his Teaching Certificate at CWU this quarter and getting ready to join the workforce.

Melissa Johnson presented a paper at SOURCE. She was accepted for a Ph.D. program in New Zealand, but at the last minute visa issues cropped up. The plan is not completely abandoned, however.

Sylvia Shriner is teaching in the AUAP program on campus.

Janine Bator is teaching at YVCC and CWU, and also working on a B.A. in History at Central. She is considering applying for a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Irish Studies.

Nate Schornak has joined the army and been deployed.

Update 10/22/08

Susan Johnson (M.A. English Teaching 1998) has been named Washington State Teacher of the Year. She teaches English at Cle Elum-Roslyn High School and is a co-director of the Central Washington Writing Project at CWU.

Update 10/8/08

Scott Klepach (B.A. English 2004, M.A. English 2006) has a full-time teaching position at Yakima Valley Community College. His novella Back to This Land was published by Inkwater Books in 2007

Melissa Green (M.A. English 2005) has been Director of the Upward Bound grant program at Yakima Valley Community College since January, 2006.

Updates 2007-2008

Anne Bahde (M.A. English 2007) is working as head of special collections at San Diego State University.

Aaron Baker (B.A. English 1994; M.A. English 1997) received the 2007 Bakeless Poetry Prize for his collection Mission Work. After leaving CWU, he received an MFA from the University of Virginia and was a Wallace Stegner Fellow in Creative Writing at Stanford University. He currently teaches literature and writing at James Madison University.

Miriam Bocchetti (M.A. English 2006) is now the Director of the CAMP program on campus.

Eric Benson (M.A. English 2007) is working as a high school teacher.

Janalynn Bliss (B.A. English 2000) recently visited campus. She has completed an MFA at the University of Southern California and is currently teaching in their Writing program.

Prairie Brown (M.A. English 2004) has been appointed as the Writing Consultant for the CWU Des Moines Center. She will be in charge of the Writing Center at Des Moines.

Corey Dosch (M.A. English 2005) is in the doctoral program at Syracuse, and has won a fellowship from the English department there to attend the School of Criticism and Theory at Cornell University this summer.

Kiffen Dosch (B.A. English 2003, M.A. English 2005) has a teaching position in the Writing Program at Syracuse.

Jessica Durgan (M.A. English 2006) is working on her doctoral degree at Texas A&M. Her article "Framing Heritage: The Role of Cinematography in Pride & Prejudice" appeared in the journal Persuasions for Summer, 2007.

Debbie Lee (M.A. English 1991) is a Professor of English at Washington State University.

Katherine Mason (B.A. English 1993; M.A. English 1995) is an Attorney in Seattle.

Ryan Minch is working as a writer for a software company, preparing marketing materials, website content, documentation, and press releases.

Lucas Peters (M.A. English 2007) is working as a tutor in San Francisco and applying to the University of San Francisco to get a teaching M.A.

Gary Rees (M.A. English 2005) was offered a teaching position with the Houston Learning Academy (a private high school) during the summer break from his Ph.D program at University of Houston.

Jennifer Settle (M.A. English 2007) works for World Vision (an NGO out of Washington, D.C.). She recently got married and returned to Ellensburg, working long-distance for World Vision. She is considering applying to our non-tenure-track pool or for high school positions next year.

Amber Vargas (M.A. TESOL 2007) is now working at the Yakima Public Library

Mary Kay Wegner (B.A. 1988) is Director of Information Technology Services at Renton Technical College.

Shannon Wilson (M.A. English 2007) is working on her doctoral degree at Texas A&M.

Back to English Department Undergraduate Program How to Apply Departmental Honors Undergraduate Degrees English Language and Literature Major English Major: Writing Specialization English/Language Arts Teaching Major English Language and Literature Minor English/Language Arts Teaching Minor Creative Writing Minor		English Alumni News and Notes 2009-2010 Updates Jeremy Vetter has been accepted in the MFA program at the University of Idaho. He started this Fall. Lucas Peters received a post starting this Fall at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. For at least the next two years he will be teaching English Composition and Public Speaking courses. The University hosted the UCLA Fulbright Program this summer. Before going to Morocco Lucas was employed as an editor for Business Wire, doing freelance edition, and volunteering as a tutor. Jeff Lane has been accepted for an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He started this Fall. Shannon Wilson is working on her Ph.D. in English, with funding, at Texas A&M. She is a T.A. and has an essay coming out this year in a collection on Sandra Cisneros. She is also co-president of EGSA at Texas A&M. Eric Chandler is working on his Ph.D. in English at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Sean Armstrong is completing his Ph.D. in Composition and TESOL at Indiana University. Mark Holbrook is completing his Ph.D. in Composition and TESOL at Indiana University. Chris Rose is the Office Manager for TRIO at Portland State University, and also working as an instructor and tutor at Portland CC. This Fall he started at PSU to earn an MA in Education with a focus on Higher Ed Administration and Student Affairs. Julie Swedin and Mary Dahlin are teaching at YVCC. Alison Powell is working in Human Resources in Kent, WA. Matt Huett is teaching at the secondary level in Oregon. John Enrico is teaching in China. David Stellman was teaching at a Community College in Austin, Texas. Bob Cutler is teaching in Taiwan. Jessica Durgan and Gary Rees got married last summer. Jessica is in her fourth year of the doctoral degree in English at Texas A&M and getting ready to file the dissertation proposal. She is taking a year off teaching and is instead working at a Journal published by A&M entitled The World Shakespeare Bibliography. She is also organizing a conference entitled The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century British Women Writers Conference. She had an article on Jane Austen film adaptations published in the on-line Jane Austen journal *Persuasions. She continues to go to conferences, the most recent of which is on Jonathan Swift and Thing Theory, upcoming at the national MLA in Philadelphia in December. Gary continues to pursue his Ph.D. in English at the University of Houston. He has finished his preliminary exams and beginning to work on his dissertation. He presented a paper on Faulkner and the Cold War at the Society of the Study of Southern Literature* conference in 2008. Amanda Ross, Lissa Richardson and Tye Robinson are all teaching at Heritage University, thanks to the efforts of Paulus Pimomo. Dustin Sander is doing his student teaching in Washington State. He and his wife are expecting another baby and Dustin is thinking of applying to Ph.D. programs for 2010. Jasen Nickels got married and lives with his wife in Berlin. Several of his translations (from German to English) appear in The Journal (http://thejrnl.com) and he also teaches TEFL in Germany. Octaviano Gutierrez is finishing his Teaching Certificate at CWU this quarter and getting ready to join the workforce. Melissa Johnson presented a paper at SOURCE. She was accepted for a Ph.D. program in New Zealand, but at the last minute visa issues cropped up. The plan is not completely abandoned, however. Sylvia Shriner is teaching in the AUAP program on campus. Janine Bator is teaching at YVCC and CWU, and also working on a B.A. in History at Central. She is considering applying for a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Irish Studies. Nate Schornak has joined the army and been deployed. Update 10/22/08 Susan Johnson (M.A. English Teaching 1998) has been named Washington State Teacher of the Year. She teaches English at Cle Elum-Roslyn High School and is a co-director of the Central Washington Writing Project at CWU. Update 10/8/08 Scott Klepach (B.A. English 2004, M.A. English 2006) has a full-time teaching position at Yakima Valley Community College. His novella Back to This Land was published by Inkwater Books in 2007 Melissa Green (M.A. English 2005) has been Director of the Upward Bound grant program at Yakima Valley Community College since January, 2006. Updates 2007-2008 Anne Bahde (M.A. English 2007) is working as head of special collections at San Diego State University. Aaron Baker (B.A. English 1994; M.A. English 1997) received the 2007 Bakeless Poetry Prize for his collection Mission Work. After leaving CWU, he received an MFA from the University of Virginia and was a Wallace Stegner Fellow in Creative Writing at Stanford University. He currently teaches literature and writing at James Madison University. Miriam Bocchetti (M.A. English 2006) is now the Director of the CAMP program on campus. Eric Benson (M.A. English 2007) is working as a high school teacher. Janalynn Bliss (B.A. English 2000) recently visited campus. She has completed an MFA at the University of Southern California and is currently teaching in their Writing program. Prairie Brown (M.A. English 2004) has been appointed as the Writing Consultant for the CWU Des Moines Center. She will be in charge of the Writing Center at Des Moines. Corey Dosch (M.A. English 2005) is in the doctoral program at Syracuse, and has won a fellowship from the English department there to attend the School of Criticism and Theory at Cornell University this summer. Kiffen Dosch (B.A. English 2003, M.A. English 2005) has a teaching position in the Writing Program at Syracuse. Jessica Durgan (M.A. English 2006) is working on her doctoral degree at Texas A&M. Her article "Framing Heritage: The Role of Cinematography in Pride & Prejudice" appeared in the journal Persuasions for Summer, 2007. Debbie Lee (M.A. English 1991) is a Professor of English at Washington State University. Katherine Mason (B.A. English 1993; M.A. English 1995) is an Attorney in Seattle. Ryan Minch is working as a writer for a software company, preparing marketing materials, website content, documentation, and press releases. Lucas Peters (M.A. English 2007) is working as a tutor in San Francisco and applying to the University of San Francisco to get a teaching M.A. Gary Rees (M.A. English 2005) was offered a teaching position with the Houston Learning Academy (a private high school) during the summer break from his Ph.D program at University of Houston. Jennifer Settle (M.A. English 2007) works for World Vision (an NGO out of Washington, D.C.). She recently got married and returned to Ellensburg, working long-distance for World Vision. She is considering applying to our non-tenure-track pool or for high school positions next year. Amber Vargas (M.A. TESOL 2007) is now working at the Yakima Public Library Mary Kay Wegner (B.A. 1988) is Director of Information Technology Services at Renton Technical College. Shannon Wilson (M.A. English 2007) is working on her doctoral degree at Texas A&M. Donate online to the Department of English Scholarship Endowment or the Department of English Fund for Excellence
Contact Information English Department 400 E. University Way Language and Literature Building, Room 423 Ellensburg, WA 98926 Phone: (509) 963-1546

2009-2010 Updates

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