Cara Hairston

Teaching Instructor
Old Cafeteria Building G312
252-328-2374
hairstonca24@ecu.edu

About

Cara Hairston is a writer with specialties in screenwriting features and shorts as well as stage plays. Her genres of choice are horror/psychological thrillers and comedy. She is also interested in linguistics, film studies, and media communications. Ms. Hairston is the recipient of the Bertie E. Fearing Award for Excellence in Teaching (2020-2021) and the Richard Bland College of William & Mary Faculty Excellence Award (2023-2024). She has also received numerous screenwriting placements including finalist in the New York City International Screenplay Awards (2023) and semifinalist in Outstanding Screenplays Shorts Competition (2024), Richmond International Film Festival Screenplay Competition (2024), and Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenwriting Season 5 and others.

Education

• B.A. in English, East Carolina University
• M.A. in English (Creative Writing), East Carolina University
• TESOL, East Carolina University

Research Interests

• Generational Trauma in Black Women
• Creative Writing in First-Year Composition
• Film Theory

Courses Taught

• ENGL 1100: First-Year Writing

Selected Publications and Presentations

• 2019 “When Covering Too Much Results in Not Covering Enough: an Essay on NBC News.” in Film Matters 10 (1), eds. Tim Palmer and Liza Palmer. 144-151.

Awards

• 2024 Richard Bland College of William & Mary Faculty Excellence Award
• 2024 HollyShorts Screenwriting Competition Semifinalist
• 2024 Richmond International Film Festival Screenplay Competition
• 2023 Scriptation Showcase – Features + Shorts Category
• 2023 New York International Screenplay Awards finalist
• 2020-2021 Bertie E. Fearing Award for Excellence in Teaching