As our name implies, EGSA is an association of and for English graduate students. EGSA allows graduate students to come together in a variety of capacities (as friends and colleagues, as fellow scholars, and as members of the department). The various EGSA officers are your official liaisons to the department; they are the folks who organize social and professional development events for English graduate students, serve as representatives on department committees, represent graduate student concerns to the faculty and department administration, and folks who are here to help you. 

For more information about our role, check out our mission statement below. Want to know who's representing you on department committees? Scroll below to see a list of current EGSA officers and their committee involvements. 

Current graduate students are invited to join our Discord server for community and communication beyond formal emails. For a detailed tutorial on joining the server, see our EGSA Discord Tutorial. If you're new to the department or to Champaign-Urbana, or considering joining or applying to the department, check out our Guide for New and Prospective Students. From getting your student ID to housing, the guide offers an overview of resources for living and working in Champaign-Urbana. 

Thanks for stopping by! And remember—we're here to help. If you have any further questions, or have comments or suggestions, contact us at egsaatuiuc@gmail.com 

 

Our Mission

The mission of the EGSA is to enhance the academic, professional, and social experience of the UIUC English graduate students by:

  • Providing training events, academic resources, and mentorship to graduate students;
  • Organizing social events that contribute to the graduate student culture
  • Facilitating channels for feedback and representing graduate students in discussions with the department; Disseminating information about the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) and university resources; and
  • Working with the department leadership to promote a respectful, fair, and uplifting working environment for all graduate students.
 

EGSA Officers for Academic Year 2024-25

Executive Committee

The major responsibilities of the Executive Committee includes, but is not limited to: overseeing the nomination and election of new EGSA committee members; participating in meetings with faculty and advocating for graduate students as needed; supporting and communicating with other committees as needed to ensure that we’re serving current grads’ needs and interests; serving as liaison between the EGSA and the graduate office by communicating with the DGS and the office manager; and arranging and advertising other EGSA social events throughout the school year. The members of the 2024-25 EGSA Executive Committee are:

  • Jenn Lee,
  • Lily Dawn,
  • Megi Mecolli, and
  • Arkaprava Mridha

Colloquia Committee

The Colloquia Committee creates and organizes two to three colloquia aimed at graduate students per semester.

  • Daniel Myers, and
  • Ceazar Castañeda

Library Committee

The Library Committee works with the faculty Library Committee; works closely with the literature and languages librarian to find out ways to better meet the needs of English graduate students; serves as a liaison between the library and English grads; and arranges events as appropriate to help encourage grad student interaction with library resources. 

  • Hannah Majewski
  • Mark Ebbay

Rhetoric Advisory Committee

The major responsibilities of the Rhetoric Advisory Committee includes, but is not limited to: providing counsel and service to the Rhetoric Program; providing feedback about how the Rhetoric Program can best support students, instructors, and the University; and administering the Rhetoric Program Teaching Awards and the Rhetoric Student Essay Contest Awards.  

  • Fin McMahon, and
  • Tessa Crosby

Writing Studies Committee

The Writing Studies Committee meets with the English Writing Studies Committee once a year to discuss courses that writing studies faculty will teach the upcoming year; informally polls the graduate students in English Writing Studies about the classes they would like to see taught; and informs the committee if they’re having trouble meeting any requirements so that gaps might be filled. 

  • Antonio Hamilton, and 
  • Neal Liu

 

Departmental Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, and Outreach

Departmental Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, and Outreach deals broadly with issues of departmental diversity, inclusion, equity, and outreach; reports periodically to the Advisory Committee and Head; and reports annually to the department as a whole.

  • Marie Rivera Lopez
  • Hannah Charity

Advisory Committee Representatives

Graduate Student Representatives to the Advisory Committee attend meetings of the Departmental Advisory Committee and assist or manage special projects that might aid in meeting EGSA’s mission. For example, during 2017-2018 The EGSA Advisory Committee adjuncts were tasked with creating a Graduate Studies Climate report for distribution to wider faculty.  

  • Calandra Warren, and
  • V Millen