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.

Cass All

Cass All received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Furman University. They are seeking an M.A. from Georgetown’s Department of English as the first step to one day becoming an English professor. In their free time, they can be found spending time with their dog, Little Bear, playing RPGs, and doing embroidery.

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.

Shannon Billups

Shannon Billups received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Africana Studies from Williams College. Shortly after, she moved to D.C. and began working in nonprofit development. In her free time, she enjoys reading (of course) and going on long walks through quiet D.C. streets.

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.

Amanda Chu

Amanda Chu is a part-time graduate student in the English program. Outside of campus, she reports on the U.S. health care system for POLITICO. She also spent four years at the Financial Times, where she was the U.S. energy reporter and U.S. economics correspondent. She received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and is from Queens, New York.

Elizabeth Clarke

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Clarke is an incoming English masters student. She plans to go on to receive her PhD and teach at the collegiate level. She enjoys reading, playing music, and spending time with friends and family.

Claire Cunningham

Claire is from Boise, Idaho, and holds a BA in Film and Television from Boise State University. During undergrad, she co-produced and directed a documentary on drag queens in Boise amidst the rise of government restrictions. Claire is currently interested in feminist theory, dystopian literature, and all things Ernest Hemingway. When not trying to figure out how to be a good writer, she loves watching movies or TV shows, attempting to read the classics she’s put off for years, and defending the artistic merit of the Real Housewives franchise.

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.

Sophia Grajales

Sophia Grajales received a bachelor’s degree in French Studies and English Literature from Smith College in spring 2026. She is a first year graduate student at Georgetown University and hopes to develop a thesis surrounding the significance of certain Folkloric figures in Literature. When not at school or work, she can be found writing a variety of side projects and reading at the public library.

Adele Hall

Originally from Southern California, Adele graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in English. Her research interests include the early modern period, church history, and the history of revolution. Having studied neuroscience for three years before becoming interested in English, she is also curious about the relationship between philosophy and science. Trained in classical ballet, Adele likes to spend her free time dancing, playing the piano, and drawing. She also loves exploring different farmers markets and coffeeshops and spending time with her family’s animals: two dogs, a cat, and several very confident chickens.

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.

Emily Hancock

Emily grew up in Georgia and graduated from Florida State University with a BA in English focused on Editing, Writing, and Media. Her research interests include Feminist theory, Gender and Sexuality studies, weird fairytales, and Speculative Fiction. In her free time, Emily likes to stay busy. She enjoys crafting, collecting physical media, listening to music, taking long walks, and spending time with her cat.

Selena Hernandez

Selena Hernandez (she/her) graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in English and Comparative Literature. During her time at UNC, Hernandez completed an undergraduate thesis entitled “Tracing the Evolution of the Female Gothic.” As a literary scholar, Hernandez focuses on British Romanticism and the Gothic.

Isabelle Karpin

Isabelle Karpin is from Kansas City and graduated with her B.A. in English from Cornell University in 2026. Her research interests include topics of death and dying in 19th and 20th century American literature and related interests of ecocriticism, transcendentalism, and other nontraditional philosophies of death. Aside from her mild obsession with ancient Greek literature, Isabelle enjoys unhinged millennial personal essays and artful horror.

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.

Timothy McShea

Hailing from Ellicott City, MD, Timothy McShea graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2025 with a B.A. in English and Writing Seminars. His current research interests revolve around the history of literary criticism in America and Great Britain, paying particular attention to the shifting social function of criticism in literary journals and academic institutions at the turn of the 20th century and its implication in high modernism. When not studying literature, he enjoys watching football and discussing film.

Phyllis McNulty

Phyllis McNulty is from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She studied English at the Queen’s University, Belfast. She is taking a career break from teaching. She has taught in an all girls’ high school for 27 years and is really looking forward to studying the Master’s at Georgetown University.

Sophia Meimaris

Sophia is from Burlington, Massachusetts and graduated with her B.A. in English from Saint Michael’s College with minors in Education and Gender Studies. Her academic interests include twentieth and twenty-first century literature, cultural studies, and literary ruminations on history and spectrality. In her free time, she can be found weightlifting, crafting, and exploring the city.

Kayla Melita

Kayla Melita, a Long Island native, holds a B.A. in English Adolescent Education with a minor in Professional Writing from the State University of New York at Cortland. Her experiences teaching English in both Queens and Northern Spain have deepened her interest in literature, language, and the ways in which texts shape our understanding of the world. A lifelong reader, Kayla’s love for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein sparked a particular passion for Romanticism and British literature, inspiring her to explore the intersections between nature, the sublime, and human experience. She begins her first year at Georgetown University pursuing an M.A. in English, where she hopes to further develop her scholarship and deepen her study of the literary traditions that first captivated her.

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.

Eva Mooney

Eva received her undergraduate degree in Classics and English Literature from the University of Michigan. After almost ten years working in politics and for the federal government, she is thrilled to be returning to school. Primary research interests include gender studies, modernism, and contemporary literature. She is also a cartoonist and artist who spends much of her free time painting and writing.

Anna Cate Olohan

Anna Cate Olohan is from northern New Jersey and graduated from the University of Notre Dame with her Bachelor’s in English in May 2026. She is interested in the persistence of the classics, and in the ideas, particularly around class and gender, that they propose, and how these ideas relate to their and our societies’ norms. She is also a TA in the Community Scholars Program! Outside of academics, Anna Cate can be found marathon training, crafting, watching movies, or spending time at the beach.

Laila Perlman

Laila grew up in New York City and attended Bard College where she double majored in Literature and Theater & Performance. She is currently a Senior Admissions Officer at Harvard College. Her areas of interest include performance studies, critical university studies, and 21st century American literature. When she’s not reading applications or reading books, Laila enjoys making/seeing theater, movies, crossword puzzles, and a good walk.

Christina Riddle

Christina Riddle received a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Georgia College and State University before completing her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a Captain in the US Army and a first-year graduate student at Georgetown University. Most of her time is spent in creating excel workbooks and doing paperwork, but she also enjoys studying languages, writing stories about madness, and filling shelves with books.

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.

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.

Arya Sheth

Arya grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and completed her B.A. at Georgia College & State University with a double major in English and Interdisciplinary Studies, along with a minor in Social Psychology. Her research interests focus on American Literature, Critical Theory, Environmental Justice, and Material Culture Studies. She is also a Community Scholars Teaching Assistant at Georgetown. Outside of class, Arya can be found enjoying a book at a local cafe, taking nature walks, crocheting, or spending time with her two sisters who live nearby. Her favorite novel is Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing, which inspired her undergraduate English thesis.

Tati 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 poetry, queer theory, critical race studies, diaspora studies, and blue humanities. In their free time, Tati enjoys hanging out with their dog, workshopping poetry, starting (but not finishing) various art projects, and figure skating.

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.

Dan Travers

Dan is a Georgetown alumnus (C’18) and active-duty Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer pursuing graduate study before serving as an English instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Drawing on his military experience, Dan studies how literature fosters ethical leadership and moral imagination. His research interests lie at the intersection of literature, theology, philosophy, and myth. He is particularly interested in mythopoetic literature, theological approaches to literary aesthetics, and how imaginative narratives engage questions of morality, authority, and human meaning.

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.

Benjamin Waida

Benjamin Waida graduated summa cum laude from Kent State University with a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Emerging Media and Technology. His academic interests include any form of classical literature, game studies, digital humanities, and the relationship between narrative and emerging media. He is particularly interested in how interactive and digital forms of storytelling reshape questions traditionally explored through literary study, including authorship, agency, representation, and interpretation. Outside of academia, Benjamin enjoys writing fiction, playing story-driven video games, experimenting with technology, and continually adding to an already unmanageable reading list.

Logan White

Logan White is a first-year English master’s student at Georgetown University. She holds a psychology degree from the College of William & Mary, where she also pursued her love of literature by taking several English electives in medieval and renaissance literature. Additionally, this summer she recently attended Columbia University’s Publishing Course. In her free time, she enjoys visiting museums, exploring local restaurants, and reading dark romance novels.

Daniela Yarahuan

Daniela grew up on the border between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, TX. She graduated from Clark University in 2025 with a B.A. in English and Political Science. Her academic interests include media and cultural studies, moral panic studies, and the politics of representation and futurity. Outside of academia, Daniela enjoys live theatre, bar trivia, making dubious moves in Scrabble, and moonlighting as a barista.