Donna A. Gessell
Professor Emerita of English · University of North Georgia
A career in letters — teaching, scholarship, and service spanning four decades.
Doctor of Philosophy, English
Dissertation: Contesting Guardianship, Challenging Authority: The Guardian and Ward Relationship in Gothic and Domestic Fiction, 1789–93
Master of Arts, English
Bachelor of Arts, Comparative Literature Cum Laude with Honors in the Liberal Arts
Bachelor of Science, English Education Cum Laude
Faculty Positions
Professor of English
Associate Professor of English
Assistant Professor of English
Visiting Professor
Visiting Instructor
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Administrative Positions
Executive Director, Regional Engagement
Led community engagement strategy across the region, facilitated 22 focus groups across four campuses, and directed preparation for Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement.
Director, Graduate Studies and External Programs
Developed the Forsyth instructional site, administered graduate recruitment and admissions, chaired Graduate Council, and served as chair-elect of the USG Administrative Committee on Graduate Work.
Distinguished Professor of Teaching and Learning
Director of Composition Programs
Director of the Writing Center
CEO, Faculty Senate
Assistant Director, University Writing Center
Scholarly Publications
“An Unwanted Education, Detoxifyingly Satisfying.” Review of Kat Meads, Miss Jane: The Lost Years. North Carolina Literary Review (forthcoming).
“Never Ceasing to Be Ourselves.” Review of Kat Meads, In This Season of Rage and Melancholy Such Irrevocable Acts as These. North Carolina Literary Review, 30 January 2018, pp. 92–93.
“Peace Pedagogy from the Borderlines.” Chapter in Routledge Handbook of Pacifism and Nonviolence. Co-authored with Drs. Renée Bricker, Yi Deng, and Michael Proulx. Routledge, 2018, pp. 371–392.
“Judith Ortiz Cofer and the Ecology of Creating Identity.” South Atlantic Review, vol. 82, no. 3, 2017, pp. 27–45.
“Beyond Magical Realism: Teaching Creative Thinking Using Gabriel García Márquez’s ‘The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World.'” Eureka Studies in Short Fiction, vols. 11/12, 2015, pp. 84–94.
“What’s in Your Writing Tacklebox?” In Contribute a Verse: A Guide to First Year Composition, ed. Tanya Long Bennett. University of North Georgia Press, 2015, pp. 44–54.
“Insomnia Well Spent.” Review of Kat Meads, 2:12 a.m.: Essays. North Carolina Literary Review, 2015, pp. 44–45.
“Civilization: Rereading Austen’s Constructed Utopia.” Nighthawks Open Institutional Repository, University of North Georgia, 2014.
“Reading Flannery O’Connor with Buddha Eyes: Constructing Grace.” Eureka Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 10, 2011, pp. 54–63.
“Civic Engagement Rubric.” VALUE Rubrics. Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2009.
“The Credible Writer: Teaching Ethos in First-Year Composition.” Dialogue, vol. 8, no. 1, 2002, pp. 52–73.
“Writing Science Effectively: Placing Biology and English Students in an Author-Editor Relationship.” Journal of College Science Teaching, vol. 32, no. 4, 2002, pp. 252–57.
“Establishing Author-Editor Interdisciplinary Learning Communities.” The WAC Journal, vol. 13, 2002, pp. 72–78.
“Teaching Writing in a Military College Setting.” Academic Exchange Quarterly, vol. 8, no. 2, 2004.
“A Study on the Success of ‘Strategies for College Success at North Georgia College and State University.'” Reaching Through Teaching, vol. 10, no. 2, 1997, pp. 28–31.
Instructor’s Manuals
“Teaching the Rhetoric of Grammar and Style.” Instructor’s Manual and Answer Key to accompany The Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook, 14th ed. Harcourt College Publishers, 2001, pp. 17–59.
“Teaching the Rhetoric of Grammar and Style.” Instructor’s Manual and Answer Key to accompany The Writer’s Harbrace Handbook. Harcourt College Publishers, 2001, pp. 16–58.
Related Publications
Podcast, Living by the Book. Peace Corps Multimedia, January 2007.
Essay, “Living by the Book.” In Peace Corps: The Great Adventure. Peace Corps, 1997. Reprinted 1999.
Holiday Haiku. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 28, 2004.
Essay, “Thoughts about Billy Roper’s Work.” Gallery Notes, NGCSU, October 1998.
“‘The [Latinx] Darling’: Lorraine M. López Reads the Canon.” SAMLA 90, Birmingham, AL · November 2018
“‘No Heights and No Abysses’: Greene’s Morality in The Comedians Simplified.” Transatlantic Studies Conference, UNG · July 2018
“Charades: Detecting the Queering of Roles in Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell Series.” SAMLA, Atlanta, GA · November 2017
“García Márquez and the Reclamation of Magical Thinking.” 23rd Annual Carolina Conference for Romance Studies, UNC Chapel Hill · March 2017
“Flannery O’Connor’s Exploration of Mistaken Virtue: The Artificial Transformed.” Arts and Letters Conference, UNG · February 2016
“‘O Brave New World’: Virtue Ethics in Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Iris Murdoch’s The Green Knight.” Shakespeare Across the Divide, Miami Beach, FL · February 2016
“Between Languages: Judith Ortiz Cofer’s Exploration of Becoming a Poet.” 29th Annual MELUS Conference, Athens, GA · April 2015
“The Sea of Flames: Anthony Doerr’s Use of Ekphrasis.” SAMLA 87, Durham, NC · November 2015
“Finding a Good Man: The Correspondence between Iris Murdoch and Flannery O’Connor’s Exploration of Virtue Ethics.” Iris Murdoch and Virtue Ethics Conference, Rome, Italy · February 2014
“Murdoch’s Disruptive Fictions: Creating Individual Freedom from Discontinuities.” Baggy Monsters: The Late Works of Iris Murdoch, Kingston University, London · September 2012
“Questioning Narrative Perspectives on Illness and Health: A Pedagogy for Teaching Plague Literature.” International Conference on Narrative, Case Western Reserve University · April 2010
“A Study Tour of Jane Austen’s England: A Service-Learning Project.” Southeastern ASECS, East Tennessee State University · February 2010
“Making Medical Narrative Work in the English Classroom.” Modern Language Association, Chicago · December 2007
“A Shadow over Fiji: Expatriated Southern Colonialism.” Southern Women Writers Conference, Berry College · September 2005
“Making The Meaning of Consuelo: Judith Ortiz Cofer’s Psychic Reconfiguration.” American Literature Association, Boston · May 2005
“Cofer’s Georgia: An Ecology of Race and Place.” Society for the Study of Southern Literature, UNC Chapel Hill · March 2004
“Flannery O’Connor’s Self-Placement: A Buddhist Reading.” Southern Women Writers Conference, Berry College · October 2003
“The Ecology of ‘Home’ in Judith Ortiz Cofer’s Works.” MELUS Conference, Florida Atlantic University · April 2003
“Connecting Audiences: Mirror Effects in Author-Editor Communities.” Conference on College Composition and Communication, Chicago · March 2002
“Staking Claim to the Journey of the Female Hero.” Southern Women Writers Conference, Berry College · April 1998
“[En]gendering Guardianship: Charlotte Smith’s The Old Manor House.” Aphra Behn Society Conference, University of Georgia · October 1996
“Houses in Jane Austen’s Novels: A New Design for the New Domestic Woman.” Nineteenth-Century Studies Association, University of Miami · April 1996
“Teaching the Topography of Gretel Ehrlich’s Grammar.” Conference on College Composition and Communication, Phoenix · March 1997
National Endowment for the Humanities Enduring Questions: “What Is Peace?” $36,400
National Endowment for the Humanities Humanities Connections Planning, “Neuroscience and Humanities.” $35,000
University System of Georgia Teaching and Learning Grant Program: Communication Across the Curriculum. $14,750
University System of Georgia Connecting Teachers and Technology Faculty Development Institute. $9,278
Engaging the Public in Science: A UNG-Community Partnership. $5,000
NGCSU Faculty and Staff Leadership Grants, Graduate Outreach. $5,000 · 2003
National Endowment for the Arts, “Affrilachian Poetry and Art.” $10,000
Georgia Humanities Council, “Writing Memoirs with Sonya Huber.” $2,000
NGCSU Excellence in Teaching Award Grants. $1,050 · 2001 | $705 · 2000
Charles Rieley Armington Research Program on Values in Children, “Children’s Literature and the Acquisition of Gender Values.” 1990
Awards & Honors
2017CTLL Distinguished Teaching Award · UNG
2017Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award · UNG
2017Outstanding Faculty Member, English · Student Government Association
2010North Georgia Lady of Inspiration Honoree · Office of Multicultural Services
2004Alumni Distinguished Professor Award · NGCSU
2002Excellence in Teaching Award for Campus Leadership Development · NGCSU
2001Distinguished Professor of Teaching and Learning · NGCSU
2000Excellence in Teaching Award for Collaboration · NGCSU
1997Chancellor’s Award, Regents’ International Study Seminar to India
1991Graduate Dean’s Instructional Excellence Award · Case Western Reserve University
Honor Societies
1999Omicron Delta Kappa · North Georgia College & State University Circle
1996Phi Kappa Phi · North Georgia College & State University Chapter
1995Sigma Tau Delta · North Georgia College & State University Chapter
Governance
- Graduate Council, Member · 2016–present
- Faculty Senate, Senator · 1996–2000, 2001–2002, 2010–2014
- CEO, Faculty Senate · 1998–2000
- University Committee on Promotion and Tenure · 2007
- Committee on Committees · 1997–1998 (chair), 2001–2002, 2008–2009
- Strategic Planning Committee · 1999–2000, 2002–2004
Curriculum & Advising
- UNG Campus Compact Civic Action Plan & Carnegie Classification Committee · 2018–present
- General Education Committee · 2005–2014
- Graduate English Concentration Advisor · 2014–present
- Academic Advisement Center Advisor · 1996–2013
- McNair Scholars Program Mentor · 2017–present
- Inman Quill Essay Award, Co-founder & Coordinator · 2014–present
Department Service
- Linguistics Minor, Co-Chair · 2017–present
- Promotion and Tenure Committee · 2014–2017 (chair 2016–2017)
- Visiting Authors Committee · 1997–1998, 1999–2000, 2010–2014, 2016–2017
- Director of Composition Programs · 1999–2001
- ENGL 1101 Committee · 1997–1999 (chair)
- Sigma Tau Delta Faculty Advisor · 1995–2000
Professional Editorial & External Roles
- Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, Editorial Board · 2012–2017
- Advanced Placement English, Table Leader and Faculty Consultant · ETS, 1996–2017
- AAC&U VALUE Rubrics, Group Member & Calibrator · 2009, 2011
- Textbook Reviewer: Pearson Longman, Bedford/St. Martin’s, Harcourt Brace, McGraw-Hill
- Dahlonega Literary Festival, Steering Committee Member & Chair · 2010–2012, 2017–present
- Dahlonega Science Council, Board of Trustees · 2017–present
- Lumpkin County Adult Literacy Coalition, Chair · 2002–2003, 2012–2014
- Lumpkin County Development Authority · 2011–2015
- Dahlonega Historic Preservation Commission · 2011–2014
- Connect North Georgia, Board of Directors · 2012–2014
- Leadership Forsyth, Class of 2012
- Dahlonega Sunrise Rotary, Executive Committee · 2008–2013
- Georgia Appalachian Studies Center Board, Executive Committee · 2005–2010
- Girl Scouts, Lifetime Member; Service Unit Director, Lumpkin County · 2002–2007
- Community Helping Place, Free Clinic Advisory Board · 2008–2011
- Appalachian Studies Association, Local Arrangements Chair · 33rd Annual Conference, 2010
- Informal Peace Corps Recruitment Contact · 1995–present
Peace Corps Volunteer & Cross-Cultural Coordinator
Assessed community needs with local leadership and devised approaches to goals in nutrition, sanitation, maternal health, pre-school education, and literacy. Created educational resources appropriate to informal adult education. Served as Cross-Cultural Coordinator, Suva, 1982.
ESL Instructor
Secondary Education Teacher
Conference Assistant Coordinator