The YAWP: Villanova's Graduate English Program Blog

Our annual PhD forum will be next Monday, October 8 , at 7:30 pm , in SAC 300.  Evan Radcliffe be joined by Prof. Adrienne Perry (PhD, University of Houston) and Teddi Sakellarides (MA graduate and current PhD student at Temple), to talk about various aspects of whether to pursue a PhD, how and where to apply, what PhD study is like, and the state of the academic job market. There will also be pizza! RSVP to Brooke at  brooke.erdman@villanova.edu by Oct. 8th at 3pm!

Thank you to Drs. Evan Radcliffe, Brooke Hunter, and Yumi Lee for hosting our PhD forum last evening!

Attention grad students! Our annual PhD forum will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 pm, in SAC 300 . Drs. Evan Radcliffe, Yumi Lee, and Brooke Hunter will talk about various aspects of whether to pursue a PhD, how (and where) to apply, what PhD study is like, and the state of the academic job market. We'll also hear some insights from Ted Howell, a 2010 graduate of our program who finished his PhD at Temple in May and is now a full time Lecturer at Rowan University. See you then!

Every fall the Villanova English department hosts a forum for students to learn about the PhD process. The faculty are different every year, and each applied and finished their doctoral programs at different times, so the variety of their experiences is a crucial resource to current masters students considering continuing their higher education. Plus, there is always pizza! Department Chair Dr. Heather Hicks explains the tenure track job market The faculty at Villanova are dedicated to giving grad students the best possible shot at getting into and completing a PhD. program. Information sessions like this one don't shy away from the reality of doctoral programs in the humanities. Not only do they discuss the scarcity of tenure track positions on the job market, they encourage you to consider the other positions, both in and outside of academia, that a student can pursue with a doctoral degree. Dr. Brooke Hunter and Dr. Jean Lutes talking PhD. admissi...

Dr. Mullen and Dr. Hicks will present their perspectives on the current state of PhD. application, admission, and academic job market. There will also be conversation with Villanova alumnus Don James McLaughlin, who is currently writing his dissertation at the University of Pennsylvania. Each speaker will offer their thoughts on whether or not to pursue a doctoral degree, where to apply, how to produce an effective application, and what the experience of a PhD. program is like. The event will end in a Q&A session moderated by Dr. Hicks. Come for the pizza, stay for the insightful perspectives on taking the PhD. path! Monday October 5 at 7:30PM in SAC 300.

This post by guest blogger Christine Lairson. The annual Ph.D. Forum for hopeful English Ph.D. candidates took place on the evening of Monday, November 11th. Dr. Heather Hicks served as moderator. Three speakers shared their insight and advice on applying for and completing a Ph.D. in English, as well as realistic statistics about the job market and potential careers after acquiring the degree. Each speaker expressed enjoyment and appreciation for the experiences in his or her respective Ph.D. programs. Dr. Brooke Hunter, who received her Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas at Austin with a specialization in medieval literature, discussed statistics regarding job growth (and stagnancy), employer's bias in gender, age, and race, and the importance of funding and networking. Following Dr. Hunter's perspective, Dr. Kamran Javadizadeh, who received his Ph.D. in English from Yale University with a specialization in modernist poetry, shared anecdotes of his ...

Students gathered at our annual Ph.D. forum to share some pizza and learn about the Ph.D. experience. Speakers were: Ted Howell, who completed the program several years ago and is now a Ph.D. candidate in Temple's English department; Dr. Travis Foster, who recently received his Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a specialization in American literature and joined our faculty this year; and Dr. Brooke Hunter, who recently received her Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas at Austin with a specialization in medieval literature and also joined our faculty this year. Each speaker briefly shared their perspectives on the pros and cons of pursuing a Ph.D. in English and their experiences in their programs. They also discussed strategies for choosing programs and optimizing the Ph.D. application. It was a great time for everyone. Keep your eye out for the forum next year!

Two of our favorite program events are coming up in just a few months! Be sure to add these to your calendars, because you don't want to miss out: On Thursday, November 15th at 7:30 p.m. in SAC 300 , we are hosting our our annual Ph.D. forum . This event includes brief presentations by two of our faculty members who have recently received their Ph.D.'s along with one of our recent alums who is now in a Ph.D. program. As a group, we will discuss the pros and cons of pursuing the Ph.D., how to decide what programs might be right for you, how to craft your applications and personal statements, and what life is like in Ph.D. programs. There will be lots of time for Q-and-A. This event is open to all students in the program, including first-year students. Pizza will be provided. On Thursday, November 29th at 7:30 p.m . in SAC 300 , we are hosting our annual Thesis and Field Exam workshop . This event is designed to get you geared up for your thesis and field exam work. ...

Mark your calendars for the annual Graduate English Program Forum on applying for the Ph.D. On Tuesday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m. in SAC 300 , our two newest faculty members, Dr. Joe Drury, who received his Ph.D. at Penn, and Dr. Kamran Javadizadeh, who received his Ph.D. at Yale, will talk about the decision to pursue a Ph.D. and the nuts and bolts of applying. One of our recent graduates of the M.A. program, Don James McLaughlin, who is now pursuing his Ph.D. at Penn, will also talk about life in a Ph.D. program. Please email Dr. Hicks to R.S.V.P. by Friday, November 4th at 5:00 pm.

For those students who are interested in attending our November 1st seminar, please RSVP to Ashley Bentivoglio (ashley.bentivoglio@villanova.edu) by October 25th. Pizza will be provided, so we need an accurate head count. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there!

At 7pm on Monday, November 1st, the Graduate English Program will be hosting a Ph.D. seminar in SAC 300. There will be a question and answer period mediated by Dr. Lutes, Dr. Lennon, Dr. Quigley, and returning alumnus Don James McLaughlin, aimed towards helping graduate students decide whether or not to pursue a Ph.D. All are welcome to attend, please RSVP to either Dr. Jean Lutes (jean.lutes@villanova.edu) or Ashley Bentivoglio (ashley.bentivoglio@villanova.edu) by October 25th. We hope to see you there!