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 experience. Alongside her work as a GTA, she has pursued research in critical discourse analysis, rhetoric, Black feminism, and AI and digital literacy practices, with particular attention to issues affecting marginalized communities and contemporary literacies within her Ghanaian community. She has also presented at conferences and served as a Graduate Student Representative on the Graduate Committee. Reflecting on the recognition, Akorli said, “It’s an honor to have been nominated for this recognition,” adding, “I’m grateful to the selection committee for recognizing my work.” She also expressed her appreciation for the department’s “support and encouragement.” 

Demorest, who earned his MA from ECU in 2026, is now a PhD student in Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on social media rhetorics, particularly TikTok and its algorithm, and his MA work explored topics including algospeak in mental health and self-harm communities on TikTok, the circulation of the “God Bless the USA” Bible across social media spaces, and Black Feminist and Indigenous rhetorics. He is also interested in trauma-informed writing pedagogy, creative nonfiction and fiction writing, and hip-hop rhetorics. Looking back on his time in the graduate program, Demorest said, “Teaching was the work I needed to do,” describing it as “the most fulfilling part” of his graduate experience.  

Congratulations to Ernestina and Zeb!