This page highlights the diverse initial job placements of our recent graduates.

It reflects our department's continued success in preparing our students for their careers, despite the challenges faced by new PhD graduates entering the job market.

Below is a list of our alumni and their placements organized by year.

Placements

2023 Graduates

Name Position Employer
Leah Becker Lecturer University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Catie Georgiou Assistant teaching professor

Pennsylvania State University
Carrie Johnson Lecturer University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Bruce Kovanen Assistant Professor of English and Director of the Upper Division Writing Program North Dakota State University
Megan Mericle Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow Georgia Institute of Technology
Zach Simon Lecturer University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Eric Thomas Assistant Professor SUNY-Niagra
Bri LaFond Visiting Assistant Professor Millikin University

 

2022 Graduates

Name Position Employer

*Jessica Witte

 Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Text and Data Mining University of Edinburgh
*Coral Lumbley Assistant Professor of English

Macalester College
*Samantha Placensia Assistant Professor of English Colby College
*Logan Middleton Teaching Assistant Professor of Writing Studies New College, University of Toronto
*Ryan Ware Assistant Professor of Writing Landmark College
Patricia Sunia Assistant Professor of English Hollins University
Eric Thomas Lecturer in English University of Wisconsin, Madison
Jane Im Visiting Assistant Professor of English Bucknell University (starting January 2023)
*Helen Makhdoumian Promise Armenian Institute Postdoctoral Fellow University of California, Los Angeles

 

Candidates marked with an asterisk (*) have confirmed with the Placement Officer their willingness to directly speak to current students on the job market about their experiences and offer any advice they may have. Please feel free to look them up and be in touch if you like. 

2021 Graduates

Name Position Employer

María Carvajal Regidor

 Assistant Professor University of Massachusetts Boston
Eman Ghanayem Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Comparative Literature

Cornell University
Helen Makhdoumian Manoogian Postdoctoral Fellowship in Armenian Studies University of Michigan
Nicole Turnipseed Assistant Professor, Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy University of Toronto Mississauga 

2020 Graduates

Name Position Employer

Frank Garcia 

 Assistant Professor University of Rutgers
Eman Ghanayem Postdoctoral Research Associate

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Evin Groundwater

 Associate Director of the Center for Excellence in Writing & Communication University of California, Irvine
Chris Hedlin  ACLS Leading Edge Postdoctoral Fellowship   
Samantha Plasencia Visiting Assistant Professor Colby College

2019 Graduates

Name Position Employer

Annie Kelvie

 Assistant Professor of English and Coordinator of the Writing Program Eureka College
Coral Lumbley Postdoctoral Faculty Fellow in Liberal Studies

New York University

John Musser

 Visiting Lecturer in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies University of Pittsburgh
Ben O'Dell Assistant Professor Georgia Gwinnett College
Crystal Rudds Assistant Professor University of Utah
Isabel Quintana Wulf Assistant Professor Salisbury University

2018 Graduates

Name Position Employer

Silas Casinelli

  Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow Virginia Tech
Debojoy Chanda Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication Indian Institute of Management
Chekwube Danladi Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow University of Wisconsin
Inye Ha Assistant Professor Incheon National University, Wilmington
Christine Hedlin Postdoctoral Fellow Valparaiso University
Brandon Jones Visiting Assistant Professor Kettering University
Julie McCormick-Weng  Assistant Professor Texas State University
Jessica Mercado Visiting Clinical Instructor

Purdue University

Sarah Sahn

 Research and Instruction Librarian University of Alabama
Elyse Vigiletti Full-time Lecturer, College of Engineering University of Michigan
Patricia Sunia Lecturer Clemson University
Jessica Young Assistant Professor New College

2017 Graduates

Name Position Employer

Ben Bascom

 Assistant Professor Ball State University
Katherine Flowers Assistant Professor Mississippi State University
Ann Hubert Assistant Professor St. Lawrence University
Jennifer Lozano Assistant Professor University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Rebecah Pulsifer Assistant Professor Kettering University
Isabel Quintana-Wulf Visiting Assistant Professor Colby College
Carla Rosell Visiting Assistant Professor Knox College
Pamela Saunders Director of College Writing

Suffolk University

Ryan Sheets

 Director of Business Communication Lab University of Arkansas, Walton College
Mattie Shelledy Assistant Professor University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley
Kaia Simon Assistant Professor & Director of the Writing Program University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

2016 Graduates

Name Position Employer

Jill Hamilton Clements

 Assistant Professor University of Alabama at Birmingham
Esther Dettmar English Instructor Emma Willard School
Ann Hubert Assistant Professor & VAP St. Lawrence University
Sara Fan Program Assistant University of San Francisco
Yuki Kang Assistant Professor Gonzaga University
Thomas McNamara Assistant Professor California State University-Fresno
Elizabeth Tavares Assistant Professor Pacific University
Julie McCormack Weng Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellowship

Georgia Institute of Technology

2015 Graduates

Name Position Employer

Michael Black

 Assistant Professor University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Alexandra Cavallaro Assistant Professor California State University-San Bernardino
Megan Condis Assistant Professor Stephen F. Austin State University
Naida Garcia-Crespo Assistant Professor United States Naval Academy
Eileen Lagman Assistant Professor University of Colorado-Boulder
Jennifer Lozano Riley Scholar-in-Residence Colorado College
Patrick McGrath Assistant Professor Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Ariana Ruiz Assistant Professor University of Iowa
Jon Stone Assistant Professor University of Utah
Jeremy Wear  Assistant Professor University of Montevallo
Ann Hubert Visiting Assistant Professor Eureka College

2014 Graduates

Name Position Employer

Kathryn Walkiewicz

 Assistant Professor Kennesaw State University
Jill Hamilton Clements Assistant Professor

Sweet Briar College;

Lindenwood University
Andrea Olinger Assistant Professor University of Louisville
Jill Fitzgerald Assistant Professor United States Naval Academy
Erin McQuiston Upper School Heritage Hall, Oklahoma City
Ligia Milhut Full-time adjunct Barry University
Julia Smith Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellowship Georgia Institute of Technology
Donghee Om Assistant Professor

Kyungpook National University of Korea

2013 Graduates

Name Position Employer

Martha Webber

 Assistant Professor California State University-Fullerton
Jason Vredenburg  Teaching Assistant Professor

Stevens Institute of Technology
Vanessa Rouillon Calderon Assistant Professor James Madison University
Elizabeth Hoiem Assistant Professor East Carolina University; GSLIS, University of Illinois
Amelia Herb Postdoctoral Fellow Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Erin Heath Assistant Professor Wayland Baptist University
Kimberly Fonzo Assistant Professor University of Texas-San Antonio
Amanda Zink Assistant Professor

Idaho State University
Agnieszka Tuszynska Assistant Professor CUNY Queensborough Community College
Michaels Burns Assistant Professor West Chester University of Pennsylvania

2012 Graduates

Name Position Employer

Cory Holding 

 Assistant Professor University of Pittsburgh
Denys Vanrenen Assistant Professor

University of Nebraska-Kearney
John Claborn Visiting Assistant Professor University of Louisville
Rebecca Bechtold  Assistant Professor University of Northern Colorado; Wichita State University
Mary Unger  Assistant Professor Ripon College
Merton Lee Lecturer Baltimore City Community College
Michael Behrens Assistant Professor Emporia State University
Sarah Dennis  Visiting Assistant Professor; Assistant Professor

University of Illinois-Springfield; Saint Ambrose University
Daniel Colson Assistant Professor Emporia State University
Amber Buck Assistant Professor CUNY College of Staten Island
Lauren Bowen Assistant Professor Michigan Technological University
Jessica Bannon  Assistant Professor University of Indianapolis
Melissa Bailes  Assistant Professor Tulane University
Kerstin Rudolph Lecturer SUNY College at Brockport
Kimberly O'Neill  Assistant Professor Quinnipiac University
Tom Boynton Visiting Lecturer DePauw University

2011 Graduates

Name Position Employer

Franklin Ridgway

 Visiting Lecturer University of Cincinnati
Patrick Berry Assistant Professor

Syracuse University
Anne Brubaker  Visiting Assistant Professor Wellesley College
Stephane Clark Assistant Professor University of Oregon
Jennifer Lieberman   Postdoctoral Fellow; Assistant Professor Cornell University; University of North Florida
Samantha Looker Assistant Professor University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Cristina Stanciu Assistant Professor Virginia Commonwealth University
Jonathan Vincent Visiting Assistant Professor; Assistant Professor

University of Louisville; Towson University
Hannah Bellwoar Assistant Professor Juniata College
Rebecca Bilbro President’s Managerial Fellow; Data Scientist Occupational Safety & Health Administration
Eric DeBarros  Visiting Assistant Professor; Assistant Professor SUNY College at Oswego; Clark University
Tara Lyons  Assistant Professor University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth; Illinois State University
Michael Simeone Associate Director for Research and Interdisciplinary Studies, I-CHASS; Director
Nexus Lab, Institute of Humanities Research		 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Arizona State University