November 2021, Vol 3, Issue 2

MacricostA&S
News

Western Connecticut State University

Department of History News

Alumni News

Alumnus Zachary Schroeder ‘19, who was a double major in History and Political Science, completed his Master’s degree in Security Policy Studies at George Washington University in May 2021. His research focused on terrorism, insurgency, and international organized crime leading to a capstone project that analyzed the nexus between human trafficking and jihadism in West Africa.

Zach recently returned to campus to speak to graduating seniors enrolled in His 490: Senior Seminar telling them about his experiences in grad school and on the job market. He is currently being considered for positions with both the FBI and CIA. Links to Zach’s publications can be found on the History Department’s Alumni Success Stories page.

Department of Writing News

Alumnus Visits WCSU Writing Majors

The Writing Department invited WCSU graduate, Nicholas DiDomizio, back to campus November 16 to speak with writing majors about his journey from aspiring writer to published author.

Meeting with more than 60 students from Writers’ Studio, DiDomizio discussed his path to publication for his debut novel, Burn It All Down, released May 2021.

The Q&A-style discussion, moderated by Professor John Roche, included advice for students on developing solid writing routines, developing an idea into a novel, working with literary agents, dealing with critique and rejection, and more.

Photo shows DiDomizio signing a copy of Burn It All Down for writing major Madison Guerrera.

Alumni News

National Book Award Recipient visited WCSU

In fall 2019, the Writing Department had the pleasure of hosting Martín Espada and Lauren Marie Schmidt on campus for a reading of their work and visits to classes. During the event, Espada read poems from his then-forthcoming book, Floaters. This month, Floaters was awarded the National Book Award for Poetry for 2021.

Sponsors for the 2019 event included Macricostas School of Arts and Sciences, MFA in Creative and Professional Writing program, the departments of Writing, Linguistics, and Creative Process and World Languages and Culture. Support was also provided by the WCSU Office of Diversity and Equality.

Photos from Espada and Schmidt's visit

Send submissions for the newsletter to msasdean@wcsu.edu