Support English at UNM
Many of the accomplishments of our faculty, alumni, and students have been made possible by scholarships and fellowships established by donations from alumni, past students, and members of the community at large. Now more than ever, gifts to the various programs in the department make a vital difference in our ability to create world-class scholarship and train the next generations of thinkers, writers, and doers.
Small gifts can make a big difference. We hope that you will consider supporting our department and its vital work by contributing to one of the funds below.
Thank you!
Featured Funds
English Department Fund
The English Department Fund provides support for visiting lecturers, speakers, and a variety of events that enhance the reach of our curriculum and keep it current by bringing living writers, scholars, and cultural figures to the University.
Graduate Student Support Fund
The Graduate Student Support Fund supports student travel and other expenses needed to develop research towards earning a graduate degree.
Hector Torres Memorial Fund
This fund will be used at the Chair’s discretion to support Chicano literature students in memory of the late Professor Hector Torres, a scholar of great passion, dedication and kindness who taught and inspired generations of UNM students on the subjects of contemporary, postmodern Chicana and Chicano literary discourse and film, and literary and critical theory.
Alphabetical List of English Department Funds
Blue Mesa Review Fund
The fund supports the writing, production and promotion of Blue Mesa Review, the literary magazine of the Creative Writing Program at the University of New Mexico, produced by the Department of English Language and Literature in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Brad and Jan Tepper Student Emergency Support Fund for English
This fund provides financial assistance to graduate students of the Department of English who are managing demanding academic requirements while struggling with debilitating financial circumstances.
Charles and Susan Paine Fund for Excellence in Writing Instruction
The Charles and Susan Paine Fund for Excellence in Writing Instruction provides support for the Rhetoric and Writing division of the English Department. Funds are used for curricular and professional development of instructors and administrators of courses that focus primarily on teaching writing skills.D. H. Lawrence Fellowship Fund
This fellowship fund supports an emerging writer of fiction, creative non-fiction, or poetry by providing some travel funds to spend time in the vicinity of the D.H. Lawrence Ranch (Taos/San Cristobal area). Funding can also apply towards someone doing Lawrence research in the Taos/San Cristobal area.
D. H. Lawrence Ranch Initiatives
D.H. Lawrence owned only one piece of property in his lifetime, a 160-acre ranch located near Taos, New Mexico, which was bequeathed to the University of New Mexico by Frieda Lawrence with the stipulation that the property “be used for educational, cultural, charitable, and recreational purposes.” The fund serves the preservation and support of the property and its use.
Dale and Ivan Melada Endowed Scholarship in English
This fund provides scholarship support to deserving undergraduates pursuing a degree in English with a concentration in professional writing. Recipients are selected in the spring for the following academic year. A minimum of 90 hours must be completed by the end of the spring semester the award is announced. Primary consideration is on scholastic ability, although financial need is considered.
Dr. E.A. "Tony" Mares Award for Chicano Literature Endowment
The Dr. E.A. “Tony” Mares Award for Chicano Literature Endowment is an annual award through the English Department, which supports Chicano literature, poetry, history, and general writings about Chicanos. This award benefits both undergraduate and graduate students.
Elizabeth H. Wertheim Faculty Research Award Fund
Elizabeth H. Wertheim Faculty Research Award Fund was established in 1990. The award is made annually to a member of the senior faculty whose scholarship, creative work, teaching, and service make a noteworthy contribution to the department, the College of Arts and Sciences, the University of New Mexico and the community beyond UNM..
The Elsie Fraley Demas and James Demas Fund
Established in honor of Elsie and James Demas, Sr., this fund supports undergraduate scholarship and research in Honors English. Uses include conference fees, travel and lodging, copying, book purchases, and computer-related and printing expenses. All students enrolled in Honors English are eligible. Students awarded are those who best demonstrate scholarship and whose work would benefit from additional monetary support.
English Department Fund
The English Department Fund provides support for visiting lecturers, speakers, and a variety of events that enhance the reach of our curriculum and keep it current by bringing living writers, scholars, and cultural figures to the University.
Graduate Student Support Fund
The Graduate Student Support Fund supports student travel and other expenses needed to develop research towards earning a graduate degree.
Hector Torres Memorial Fund
This fund will be used at the Chair’s discretion to support Chicano literature students in memory of the late Professor Hector Torres, a scholar of great passion, dedication and kindness who taught and inspired generations of UNM students on the subjects of contemporary, postmodern Chicana and Chicano literary discourse and film, and literary and critical theory.
Hillerman-McGarrity Endowed Scholarship in Creative Writing
Named on honor of Tony Hillerman and Michael McGarrity, two of New Mexico’s most renowned and respected mystery writers, this fund supports scholarships for students enrolled in the Creative Writing Program with a demonstrated talent and passion for fiction, screenwriting, playwriting, or creative non-fiction. Preference is shown to students from New Mexico with financial need.
Irish Studies Fund
This fund supports the study and promotion of Irish culture at UNM and in the wider community. Our activities include administering scholarships, promoting student and faculty research, directing study abroad programs in Ireland, and organizing public lectures and community events.
Joseph M. Russo Chair in Creative Writing
This fund supports a Chair in Creative Writing within the English Department. The position is a rotating appointment from one semester up to three years. The recipient shall be visiting faculty or current faculty in Creative Writing. Funds may supplement faculty and student research and travel; graduate fellowships and stipends; clerical support; and expenses associated with Creative Writing Program initiatives.
Joseph P. Zavadil Scholarship in English Medieval Literature
Named in memory and honor of Joseph Zavadil, former Professor and Chair of the Department of English, this annual scholarship supports undergraduates focusing on English medieval literature, who have excelled in their studies and/or service to the UNM Medieval Studies Program. Preference is given to students specializing either in Arthurian literature, Chaucer, or in comparative medieval literature.
Julia Keleher Faculty Award
The Julia Keleher Faculty Award is given annually to an Assistant Professor who demonstrates a strong commitment to teaching. In 1995, the Keleher Award account was augmented by its combination with the Telfair Hendon, Jr. Memorial in English.
Lena M. Todd Scholarship Fund
The Lena M. Todd Scholarship Fund provides annual cash awards to students doing the best work in creative writing in the English Department. The fund was established in 1943 from Dana Paul Todd in memory of his mother, Lena Todd. Dana Todd graduated from UNM in 1927 and died serving in the US Army in the Philippines in 1942.
Patrick J. Gallacher Fund for Scholarly Achievement in English Medieval Literature or Studies
Established to honor Professor Patrick J. Gallacher, a UNM English professor with expertise in Chaucer and Middle English Literature, this fund awards graduate students who are completing their doctoral degrees in Medieval English Literature or Studies, or meritorious alumni/ae of the Department of English who have had a concentration or specialization in Medieval Literature or Studies at any academic level.
Rudolfo Anaya Fellowship Fund
To honor Rudolfo Anaya, and to continue the tradition of excellence in Chicana/o literature at the University of New Mexico, this endowment will provide support for an Hispanic student enrolled in the MFA Creative Writing Program. Anaya is known as the dean of Chicano writers; his teaching and writings have impacted a generation of writers, literary scholars, students, and readers.
Rudolfo Anaya Folklore Scholar Award
Awarded annually to an undergraduate or graduate student with an exceptional record who is involved in some investigative research and writing in the area of New Mexico Folklore.
Rudolfo and Patricia Anaya Lecture on Southwest Literature
The purpose of the Rudolfo and Patricia Anaya Lecture on Southwest Literature is to promote the tradition of and a dialogue on the literature of the Southwest. The lecture series was established in 2010 through a gift from the renowned fiction writer Rudolfo Anaya and his late wife Patricia Anaya to the UNM English Department.
Vicente Ximenes Scholarship in Public Rhetoric & Community Literacy
This scholarship is awarded annually to a graduate student in Rhetoric and Writing whose research or service demonstrates commitment to public rhetoric and civic literacy, and who exemplifies the work of Vicente Ximenes, Commissioner of Equal Employment and Chairman of the President’s Cabinet Committee on Mexican American Affairs during the Johnson Administration, whose life was dedicated to supporting underrepresented populations.
