Meet our MA Graduate Instructors


Our graduate students come to us from four continents: Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Representing almost 15 countries (such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, China, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Sudan, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Germany and Italy), our students create a diverse community of emerging scholars, committed to learning, collegiality, cultural exchange, world citizenship, civility, and social outreach. 

We currently have 37 graduate students enrolled in our programs, 22 for the MA in English and 15 for the PhD in Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture. While the majority of our students are financially supported through departmental teaching assistantships, two carry research assistantships outside of the department and one is funded through a dissertation fellowship. Five of our PhD students are self-funded and hold teaching, academic, or administrative appointments outside of the department or the university.

Nasih Alam

Office: Minard 318E34
nasih.alam@ndsu.edu

Recent Research Publications (all single-authored, 2018- 22):

Scholarly Articles Under Press (2022):

  1. “The Anthropocene R.K.Narayan: A Reading of My Days: A Memoir”, University of Jammu, India
  2. “Searching for an Alternative World from Ben Okri’s The Famished Road”, Dialog, University of the Punjab, Gujrat, India.

Book Review (to be published in 2023):

  • "Approaches to Lifespan Writing Research: Generating an Actionable Coherence, edited by Ryan J. Dippre and Talinn Phillips, UP of Colorado, 2020. 265 pp." University of Cincinnati, 2023. Book review.

Tabbitha Erceg

Education: B.A. in English at North Dakota State University with minors in both creative writing and journalism

Office: Minard 318E34
tabbitha.erceg@ndsu.edu

Biographical Sketch: She is currently working towards her M.A. in English at North Dakota State University, where she also works as a GTA for Engl. 120 courses. She has worked for the Spectrum (NDSU’s newspaper), the Wellness Center, and both the Communication and English departments. In her free time, Tabbitha enjoys spending time in nature, hanging out with family and friends, reading, and writing poetry. You can find her poetry in Fargo Monthly, North Dakota Quarterly, various Northern Eclecta issues, and on Hello Poetry.

 

Mike Huynh

Education: BA, English, minor in Arts and Design

Office: Minard 318E2
minh.k.huynh@ndsu.edu

Biographical Sketch: Mike is an international student from Viet Nam. A Concordia College Class of 2020 graduate, Mike currently focuses his research on the evolution of eldritch/ cosmic horror design in modern mainstream media, with an emphasis on video games narrative design. A student of the arts, Mike also has an affinity to all things aesthetics and is skilled in many areas outside of English such as web design, graphic design, and UI/UX design.

Cassandra Pennings

Education: BA in English (North Dakota State University, 2021)

Office: Minard 318E34
cassandra.pennings@ndsu.edu

Biographical Sketch: Cassandra Pennings is a first year MA student and first year writing instructor in the English Department. She previously attended and graduated from NDSU with a BA in English and a minor in Art. Academic points of interest for Cassandra include literature theory, gender and sexuality studies, and technical writing.

Kehinde Soetan

Education: B.A.(Honors) in English from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

Office: Minard 318E2
kehinde.soetan@ndsu.edu

Biographical Sketch: Her research interests include the traumatic experiences of disabled characters in contemporary African literature. 

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Zakeya Sultana

Education: BA in English (ASA University Bangladesh, 2012); MA in Applied Linguistics and ELT (ASA University Bangladesh, 2013)

Office: Minard 318E30  
​​​​​​​zakeya.sultana@ndsu.edu​​​​​​​

Biographical sketch: Zakeya Sultana is a first-year student of MA in English Language and Literature program and a first-year writing instructor in the department of English. She completed her BA (Honors) in English and MA in Applied Linguistics and ELT from Bangladesh. She has been a lecturer in the department of English at ASA University Bangladesh for five years and nine months. Feminism, psychoanalysis and creative writing are her areas of interest.

Research Publications:

  • Sultana, Zakeya (2016): “Bangladeshi University Students' Perceptions on Developing English Writing Skill at the Tertiary Level”, ASA University Review, Vol.10, No.1(18th Issue), January-June 2016: 263-276.
  • Sultana, Zakeya (2018): “EFL Classroom, an Ordeal or an Escape?: An Introspective Study on the Impact of Depression upon Bangladeshi Teachers at the Tertiary Level”, Asian Journal of Law, Humanities and Philosophy, Vol.1, Issue 1, January 2018: 45-67.
  • Sultana, Zakeya (2018): “The Role of Anxiety in Learning and Performing English in the Cadet College Classes: Bangladesh Perspective”, Advances in Language and Literary Studies, Vol. 9, Issue 5, October 31, 2018: 111-120.
  • Sultana, Zakeya(2020): “The Sanctuary of Female Vulnerability: The Degrading Thought Process - A Rumination on The Grass is Singing”, International Journal of Linguistics and Literature, Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2020: 1-8.

Kaitlynn Toay

Education: BA in English (Union College, 2021) and BS in biology (Union College, 2017)

Office: Minard 318E26
kaitlynn.toay@ndsu.edu

Biographical Sketch: Kaitlynn Toay is a first year MA student and first year writing instructor in the English Department. She previously attended Union College in Lincoln, NE where she graduated with degrees in biology and English. Kaitlynn’s academic points of interest include rhetorical studies and Greek mythology.

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