Department of English - 3353
Master of Arts in English
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 766-6452
Email: EnglishDept@uwyo.edu
Abdalrahim Abuwarda is a PhD student in English with a focus on Public Humanities at the University of Wyoming, where he also teaches Technical Writing for Professions. Originally from Gaza, Palestine, Abdalrahim brings a wealth of international experience shaped by his background in nonprofit work, digital communication, and academic leadership. His research explores the intersections of media, rhetoric, and public discourse, with a current focus on the representation of Palestinians in U.S. media and the role of public storytelling in social justice movements.
A Fulbright alum and Global Student Ambassador, Abdalrahim is passionate about community engagement and collaborative scholarship. He has participated in international peace programs such as the CIEL Northern Ireland Initiative and is the former president of UW’s MENA Club. His academic and public-facing projects—including podcast and documentary work—aim to make critical humanities research more accessible and relevant to diverse communities.
Research Interests: rhetoric, sociolinguistics and the effect of contemporary society and social structures on language
Shelby grew up in Colorado. Since earning her degree in English from the University of Wyoming she has been working at a nonprofit in Laramie. In her free time, Shelby loves spending time with her husband Nick and their two sons Will and Tommy. A few of her favorite things are learning from podcasts, thrifting, laughing with Nick and listening to everything Will and Tommy have to say.
Research interests: the commemorative and monument landscape of Wyoming, the archaeology of capitalism and wage work, landscapes and material culture of resistance, collectivism and socialism during westward expansion, and interdisciplinary memory keeping practices on landscapes of labor, organizing and racist violence.
Edwards is an artist, educator, storyteller and memory worker with heartstrings tied to New Orleans, but has called Laramie since 2021. Her work is a rooted in a socially engaged practice that intersects the academic, creative, applied, and public spheres. She's a photographer by trade and a public cultural anthropologist and historical archaeologist by training. She holds a Master of Science in Urban Studies (UNO), and a Master of Art in Anthropology and Environment and Natural Resources with a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems and Technology (UWYO). She is a member of Monument Lab’s Re:Generation 2024 cohort). You can find more of her work at www.aubreyedwards.com and www.highiron.org
Research interests: Modernism, Irish Literature, rhetoric, media studies, media aesthetics, pedagogy, cultural studies
Hannah Haber earned her bachelor's degree with a double major in English Education
and Spanish at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana. During undergrad, she established
a chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, studied abroad, and worked closely with the Humanities
Department. Her senior thesis focused on James Joyce's "The Dead" through various
theoretical lenses, and reflects her deep interest in how cultural narratives shape
identity.
Growing up overseas in countries such as Uganda, Lithuania, Ghana, Egypt, and Spain has significantly influenced her academic focus on language, national identity, and politics. She is incredibly passionate about fostering critical thinking through literature and language. She enjoys traveling, learning other languages, listening to music, baking, hiking, and hanging out with family and friends.
Research Interests: the intersection of politics and literature, third-world literature, postcolonial theory, and gender studies.
I studied BS English literature at Government College University Faisalabad where I explored the intersection between politics and fiction. This became my main area of interest. My life in Pakistan shaped my academic interests as I started making sense of third-world reality and reading South Asian authors.
Research Interests: Professional writing, rhetoric of societal systems, public humanities, human trafficking
Mercy graduated from the University of Wyoming with a major in English and a minor in Professional Writing. With a love for justice and a thirst for knowledge, she is interested in pursuing higher education, hoping to teach and inform societies about systems they are continually a part of. In her free time, Mercy enjoys thrifting, reading, and doom-scrolling. Her three favorite 'f' words are food, fashion, and fitness, in that specific order.
Research interests: Japanese American and Japanese Peruvian histories of immigration, assimilation, WWII incarceration, military service, and resistance; creative nonfiction and hybrid genre storytelling
Lena is a fourth-generation Wyomingite, a descendant of Wyoming railroaders and coal miners, and a descendant of Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII at Heart Mountain. She has a Masters in Public Health from Oregon State University and in 2022, left her 22-year career to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing at UW. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Solstice Literary Magazine, High Desert Journal, and others. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and was a finalist for a Porch Prize. She is excited to pursue her PhD in Public Humanities at UW.
In her free time, she…wait, she never has free time because she’s a full-time parent, shuttling her kids all over town and the region for their activities like baseball, softball, Girl Scouts, swimming, soccer, skiing, and mountain biking.
Research Interests: Cultural heritage preservation, community engagement, migration and cultural identity, public humanities.
Temitope Obajinmi, originally from Nigeria, is a PhD candidate in English focusing on Public Humanities at the University of Wyoming. She holds a B.Sc. in Political Science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and an M.Sc. in International Management from Teesside University,United Kingdom. As a museum curator at the Oyo State Cultural Centre, Temitope managed historical archives and developed public programmes to engage diverse audiences. Her research explores how migration reshapes cultural identities and community cohesion in Wyoming, contributing to the 'Re-Storying the West' initiative. Temitope enjoys cooking, photography, shopping, listening to music and travelling in her free time.
Research interests: the Monstrous Other in horror films and Gothic literature, fin-de-siecle 19th century literature, othering of different cultures in horror, othering of "monstrous bodies", human vs inhuman bodies, historicism, postcolonialism, posthumanism
Born in New Mexico and raised in Wyoming, Kharesse went to earn a B.S. in both physiology and kinesiology at the University of Wyoming. After working as a personal trainer for a season, she realized how much she loved the analysis and craft of storytelling so she pivoted to pursue English. Recognizing how literature can reflect societal views of the Other, she intends to examine this further in horror and Gothic media. On the side, she creates and sells artwork at local markets and is slowly working on a novella-turned-graphic-novel. Her rotation of hobbies include but are not limited to gaming of all kinds, whittling away at her burgeoning TBR pile, doting on her sweet cat Rukia, hiking, yoga, and nurturing her communities and the beings she loves (people, plants, and pets).
Research Interests: how teachers can effectively strengthen and sustain relationships with students to increase student motivation, the impact of physical settings on student writers, children and young adult's literacy, and the impact of AI on student literacy.
Bio: Joseph grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania and attended nearby Messiah University, where he double majored in Communication and Marketing as an undergrad before receiving his MA in Higher Education Leadership. Joseph's post-grad journey weaved through four years in publishing and two years in PreK-8 education, all while coaching college baseball. A love for the written and spoken word, combined with a desire to spark sustained student success, has led Joseph across the country to the University of Wyoming. He plans to turn his studies at UW into a lifetime of teaching and empowering student writers. Outside of the classroom, Joseph's time is typically dedicated to getting outdoors (skiing! biking! hiking!), reading, traveling, game nights, supporting all Philadelphia sports franchises, and, most of all, spending time with his wife and son.
Research Interests: the way that stories can be recipes for resistance, protest performance, foodways and feminized labor, the Politics of Small Things, gender asymmetry in former Soviet republics, and San cultural preservation.
Bio: Springer was born in California but spent much of her adult life living abroad. She has a BFA in acting from the Theatre School at DePaul University and worked as an actress, playwright and theatre director in the U.S., Europe and Africa. Springer is also a returned Peace Corps Volunteer. She has a master’s in Public Administration and International Studies from the University of Wyoming. In 2018 she received a Fulbright Fellowship and spent a year as a researcher in the Republic of Georgia.
Research interests: Gender studies, issues of race/racism, medieval literature, access to reproductive healthcare, politics, women writers, and how social issues are represented in literature/how power dynamics operate in literature.
Bio: Elizabeth (Liz) was born in Pittsburgh but grew up in a western suburb outside of Chicago. Seeking a new adventure, she moved to Laramie in 2020 to attend the University of Wyoming. After a wonderful four years, she graduated with a B.A. in English and Gender and Women’s Studies. She is passionate about literature because she believes it can be studied to understand history and utilized to create a better future. In her free time, Liz enjoys reading (mystery novels), crocheting, running, and spending time with friends and family.
Department of English - 3353
Master of Arts in English
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 766-6452
Email: EnglishDept@uwyo.edu