English Department | English Department

Go English!

Here at the ECU Department of English, we are a vibrant and energetic collection of teachers, scholars, researchers, and writers. Our department offers four degrees: a B.A. in English; a B.S. in Professional Writing and Information Design; an M.A. in English; a Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Writing, and Professional Communication as well as various minors and certificates. The diversity of this department is one of its strengths: you can take coursework in literature, creative writing, technical and professional communication, rhetoric and composition, multicultural and transnational literatures, linguistics, theory and criticism, folklore, children’s literature, teaching English to speakers of other languages, and film studies. In addition, you can expect to benefit from a breadth of faculty expertise across many areas of study. Above all, your success as a student is our first priority.

English News

ECU Students Recognized with W. Keats Sparrow Writing Awards

Three East Carolina University students have been recognized for excellence in research and writing through the W. Keats Sparrow Writing Award, which honors outstanding work by students in ECU’s English 1100 and 2201 composition courses. Out of 52 submissions, three students were selected for their effective use of ECU library resources in their research. First […]

English Faculty and Students Present at Carolinas WPA Conference

Eight members of the ECU English Department attended the Carolinas Writing Program Administrators’ 19th Fall Conference, “Going Analog: Offline and Unplugged,” over Fall Break (Oct. 5 – Oct. 6), with five members of the group presenting their work. The ECU contingent included faculty members Tracy Morse, Wendy Sharer, Kim Thompson, Abby Morris, and Kelly Miller, […]

University Writing Center Welcomes Three New Assistant Directors

The University Writing Center (UWC) welcomes three new assistant directors for the Fall 2026 semester, including its first-ever Undergraduate Assistant Director. PhD students Nandi-Tiye Mainer and Rachael Whitehouse, both pursuing degrees in Writing, Rhetoric, and Professional Communication, join the UWC as Graduate Assistant Directors, while Axel Snyder makes history as the center’s first Undergraduate Assistant […]

2025–2026 Bertie Fearing GTA Teaching Award Recipients

The Department of English is pleased to recognize PhD student Ernestina Akorli (2028) and MA graduate (S’26) Zeb Demorest as the 2025–2026 recipients of the Bertie Fearing Award for Excellence in Teaching for GTAs! Akorli, a PhD student in Rhetoric, Writing, and Professional Communication, has found teaching to be an integral part of her graduate […]

Banks Named 2026 NCTE LGBTQIA+ Advocacy and Leadership Award Recipient

Dr. Will Banks, Professor and Director of ECU’s University Writing Program, has been named the recipient of the 2026 NCTE LGBTQIA+ Advocacy and Leadership Award. NCTE presents the award to recognize members of the LGBTQIA+ community who make significant contributions to NCTE and the professional community through service, scholarship, and work supporting the advancement of […]

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