Program Overview

English Department

The English Department offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs.

Undergraduate Programs

• English Major/Minor
  • Major Requirements [BA/BS]
  • Minor Requirements
• Creative Writing Major
  • Overview
  • Requirements
  • Student Testimonials
  • Events
  • FAQs
• Writing Minor
  • Requirements
• Film Studies Minor
  • Requirements
• Comics Studies Certificate
  • Requirements
  • Courses
  • Faculty
• Undergraduate Studies
  • Undergraduate Advising
  • University Writing Requirement
  • B+M in English Pathway
  • B+M in English + Professional and Technical Writing Pathway
  • Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies Certificate

Graduate Programs

• MA in English
  • Admissions
  • Curriculum
  • Graduation Deadlines
• MFA in Creative Writing
  • Overview
  • Admissions
  • Curriculum
  • Faculty
  • Alumni
  • Graduation Deadlines
  • Events
  • FAQs
• MA/MS in Book Publishing
  • Overview
  • Why Book Publishing?
  • Why PSU?
  • Careers
  • Admissions
  • Curriculum
  • Registering for Courses
  • Advisory Board
  • Graduation Requirements
  • Graduation Deadlines
  • Learning Goals
  • Our Mission
• MA/MS in Professional and Technical Writing
  • Admissions
  • Curriculum
  • Faculty
  • Alumni
  • Graduation Information
• Graduate Studies
  • Graduate Student Funding
  • Graduate Handbooks
  • Graduate Forms
  • Post-Baccalaureate Studies

Courses

• Spring 2026 Courses
• Winter 2026 Courses
• AY 25-26 Tentative Course Schedule
• Study Abroad
• Course Description Archives

Awards

• Scholarships and Awards
• Student Hardship

Faculty

• Student Hours (Office Hours)
• Full-Time Faculty
• Adjunct and Affiliated Faculty
• Emeriti Faculty
• Faculty Resources

Connect

• Events
  • 60th Annual Nina Mae Kellogg Lecture
  • Nina Mae Kellogg Lecture
• Publications
• Visiting Scholars
• Donate

MA/MS in Book Publishing: Advisory Board

The MA/MS in Book Publishing program has an advisory board consisting of industry professionals.

Advisory Board Members

• Maeve MacLysaght
  • Literary agent at Aevitas Creative Management
  • Represents commercial genre fiction and graphic novels
  • Holds a B.A in Comparative Literature from Occidental College, a publishing certificate from NYU, and an MLitt in Ancient Greek Monsters from The University of St Andrews in Scotland
• Fin Leary
  • Author, program manager at We Need Diverse Books, and faculty member at GrubStreet and Emerson College
  • Editor of the science fiction anthology Future States of Stars
  • Contributor to the young adult horror anthology These Bodies Ain't Broken
• Denise Morales Soto
  • Bilingual copyeditor at Random House Children's Books
  • Works on titles in English and Spanish, including nonfiction and fiction books
  • Holds a BA in Literature and Linguistics from the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey, and an MA in Book Publishing from Portland State University
• Kim Hogeland
  • Acquisitions editor at Oregon State University Press
  • Acquires books in Indigenous studies, environmental studies, and the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest
  • Holds degrees in history from UC Berkeley and UC Davis
• Dana Trocker
  • Vice President and Associate Publisher of Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster
  • Focuses on overall publishing strategy and oversees marketing efforts
  • Holds a bachelor's degree in Literature and Creative Writing from UC Santa Cruz, a master's degree in book publishing from Portland State University, and attended the Columbia Publishing Course
• Andrea Fleck-Nisbet
  • Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Book Publishers Associations
  • Formerly the founding vice-president and publisher of HarperCollins' lifestyle imprint, Harper Horizon
• Chris Gruener
  • Seasoned publishing executive with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest
  • Co-founded The Stable Book Group, a collective uniting several independent publishers
• Joe Biel
  • Self-made autistic publisher and founder of Microcosm Publishing
  • Author of several books, including A People's Guide to Publishing and Autism Relationships Handbook
• Mateus Teixeira
  • Vice President and Director of Digital Publishing, Production, and Design at W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
  • Integrates business strategy, editorial vision, and technology to deliver learning and teaching tools
• Erika Schnatz
  • Senior production artist at Image Comics
  • Creates design and layout for single issue comics, trade paperbacks, and hardcovers
  • Sells her art at comic and zine events in the Pacific Northwest