Creative Writing major Katie Lipoma and English professor Stephen Grandchamp among the award winners announced at the 2024 annual student leadership banquet
FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington held its annual student leadership banquet in the North Dining Hall of Olsen Student Center on Wednesday, April 24, recognizing the outstanding members of UMF’s student clubs and organizations.
The event offered food catered by Sodexo and presented honors to students involved in the numerous clubs and organizations on the campus, including the Jill Schwab Award, Theo Kalikow Award, Dr. John H. Rohman Leadership Scholarship, and the 51st annual Michael Winston award.
Junior Dani Faltraco won the Dr. John Roman Leadership Scholarship; The Jill Schwab Underclassman Award was awarded to freshmen Katie Lipoma; The Theo Kalikow Award was awarded to Stephen Grandchamp, UMF’s Assistant Professor of Literature and Digital Humanities; and the 51st Annual Michael Winston Award was awarded to senior Isaiah Day.
The award recipients from UMF’s annual student leadership banquet on Wednesday, April 23. From left to right, The Jill Schwab Underclassman Award winner Katie Lipoma; The 51st Annual Michael Winston Award was awarded to senior Isaiah Day; and The Theo Kalikow Award Winner Stephen Grandchamp, UMF’s Assistant Professor of Literature and Digital Humanities. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal
UMF names student researchers as Michael Wilson Scholars for Spring 2024
Competitive undergraduate research grant supports top student academic and creative work
FARMINGTON, ME (April 22, 2024)—The University of Maine at Farmington is pleased to announce the UMF Michael Wilson Scholars for Spring 2024.
This bi-annual recognition names top UMF students as single-semester scholars or full-year fellows. The program provides faculty mentorship and funding support to help them with their research investigation. Many of this year’s scholars and fellows presented at UMF’s recent campus-wide Symposium.
Student researchers are individually sponsored by faculty and supported at every stage of their research. Faculty mentors assist with proposal development, research methodology, project presentation and continuing follow-up on pre-professional and post-graduate opportunities.
According to the U.S. News & World Report, no matter the subject matter, research experience is an asset for undergraduate students. Pursuing an original research project strengthens a student’s written and oral communication and critical thinking skills while helping them explore a multitude of academic disciplines and clarify their career interests.
“For nearly 20 years, the UMF Undergraduate Research Council has proudly supported the academic and creative work of the Wilson Program student awardees. They are closely mentored by dedicated faculty in their selected academic disciplines and develop a strong professional collaboration that enriches their undergraduate experience and provides a professional connection as they pursue their career interests,” said Donelle Schwalm, assistant professor of environmental biology and director of the Wilson program.
This semester’s Scholars include Kelly Gentilo of Bethesda, Md.; Alden Hallett of Chelsea, Natalka Harris of Aspinwall, Penn.; Grayson Havens of Farmington: Shaylynn Koban of Farmington; Grayson Koelbl of Stockton Springs; Aidan Mulrooney of Farmington and Manu Ritchie of Farmington.
Spring 2024 Wilson Scholars
Kelly Gentilo-Bethesda, Md. A senior majoring in performing arts with a concentration in theatre, Gentilo’s project will be to create “Lucid Dream: A Multimedia Installation.” Melissa Thompson, associate professor of visual and performing arts is the faculty sponsor.
Alden Hallett-Chelsea A senior majoring in history, Hallett is researching, “The Great Count Out: Maine’s Stolen Election During the Gilded Age.” Michael Schoeppner, associate professor of history is the faculty sponsor.
Natalka Harris- Pittsburgh, Penn. A junior majoring in English, Harris’s project, “A Circumnavigation,” is exploring space and design with an installation piece to be exhibited at the Monson Arts Gallery this summer. Noelle Dubay, student services director, is the faculty sponsor.
Grayson Havens-Farmington A senior majoring in Political Science, Havens is writing a collection of autobiographical poems and short works entitled “Beyond the Binary: A Gender Memoir.” Misty Krueger, associate professor of English, is the faculty sponsor.
Shaylynn Koban-Farmington A senior majoring in creative writing and psychology, Koban is investigating “Cross-Cultural Perceptions of Text Message Senders due to Emoji Usage.” Karol Maybury, professor of psychology, is the faculty sponsor.
Grayson Koelbl- Stockton Springs A senior majoring in performing arts with a concentration in theatre, Koelbl is composing a personal narrative entitled, “Dough Boy: on Being Trans in the Arts.” Melissa Thompson, associate professor of visual and performing arts is the faculty sponsor.
Aidan Mulrooney-Farmington A senior majoring in history, Mulrooney is investigating “Where does Entente Come From? The Ambiguities of the Entente Cordiale and the Outbreak of the First World War.” Michael Schoeppner, associate professor of history is the faculty sponsor.
Manu Ritchie-Eliot A junior majoring in English and creative writing, Ritchie is exploring “Adaptation: The Fanfiction of Academia?” Michael Johnson, professor of English, is the faculty sponsor.
More on University of Maine at Farmington
A nationally recognized public liberal arts college known for its commitment to the creative arts, teacher preparation, the health arts and sciences, the environment, business and public service, UMF provides a challenging yet supportive environment to prepare students for both careers and further study. Located in the heart of Maine’s four-season outdoor recreational region, UMF is a welcoming, close-knit academic community that prepares students for enriching professional careers, engaged citizenship and an enduring love of learning.
Photo Caption: (Left to right) UMF Spring 2024 Wilson Scholars: Grayson Koelbl, Natalka Harris, Manu Ritchie, Alden Hallett-Chelsea, Kelly Gentilo and Shaylynn Koban. Not pictured: Grayson Havens, Aidan Mulrooney. Photo Credit: UMF Image
English majors earn similar salary earnings, life quality than other degree holders, report
English literature and language majors were found to have peak median earnings compared to many other majors, including business management and public policy.
Despite questions around the value of an English degree, graduates who earned one were found to possess similar rates of life satisfaction, peak salary earnings and unemployment rates to non-English degree graduates, according to a recent report by the Association of Departments of English (ADE), a subsidiary of the Modern Language Association.
The Report on English Majors’ Career Preparation and Outcomes draws on quantitative data from multiple U.S. government resources and contributions from independent research centers, including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Humanities Alliance and the Hamilton Project. The majority of data was pulled from records between 2018 and 2021.
English literature and language majors were found to have comparable peak median earnings compared to many other majors, including business management and public policy. Those who earned a bachelor’s degree in English earned $76,000, while non-English majors earned $78,000. Students with a special interest in humanities were found to experience a seven-grand bump, totaling $83,000. Graduate degree earners, regardless of their major, reached a peak median earning of $86,000, which is only about a 3.6% increase.
The unemployment rate for English majors was 2.3%, which is near that of all college graduates and those on different academic paths. For example, the rate was 2.13% for humanities degree holders, 2.0% for business, engineering and philosophy majors, and 1.9% for physical science and history majors. Regardless of major, students’ unemployment rates were 2.17%.
While non-humanities majors edged out their counterparts when it comes to median earnings and employment, life satisfaction and life fulfillment rates were nearly on par. Bachelor’s degree holders in the humanities (the data set here could not differentiate humanities majors from English majors) reported an 87% life satisfaction rate compared to the 90% who reported the same outside of humanities. However, humanities-based students who earned a graduate degree reported a four percentage point bump to 91%. This is an important caveat considering that nearly half (45%) of English majors pursue graduate or professional school programs after earning their bachelor’s.
Fall 2024 Literature Courses Fulfilling Distribution Requirements in English, Secondary Education-English, and Creative Writing
200-Level ENG Literature Course
ENG 206 Literary and Cultural Theory (Johnson)*
ENG 250 Shakespeare (Krueger)
ENG 265 African American Literature and Culture (Grandchamp)
ENG 286 Studies in the Graphic Novel (Neswald)
ENG 291 20th-Century Short Story (Robinson)
300-Level ENG Literature Course ENG 346 Victorian Literature (Darrohn)
ENG 380 Transatlantic 18th-Century Women (Krueger)
HON 377 The Secret History of Hell (Thomson)
400-Level ENG Literature Course ENG 477 Diverse Futures (Johnson)
ENG 477 Diverse Futures: This course examines science fiction and fantasy texts with an emphasis on points of view that might be classified as alternative (ethnic, Indigenous, queer, anti-colonialist) to mainstream traditions of SFF. The course is inspired by the emergence (and growing popularity) of Afrofuturism, Indigenous Futurisms, Queer Futurisms, etc. Diverse Futures will also be diverse in materials, inclusive of speculative stories drawn from a variety of media: fiction, film, television, music, and video games.
American Literature
ENG 265 African American Literature and Culture (Grandchamp)
ENG 286 Studies in the Graphic Novel (Neswald)
ENG 291 20th-Century Short Story (Robinson)
ENG 380 Transatlantic 18th-Century Women (Krueger)
ENG 477 Diverse Futures (Johnson)
British Literature
ENG 250 Shakespeare (Krueger)
ENG 346 Victorian Literature (Darrohn)
ENG 380 Transatlantic 18th-Century Women (Krueger)
Pre-1800 Literature
ENG 250 Shakespeare (Krueger)
ENG 380 Transatlantic 18th-Century Women (Krueger)
HON 377 The Secret History of Hell (Thomson)
Post-1800 Literature
ENG 265 African American Literature and Culture (Grandchamp)
ENG 286 Studies in the Graphic Novel (Neswald)
ENG 291 20th-Century Short Story (Robinson)
ENG 346 Victorian Literature (Darrohn)
ENG 380 Transatlantic 18th-Century Women (Krueger)
ENG 477 Diverse Futures (Johnson)
Contemporary Literature (CWR)
ENG 286 Studies in the Graphic Novel (Neswald)
ENG 291 20th Century Short Story (Robinson)
ENG 477 Diverse Futures (Johnson)
Additional Courses in ENG/Additional ENG Elective
All ENG courses above 100 (literature, creative writing, professional writing, book arts, and linguistics)
*ENG 206: Required course for English majors following 2023-2024 or later requirements; 200-level ENG literature course for all other students.
Please note:
ENG 312 (Advanced Nonfiction) and ENG 314 (Advanced Screenwriting) do not satisfy 300-level literature requirements, and ENG 401 (Seminar in Writing) does not satisfy a 400-level literature requirement.
ENG 370 The Splendid Drunken Twenties considers the Harlem Renaissance in the larger context of American culture of the 1920s. The course focuses particularly on the representation of African Americans in literature, music, and film. This week, we looked at (and listened to) the African American musical form the Blues, a style of folk music that achieved its first mainstream popularity in the 1920s. New technologies (such as phonographs) made Blues music accessible to a wider group of Americans, and Blues singers became the first representatives of what came to be known as “crossover” artists, musicians whose careers began in Black clubs and cabarets but gained wider audiences in the 1920s. Blues singers such as Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith, jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong, emerged as major American stars in the 1920s.
Bessie Smith
We also tried to reproduce an authentic 1920s listening experience by playing a 78 rpm record of Bessie Smith singing “Empty Bed Blues” on a gramophone.
A gramophone is a record player that works without electricity. You have to wind it up to get the record to spin, and the sound picked up by the stylus is amplified by a horn (built into the base of this model) rather than a speaker.
My great grandfather purchased this particular gramophone by mail order sometime in the 1920s. It was initially delivered to his home in Hugo, Oklahoma, and, over the past century, it has traveled from Oklahoma to Tennessee and is now currently located in Maine. Listening to a 1920s song on this well-traveled (and century-old) device is a nice treat to provide in a course on the 1920s.
We also got the full 78 rpm experience. “Empty Bed Blues” (1928) is over six minutes long, which is too long for the 78 rpm record, so the song is recorded in two parts, one on each side of the record. In an era of streaming playlists, it seems a particularly archaic way of listening to music, but we listened to the song the way we would have in the 1920s. At a little after three minutes, we paused and flipped over the record. While we were paused, I also turned the crank (you can see part of the handle to the right of the case), because the clockwork mechanism that turns the turntable was starting to slow down.
Here’s a link to Bessie Smith’s “Empty Bed Blues” (where you can listen to it without having to turn the record over in the middle of the song).
ENG 370 The Splendid Drunken Twenties considers the Harlem Renaissance in the larger context of American culture of the 1920s. The course focuses particularly on the representation of African Americans in literature, music, and film. This week, we looked at independent African American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux.
Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951)
Oscar Micheaux’s 1919 film The Homesteader was the first feature-length film made by an African American director. Between 1919 and 1947, he made dozens of films. In the silent film era alone, he made 18 full length features, of which, only 3 are still in existence. A remarkable individual, Micheaux made do with insufficient financing, with a limited distribution network (as the films could only be shown in segregated movie houses to black audiences), and with hostile censorship boards that were often adamantly opposed to the racial subject matter of his films.
When the Motion Picture Commission of the State of New York (a censorship board) reviewed his film Body and Soul in 1925, they rejected it and would not allow it to be screened. According to the reviewers report, “The film is of such a character that in the opinion of the commission it is sacrilegious, immoral, and would tend to incite crime.” Micheaux had to remove entire reels of material from some of his films, and other films were banned outright and even confiscated.
This week in the Splendid Drunken Twenties we watched Micheaux’s film Within Our Gates (1920). The sole surviving print of Within Our Gates was discovered in the 1980s in Spain with Spanish intertitles. The edition we watched was restored and remastered by the Library of Congress, the Spanish titles translated back into English. There’s also a modern soundtrack (newly composed by DJ Spooky).
Within Our Gates tells the story of Sylvia Landry as she travels to Boston to secure donors for a school for Black children in the South. Her tragic past is revealed through flashback, and the final part of the film is an extensive flashback that reveals the lynching of her parents (after her father is falsely accused of murder). In the 1920s, Within Our Gates was banned from screening in various locations, primarily because of what censorship boards considered inflammatory subject matter.
We watched the film in class, and I’m pleased to report that no one in the class was incited to commit a crime.
Within Our Gates (1920), 79 minutes. Written, produced, and directed by Oscar Micheaux. Featuring Evelyn Preer, William Starks, Mattie Edwards, Grant Edwards, E. G. Tatum. New musical score composed by Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky. Performed by Ryan Biesack (drums), Mike Gamble (acoustic guitar), Dana Reason (piano).
“This Week in” is part of series of occasional blog posts reporting on the happenings in English courses at the University of Maine-Farmington.
UMF Wilson Scholars’ student research covers topics from “Art, Artist & Audience” to “Zooplankton and Climate Change”
FARMINGTON, ME (December 7, 2023)—The University of Maine at Farmington is pleased to announce the Fall 2023 Michael Wilson Scholars and Fellows and their research projects. Undergraduate research helps students develop professionally with in-depth, career-focused examination and analysis. Farmington’s prestigious Wilson program provides top UMF student scholars with faculty mentorship and project funding to help them pursue the highest level of academic inquiry.
Awardees are named twice a year and include single-semester scholars and year-long fellows. They will be presenting their research at the annual spring university-wide Symposium day in April.
This semester’s outstanding student researchers includes Katherine Berube from Houlton; Riley Boucher from Williston, Ver.; Shaina Fusco from Reading, Mass.; Sadie Gray from Saco; Gillean Hamilton from Euclid, Ohio; Julia Anise; Rain Smith from Eliot and Sean Tenney from Augusta.
2023-24 Wilson Fellow
Sadie Gray – Saco
A senior majoring in Earth & Environmental Sciences with a minor in Environmental Policy & Planning, Gray is researching zooplankton sensitivity to climate-driven conditions in high-elevation lakes. Rachel Hovel, associate professor of biology, is the faculty sponsor.
Fall 2023 Wilson Scholars
Katherine Berube–Houlton
A senior majoring in creative writing and English with a minor in editing & publishing, Berube’s project is the “Rise of the Wolf Queen: An Academic and Creative Exploration of the Monstrous Feminine in Contemporary Speculative Fiction.” Noelle Dubay, Upward Bound student services coordinator, is the sponsor.
Riley Boucher–Williston, Ver.
A senior majoring in Earth & Environmental Science, Boucher is researchingusing eDNA to assess the distribution of the smallmouth bass, an invasive species, in Maine. Donelle Schwalm, assistant professor of environmental biology, is the faculty sponsor.
Shaina Fusco–Reading, Mass.
A junior majoring in psychology and performing arts, Fusco’s project is “Adventures in Signification: An Exploration of Graphic Musical Notation.” Aaron Wyanski, assistant professor of music composition, is the faculty sponsor.
Gillean Hamilton –Euclid, Ohio
A senior majoring in Earth & Environmental Science with an emphasis on Geology, Hamilton is exploring the continuation of stream geochemical analysis near the Plumbago North lithium deposit in West-Central Maine. Doug Reusch, professor of geology, is the faculty sponsor.
Julia Anise
She is creatinga collection of lullabies. Aaron Wyanski, assistant professor of music composition, is the faculty sponsor.
Rain Smith –Eliot
A junior majoring in anthropology, Smith is exploring “Persephone and Hades Through a Modern Lens.” Noelle Dubay, Upward Bound student services coordinator, is the sponsor.
Sean Tenney –Augusta
A senior majoring in psychology, Tenney is exploring “Art, Artist and Audience: An Interdisciplinary Investigation.” Steven Quackenbush, associate provost and dean of Arts & Science, and Dawn Nye, professor of art and new media, are the faculty sponsors.
Sadie Gray, this year’s full-year Wilson Fellow, is devoting her project to calculating how climate change is impacting essential organisms in the food chain in higher elevation Maine ponds. UMF Geology and Biology professors Julia Daly and Rachel Hovel have been conducting long-term research monitoring conditions and organisms in nine high-elevation ponds in Alpine zones in nine Maine mountains, including Bigelow, Saddleback and Tumbledown.
Gray served as Hovel’s summer intern several years ago and is now conducting her own independent research project on how zooplankton—microscopic living organisms—are affected by temperature and water quality changes due to climate change.
“Anything that affects the food chain in high-elevation ponds affects the fish population and intricate relationships in other ecosystems,” said Gray. “My project will help determine how the zooplankton is being affected. It’s such a wonderful opportunity to pursue my interest in aquatic biology and add to the body of research that Farmington faculty are providing on the study of climate change.”
Student researchers are individually sponsored by faculty and supported at every stage of their research. These faculty mentors assist with proposal development, research methodology, project presentation and continuing follow-up on pre-professional and post-graduate opportunities.
For more information, contact Stephen Grandchamp, assistant professor of literature and digital humanities, at stephen.grandchamp@maine.edu.
More on University of Maine at Farmington
A nationally-recognized public liberal arts college known for its commitment to teacher preparation and student success, UMF provides a challenging yet supportive environment to prepare students for both careers and further study. Rooted in a tradition of teacher preparation, UMF offers top quality programs in the arts and sciences, teacher preparation, and pre-professional studies. Located in the heart of Maine’s four-season outdoor recreational region, UMF is a welcoming, close-knit academic community that prepares students for enriching professional careers, engaged citizenship and an enduring love of learning.
Photo Caption: UMF 2023-24 Wilson Scholars and Fellow (Left to right) Front row: Rain Smith, Katherine Berube, Sean Tenney and Shaina Fusco. Back row: Gillean Hamilton, Julia Anise, Sadie Gray and Riley Boucher. Photo Credit: UMF Image
Last month, a video interview about my recent book,Speculative Wests, was published on the Faculti website. If you are interested in speculative westerns or speculative stories set in the American West, check out the interview. Click on the link below.
Just a quick dispatch from the 2023 graduation ceremony at the University of Maine-Farmington, and a quick shout-out to the graduates from a variety of programs that take classes with the UMF English faculty:
The annual Humanities Spring Reception provides an opportunity to welcome the arrival of spring after a typically long Maine winter, to celebrate the end of the spring semester, and to acknowledge student accomplishment from the preceding year.
Master of Ceremonies Christine Darrohn recognizes students (and their faculty sponsors) who were awarded as Wilson Scholars and Wilson Fellows this past year. Isabelle King (not pictured, faculty sponsors, Ann Bartges, not pictured, and Kristen Case), Autumn Koors Foltz (faculty sponsor Stephen Grandchamp), Jocelyn Royalty (faculty sponsor Lewis Robinson), and Ashley Ward (faculty sponsor Stephen Grandchamp).
Beth Eisen Memorial Scholarship Recipient: Anna Heneise. Each of the scholarship winners read from a short piece of their own writing.
The UMF English Department offers two yearly awards to students in English, the Maude L. Parks Award and the Eleanor Wood English Scholarship. The Maude Parks Award is given to a junior student at UMF demonstrating excellence in communication arts in the field of English. The Eleanor Wood English Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding junior or senior English Major (including Creative Writing and Secondary Ed-English) who has been a student at UMF during both their freshman and sophomore years. It is to be based on academic achievement in the field of English.
Maude L. Parks Award Recipient: Manu Ritchie.
Eleanor Wood Memorial Scholarship Recipient: Autumn Koors Foltz.
In addition to the winners of the Parks and Wood awards, we also recognized the finalists for those two awards: Horisun Antunee, Sam Box, Dani Faltraco, Genevieve Feeney, Kelly Halloran, Dex LaFrance, Aubrey Merritt, Tori Oliveira, Ashley Ward, Venus Wright.
The reception was also a time to recognize members of the UMF branch of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honors Society, including newly inducted members, Abby Hanson, Sylvie Haslam, Jacob (JP) Piechowski, Zain Richards, and Grace Turner.
We also recognized two BFA Senior Award Recipients, Karly Jacklin and Jocelyn Royalty, and we congratulated two recent successful graduate school applicants, Em Remington (Goddard) and Em Platt (University of New Hampshire).
The event concluded with a faculty reader, Stephen Grandchamp, who read an excerpt from his “The Death of the Pop Auteur: Taylor Swift’s Feminist Politics of Collaboration and Revision,” his contribution to the volume Taylor Swift as/and Literature, which will be published by Bloomsbury in 2023 or 2024.
UMF English Department Blog 