Students, faculty recognized at 2018 Spring Award Ceremony

July 19, 2018

The Department of Writing and Linguistics recognized a faculty member and several students for their outstanding effort and achievement at the first-ever Spring Award Ceremony.

Natalie James, M.A., received the Dorothy Smith Golden Award for teaching excellence. This award is given in honor of Dorothy Smith Golden, a former professor who taught learning support at Georgia Southern University. Created in her memory by her husband, Bill, the award recognizes excellence in teaching that is informed by research and scholarship in the discipline, and is sensitive to the needs of students.

Darianne Perez, a writing and linguistics major, was awarded the David Starnes/George Brannen Scholarship named partly in honor of the Department of Writing and Linguistics faculty member David Starnes, M.A., who passed away in 2007. Contributed funds from friends and family of Starnes started a scholarship recognizing his contributions to the department.

George Brannen, who also contributed to the scholarship, returned to Georgia Southern after retirement and a more than a 30-year absence since enrolling at Georgia Southern College in the late 1960s to complete a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2015.

The Brannen Creative Writing Award in poetry and fiction was awarded to Tralen Rhone and Amir Alexander was given in Brannen’s honor.

The department also recognized students Matthew Howard, Olivia Hester, Rachel Doggett, Blakeley Bartee and Jonathan Baker for their creative works for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Intro Journals.

“I enjoyed hearing the student’s own voices as they read excerpts from their award-winning poems, fiction and essays,” said Janice Walker, interim chair for the Department of Writing and Linguistics. “I continue to be impressed by the work of our students and faculty and greatly appreciate the generosity that allows us to recognize them.”

The Department of Writing and Linguistics in the College of Arts and Humanities is the only freestanding writing department in the state of Georgia and offers a unique major that incorporates the fields of creative writing, linguistics, professional and technical writing and writing studies.