ULM English Program

This summer, Senior English major Akira Johnson will be working as the Social Media Coordinator for the English Program.

For her first initiative, Akira proposed a series of introductions of the English faculty--these will start the week of June 15th, beginning with Dr. Haedicke and Dr. Giles.

Akira will be introducing new features over the summer, and we're so happy to give one of our majors an opportunity to showcase the skills in content creation, writing, and design we emphasize in the English Program at ULM!

Check out Akira's own introduction below:

Hello everyone!

My name is Akira Johnson and l am a senior, English Major here at ULM! A fun fact about me is that I am a member of the ULM Colorguard and President of NSLS!

Dawson Jacobs presented “The Duality of Dismembering and Re-Membering the Body in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow” at the 2026 Annual Conference of the Association for Canadian and Québec Literatures (ACQL/ALCQ). The paper examined how acts of bodily fragmentation and reconstruction in Moreno-Garcia’s novel illuminate questions of memory, humanity, sacrifice, and belonging, arguing that the text’s recurring imagery of dismemberment ultimately reveals a larger quest for balance between worlds, bodies, and identities. The presentation was delivered as part of the “Transnational and Transtemporal Fictions” panel on June 10, 2026.

Congratulations, Ms. Jacobs!

Dr. Joshua Chase recently published "We Must Act Fast To Address AI In Writing Classrooms: Slow Design Can Build More Sustaining Classroom Practice With (Or Without) AI," in the edited collection, "Bad Ideas about AI and Writing: Generative Practices for Teaching, Learning, and Communication." This collection surveys the “bad ideas” about AI and writing that "are ill-informed, unethical, or harmful to students who seek to learn, think, and communicate."

Like the other contributors in the collection, Chase and his coauthor Leah Heilig counteract one of these bad ideas about AI and writing. In their chapter, they argue that professors do not need embrace or deny AI with expediency: by emphasizing principles of the "slow design movement," Chase and Heilig propose "a more intentional, slow approach to understanding GenAI and its impacts."

Congratulations to our Spring 2026 ULM English graduates. We are all so proud of you!

Check out Kaileah Calloway's project for Dr. Harris's course, English 2017: Vernacular Tradition & Black Expression!

https://blaclexpressionttth.blogspot.com/

From Kaileah: "Jumping the broom is used in the 21st century to recognize all that African Americans have gone through, and is a symbol of unity and love in Black culture. Money spreads, along with other traditions like tying the knot, pouring libations, and tasting the four elements, which incorporate West African customs. Today, jumping the broom continues to honor the struggles of the past while celebrating love, identity, and unity in the present. "

Congratulations to English MA student Garrett Copeland for defending his work entitled, "Lamentation, Celebration: A Journey of Life.

Ms. Vanelis Rivera served as the chair of Garrett's committee, alongside Drs. Will Rogers and Jaleesa Harris.

Check out Mallory Washington's project for Dr. Harris's ENGL 2017 course: Vernacular Tradition & Black Expression!

https://blaclexpressionttth.blogspot.com/

From Mallory: "The proverb, “Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil,” can be a representation of the repressed contributions of black women. In my painting, I created a graffiti piece with the proverb as the muse. The woman’s expression looks unshakable, but appears to hold some restraint in her presence as well. In her afro, I wrote credible black women who served as voices for the people. This conveys the foundational impact of black women’s support throughout
movements, but a complacency with knowing the intentional erasure of their aid. The women in her hair signify beauty and grace they carry as their legacy precedes them. The colorful splashes through the canvas reflect the lively personalities of black women. Lastly, the tape, the text, and
the graphics are verbatim. The tape represents the seeing and speaking of no evil, but the
frequencies into the ears and music like notes display the hearing of no evil."

Congratulations to English MA student Holley McInnis for passing her comprehensive exam and oral defense. Holley's work explores how societal expectations conflict with women's desires in Tennessee Williams's plays.

Dr. Janet Haedicke served as the chair of Holley's committee, alongside Drs. Jaleesa Harris and Meredith McKinnie.

Congratulations to our English students who presented at the Research Symposium yesterday:

JoeJonathan Smith
Lauren Calhoun
Landon Merritt

We are so proud of all of you and appreciate you sharing your work with us.