Current Graduate Students

Annalee Abell

Annalee Abell is originally from Lexington, Kentucky. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Georgetown and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies. She spends her time teaching at Washington Jesuit Academy and volunteering for Asante Africa Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya in the summer months. Her research interests include class and racial representation in Global South and American literature. As an avid traveler, Annalee aspires to find the best independent bookstore in every city she visits.

Reeba Atif

Reeba, a Brooklyn native with a B.A. in Classics and a concentration in Classical Languages, is an avid reader with a passion for stories from galaxies far, far away—like Marvel, Doctor Who, DC, and Star Wars. When not exploring the legal frameworks of Jedi philosophies, writing about morally ambiguous heroes on Substack, or admiring Shakespeare’s command of language, Reeba can be found puzzling over Latin Syntax in her quest to translate Wuthering Heights into Latin. Whether lost in a great book or pursuing her Jedi-to-J.D. journey, she’s always seeking the sweet spot between modern myth and ancient wisdom.

Ainsley Atwood

Ainsley hails from Chicago. She is an accelerated student pursuing her BSFS in Culture and Politics alongside her MA. Her research interests include contemporary Irish literature, modernism, and Midwestern literature, with a focus on the role of politics in literature. She can normally be found on campus helping out with theatre, staffing model UN conferences for teens, or enjoying a cup of chamomile tea.

Cassandra Barron

Cassandra Barron grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from Pepperdine University and earned her B.A. in English Literature and Criticism with a minor in Women’s and Gender studies. Her current research interests include Queer and feminist theory, ecocriticism, nineteenth-century American literature, and all things Emily Dickinson. She is a Community Scholars Program TA and a Graduate Tutor at the Writing Center. When she’s not writing papers or reading, she is crocheting, trying new coffee shops, going outside, hanging out with her cat, Romeo, or watching movies.

Elizabeth “Libby” Burton

Elizabeth (Libby) Burton graduated from Kalamazoo College in 2022 with a double major in philosophy and computer science as well as a minor in German studies. Since graduating, she has gone on to earn a Fulbright scholarship to work as an English Teaching Assistant in Hamburg, Germany. Her current research interests include studying critical theory and exploring themes of philosophy in literature. During her free time, she enjoys baking and knitting.

Michael Byrns

Michael is from Annapolis, MD and graduated from Williams College in 2018 with a BA in English. His current research interests revolve around postcolonialism, modernism, and the history of the English language novel. Outside of work, he can be found biking the Capital Crescent Trail and convincing people to watch Suits.

Bria Charlton

Born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland but of proud Jamaican parentage, Bria graduated summa cum laude from Howard University in 2025 with a B.A. in English. Her undergraduate Honors thesis explored portrayals and understandings of whiteness and white sexuality across 20th century African American literature while highlighting the post-war white life genre. Currently, her literary interests include gothic literature, fantasy, African American literature, psychological fiction, feminist literature, and all things bizarre. Outside of academia, she enjoys watching movies with her twin sister, playing volleyball, and obsessing over stationery.

George Concannon

George is an actor-turned-academic from Bay Shore, New York, and a proud member of a long line of Hoyas. He graduated summa cum laude from Hofstra University with a BA in Drama in 2024. George’s research focuses on Shakespeare’s plays and integrating performance techniques with academic analysis, as well as poetry from a variety of time periods. Outside of his studies, you can find George working at the Writing Center, expanding his collection of sheet music, or searching for a bacon, egg, and cheese that reminds him of home.

Marina “Mina” Cooper

Originally from Northern Virginia, Mina graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University in 2021 with a B.A. in English. Following that, she earned her initial teaching license (CEAS) in New Jersey and taught high school English. Her academic interests include contemporary Asian American literature and speculative YA fiction. Beyond reading and writing, she enjoys painting, making clothes, and visiting her family’s dog, Theo.

Liqian Cui

Liqian grew up in Anhui, China, and graduated from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University with a B.A. in English and Communication Studies. Her academic interests include Postcolonial Literature, Ecological Theory, Contemporary Literature and Queer Theory. Outside of studying, Liqian can be found immersing herself into video games, catching up on the latest anime or films, or simply chilling with her two guinea pigs.

Chirin Dirani

Chirin Dirani holds dual M.A. degrees in Arab Studies and Communication, Culture & Technology from Georgetown University. With over 20 years of international experience in private enterprise, humanitarian aid, and academia, she now serves as Advising Dean and Associate Director for Global Experience at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. Her academic interests include storytelling, communication, and cultural studies. Fluent in Arabic and English, with beginner Spanish, she draws on a life lived in Syria, Jordan, and the U.S. to explore themes of identity, resilience, and transformation. Chirin lives close to Lewes Beach in Delaware and enjoys neighborhood gatherings and discovering new local cuisines.

Kyra Green

Kyra is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated from Kenyon College with a BA in Psychology and Sociology in 2017. Kyra moved to the DMV area a year ago after 4.5 years working in Admissions and Multicultural Life at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME. She currently serves as the Inaugural Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Graduate School. When not on campus, you can find Kyra reading a great book, channeling her inner Effie White as she watches Dreamgirls…again, searching for new additions to her vinyl collection or spending time laughing with her community of people.

Rose Grosskopf

Originally from Hyde Park, New York, Rose graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 2020 with a double major in English and Music. Since graduating, she has worked as both an organic farmer and a library clerk. She has also been learning Yiddish for the past two years and relearning Latin through singing Gregorian chant. Her current scholarly interests include literary modernism, autobiographical texts in early modern literature, graphic memoirs, and diaries, particularly Holocaust diaries. She enjoys gardening and choral singing in her free time.

Juliana Hall

A born and raised New Englander, Juliana graduated summa cum laude from Clark University in 2024 with her B.A. in English and Creative Writing. Her research currently focuses on Shakespeare’s plays, especially his female characters, and his contemporaries. Other academic interests include affect theory and emotions, young adult literature, and Margaret Cavendish. When not immersed in Shakespeare’s language, you can find Juliana writing her own tragic fiction, attending bar trivia, and consuming startling amounts of coffee.

Seyoung Kim

Seyoung grew up in Seoul, Korea, and graduated summa cum laude from Ewha Womans University with a B.A. in English Language and Literature. From a young age, she has actively participated in musicals and performed as an actor in her department’s drama club. In her free time, she enjoys watching soccer matches, serving in worship dances, and listening to musical numbers.

Lauren Kourey

Lauren is from the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Villanova University with a BA in English and Political Science. Most recently, Lauren worked at the DC Rape Crisis Center and plans to explore the question of narrative authority through her research. In her free time, Lauren enjoys performing with her band, cooking, and reading horror novels.

Ryan Lillestrand

Ryan received his BA in Political Economy from Pitzer College in Claremont, California. His research interests include the environmental humanities, the literature of the California water wars, and the role of writer-activists and unlikely environmentalists in the American West. At Georgetown, he is a TA in the Community Scholars Program and a Graduate Tutor at the Writing Center. Off campus, he can be found making zines and cycling around in search of the best baguette in the city.

Mostafa Mahmood

Mostafa is originally from Upper Egypt and has lived in the DMV area for four years. Mostafa received a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Aswan University in 2011, and in 2014, he received a Diploma in Teaching Methodologies. In 2018, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to work as an Arabic TA at The Catholic University of America. His research focuses on Class Mobility in American Literature in the nineteenth century. In his free time, Mostafa enjoys playing soccer, swimming, attending stand-up comedy shows, and meeting new people. His favorite comedians are George Carlin and Dave Chappelle.

Lauren McCormick

Lauren Received an English (Creative Writing) and Political Science double major from SUNY Geneseo. She is a first year English Master’s student at Georgetown University, who commonly researches the intersections between art and literature. When she is not reading or writing Lauren enjoys Horseback riding, visiting art galleries or museums and spending time with her cat, Tigger Roo.

Kristina McCune

Kristina grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. She received her BS in English from The United States Air Force Academy, where she also received an award for Outstanding Cadet Summer Research in the Humanities Division during her junior year for her work with out-of-print literature. She then joined Georgetown the following semester, hoping to continue her research regarding adoption and its presentation in literature. Outside of school, Kristina enjoys working out, listening to music, and playing her guitar or violin.

Minza Mirza

Minza Mirza is from Houston, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a BA in English. Her current research focuses on postcolonial, feminist literature and Partition literature. Outside of class, she enjoys writing up features and film/literature reviews, watching movies with loved ones, and getting coffee.

Diana Morley

Diana comes from Syracuse, NY and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the State University of New York College at Geneseo with a dual major in English & Adolescence Education. Her literary interests include modern and contemporary ecofeminism, the Romantic period, and Shakespeare. She has published poetry in two literary journals. She enjoys music of all sorts and spending time with friends.

Gabby Nemarich

Gabby hails from Connecticut and graduated from Georgetown this spring with a BA in psychology and a minor in anthropology. She is currently interested in Victorian literature and the postmodern. When Gabby is not being studious, she is likely serving at the classic American restaurant Clyde’s on M street. In addition to learning, she derives her sense of joy from being amongst trees and natural water sources, having fun with friends, and trying different food joints around the city.

Nick Ragde

Nick is from New York City. He is joining the master’s program having attended Georgetown for the previous four years as an undergraduate, graduating with a double-major in mathematics and English last May. He is excited to stay at Georgetown for a little while longer, and he plans to teach after finishing the program. His academic and literary interests include 20th and 21st century literature, critical theory, long sentences, and fiction writing. Outside of school, he enjoys cooking and eating, watching soccer, spacing out to music, getting meager exercise and sleeping lots.

Grace Ringuette

Grace was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and has lived in several different parts of the city. In 2024, Grace graduated with a BA in English from Occidental College. She has spent the last year traveling and teaching in a 4th grade classroom. Grace is currently a first-year in Georgetown’s Graduate English Program and a Community Scholars Teaching Assistant. Academically, she is fascinated by questions pertaining to female sexual liberation and autonomy. Her senior thesis explored these ideas within the framework of the early 1900s and Huxley’s “Brave New World.” During her free time, Grace enjoys spending countless hours sitting next to her cat, making waffles, or hiking.

Jac Rusher

Jac grew up in San Diego, California. They graduated in 2025 from UC Davis with a major in English and a minor in Comparative Literature. Their research interests lie in Victorian literature and critical theory, and gender & sexuality studies. When they are not reading, Jac can be found playing Dungeons & Dragons, listening to music, and rock climbing.

Jacob Pardo

Jacob grew up in Plaistow, New Hampshire. He graduated with a B.A. in English and a minor in writing from Regis College, where he wrote and edited for the school’s literary magazine Hemetera and newspaper The Regis Herald. His interests include fiction writing, documentaries, and traveling. His current goal is to obtain an M.A. in English with a thesis focused on media literacy education.

Pearl Parker

Pearl is a Maryland native. She graduated from Andrews University in 2022 with a B.A. in English and a minor in marketing. Before coming to Georgetown, she interned at Education Week in their Marketing and Events department. In her free time, she enjoys reading, visiting botanical gardens, and filming natural hair tutorials.

Laurah Perrin

Laurah, a native of South Jamaica Queens, New York, received her BA in both Psychology and English from Manhattan College. Of her time at Manhattan she minored in Philosophy and Spanish where she also studied abroad in Madrid, Spain at the Universidad de Complutense. Her academic and research interests include African American Literature. Outside of the classroom some of her hobbies consists of weightlifting, jogging, and discovering new music.

Sydney Richner

Sydney grew up in South Florida. After beginning her undergraduate career at Florida Atlantic University, she went on to complete her B.A. in English at Florida State University via its Literature, Media, and Culture program. With an undergraduate honors thesis under her belt, Sydney is now working towards her English MA at Georgetown University. Sydney has a passion for advocating for the incarcerated or justice-involved as well as an interest in literary research, journalism, and interdisciplinary studies. Outside of school, Sydney is a nerdy girl at heart. She loves anime, video games, comic books, reality TV, and poetry.

Mekita Rivas

Originally from Nebraska, Mekita earned her undergraduate degrees in journalism and English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She was previously an editor at Cosmopolitan and a senior contributing fashion editor at PopSugar and Bustle. Her writing has been published in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Vogue, Harper’s BAZAAR, Women’s Health, Refinery29, and others. In addition to her editorial experience, she’s worked as a copywriter, editor, and strategist for various brands and nonprofits. She is currently working on her first novel; her research interests include creative writing, journalistic nonfiction, digital media cultures, and transnational literature.

Camille Scarborough

Camille Scarborough graduated from Mount Holyoke College with an English major and a dance minor. She has enjoyed a long career as a professional writer/editor, starting with McGraw-Hill and the American Bankers Association. For over a decade, she ran her own freelance business, Pirouette Communications, while raising her three kids. She joined Georgetown University’s Office of Advancement 11 years ago. As senior director of the editorial team, Camille oversees Georgetown Magazine, Georgetown Health Magazine, stewardship reports, gift stories, and more. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, crafts, crosswords, birdwatching, and visiting local vineyards/breweries.

Amelia Shotwell

Amelia grew up in Traverse City, Michigan and graduated from Georgetown University this past Spring with a B.A. in English and minors in History and Theater & Performance Studies. Her research interests include Feminist theory, 19th/20th century American literature, Queer theory, Film theory, and Shakespearean studies. Outside the classroom, Amelia enjoys collaging, traveling, playing pickleball, and rewatching When Harry Met Sally for the millionth time.

Tatiana Su

Born and raised in California, Tati studied English and Creative Writing at UC Berkeley before spending the next few years working in executive search and recruiting. Their research interests include contemporary American literature that engages with diaspora, trauma, and memory. Outside of class, Tati teaches with the Community Scholars Program at Georgetown and can be found exploring DC with their dog. Their favorite book is Beloved, by Toni Morrison, and their favorite poem is “The City Limits” by A.R. Ammons.

Sofia Thompson

Originally from Chicago IL, Sofia graduated Summa Cum Laude from Howard University in 2025 with a BA in English. Their academic interests include Black Feminism, queer theory, portrayals of madness, and Marxism. In their free time, Sofia can be found rewatching Succession or Girls and discovering new restaurants to rank on Beli.

Robert Vetter

Robert Vetter received his BFA in Comedy Arts from The Theatre School at DePaul University with a minor in Documentary Studies. His research interests include literary postmodernism and satire. While in Chicago he co-produced the drag standup comedy pageant “Little Miss Anthropes” as well as performing at historic standup comedy and live literature venues around the city. His work has been published in The Hard Times, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, New Absurdist, and L’Esprit Literary Review. When he’s not writing, you can find him rock climbing or doing the Monday crossword.

Gracelyn Willard

Gracelyn Willard is a graduate of Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, where she majored in English with a concentration in creative writing. After spending the last few years working various jobs she has chosen to return to school to pursue a Master’s in English at Georgetown University where she plans to research the intersectional roles of feminist and queer theory in contemporary literature. When she is not reading, Gracelyn can be found perfecting her Gluten-free baking recipes and watching Formula 1. 

Sophia Williams

Sophia grew up in Seattle, Washington and is in her senior year at Georgetown double majoring in English and Italian. Her interests range from Italian literature to science fiction to creative writing, so she is very excited to continue her Georgetown journey exploring literature with an Accelerated MA. In her spare time, she works on the board of Georgetown’s student newspaper The Hoya, writes for the Italian American Museum of DC as a Legacy Grant, and teaches yoga at Georgetown’s Yates Field House.

Ellie Yaeger

Ellie received her BA in American Studies with a minor in Art History from Georgetown in 2017. Her academic interests include 20th century American literature, autofiction, aesthetics, historiography, writing by and about women, feminist theory, film studies, and the pedagogy of teaching both writing and history. She is particularly interested in shifting definitions of art and the obscene in analysis of literature, fine art, and pornography. When not working or studying, Ellie enjoys creating decoupage with mid-century magazines, baking cakes, taking ambling walks through the woods, and talking on the phone. She returns to her hometown of Dallas, Texas, every October for the State Fair.

Kayla Yang

Kayla grew up in Los Angeles. She graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in English and Psychology, as well as a minor in Asian-American Studies. Their research interests include realism, multiculturalism, and sci-fi. In her free time, Kayla likes to crochet, hike, and spend time with her bunnies.