I received the good news recently that I have been named the 2012 Distinguished Alumnus by the Liberal Arts department at Auburn University at Montgomery! It’s a real honor to be recognized by the faculty who taught me in both my undergraduate and graduate degrees and with whom I have worked on projects here and there.

I graduated from AUM in 1996 with my bachelor’s degree in English, returned there in 2002 and 2003 to do some post-graduate studies in literature, and then officially enrolled as a graduate student in the Master of Liberal Arts program in 2005, graduating in 2008. During my MLA studies, I assisted Nancy Anderson with editing the Treasuring Alabama’s Black Belt curriculum guide. My master’s thesis, The Life and Poetry of John Beecher, which was reviewed by Barbara Wiedemann and Jeff Melton, was published in 2009 by Edwin Mellen Press.

I will be giving a talk at the award presentation at AUM on February 24 at 6:30 PM in the Library Tower.