English at UTEP

On Friday we celebrated Dr. Mimi Gladstein, who is retiring from UTEP after teaching in the English Department for 57 years. Thank you for all that you have done, Mimi!

Dr. Brianna Anderson recently led two comics workshops as part of the Desert Discovery Camps hosted by the Frontera Land Alliance. Students ages 11–14 explored how comics can be a powerful tool for environmental education and created their own stories about nature and conservation.

She’ll be back for two more workshops during the June camps—registration is free and open now: https://www.fronteralandalliance.org/

Congratulations to Robert Delgadillo who successfully defended his MAT practicum, “Resisting Censorship in Southwestern Suburbia." His committee included Dr. Brad Jacobson (director), Dr. Jonna Perrillo, and Dr. Marion Rohrleitner. Congratulations, Robert!

Congratulations to Grisel Harrison, who successfully defended her extended seminar paper, "Returning History in a Circle: Violence, Obeah, and the New Black Gothic in Marlon James' The Book of Night Women." Her paper was directed by Dr. Marion Rohrleitner, and Dr. Robert Gunn and Dr. Brandon Render (History) were readers. Well done, Grisel!

This semester's Milton class took a field trip to the UTEP Theatre to see a wonderful production of Virginia Woolf's Orlando.

UTEP was well represented at the CCCC conference in Cleveland earlier this month! A special thanks to Dr. Soyeon Lee and Purna Bhusal for organizing a special "Meet, Greet, and Network" event for UTEP students, faculty, and alumni. Congratulations!

Congratulations to MAT graduate Rebecca Guerrero! Rebecca is the 2025 recipient of the James F. Veninga Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award, the highest honor presented by Humanities Texas. The award was presented by Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) at EPISD’S Young Women’s Academy on January 27, 2026.

YOUNG WOMEN’S STEAM ACADEMY CELEBRATES HUMANITIES TEXAS AWARD RECIPIENT REBECCA GUERRERO (EL PASO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT — Jan. 27, 2026) — Young Women’s STEAM Research & Preparatory ...

The English Department's office staff at our annual holiday lunch last week. 🥳

Jared Mende, a graduating senior in English & American Literature and Philosophy (double major), on Friday gave a brilliant presentation of his Liberal Arts Honors Program thesis, "'The Poet's Task': The Literary Theory and Influence of St. Thomas Aquinas."

Jared's thesis director was Dr. Joe Ortiz. The director of the LAHP is Dr. Michael Topp.

Congratulations, Jared!

Congratulations to Raj Baral, who successfully defended his PhD dissertation, "Rhetoric of Bharatavarsha Reimagined: Analyzing the Rhetorical Power of Rasa Theory through the Bhagavad Gita."

Raj's dissertation was directed by Dr. Beth Brunk, and the other members of the committee were Dr. Elias Adanu and Dr. Sarah Upton.

Congratulations, Dr. Baral!