News Archive
Robert Phillips Retiring After Distinguished Career at UH
Robert Phillips left a successful career in advertising to move from New York to teach creative writing at the University of Houston in 1991. He directed the Creative Writing Program from 1991 to 1996 and was chosen as a John and Rebecca Moores University Scholar in 1998. He has taught fiction, poetry and non-fiction courses while at UH. He has published 10 books of poetry, three books of fiction and numerous essays, criticisms, interviews and editions. His writing has been featured in dozens of anthologies and is often read by Garrison Keiller on NPR’s Prairie Home Companion.
Phillips has mentored many, many students, served on committees, received many local and national awards and has been nominated for many more. The University of Houston, and specifically the Creative Writing Program, hopes that Phillips’ retirement is as successful for him as his time here has been for the UH community.
Mark Doty Moving On
In September, longtime UH Creative Writing Program professor Mark Doty joins the faculty at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, where he will be Writer in Residence. Mark finds it hard to leave Houston after ten years of involvement with remarkable students, but he looks forward to taking the train to work and to connecting with a new community of writers and scholars.
The Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston wishes him the best of luck and thanks him for all he’s done while in Houston and hopes he stays in touch.
Janine Joseph wins a Paul & Daisy Soros Award
UH Creative Writing Program doctoral candidate Janine Joseph was recently awarded a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship, which are annually awarded to support the graduate study of new Americans (immigrants and children of immigrants). Joseph is one of 31 Soros Fellows who were selected from about 750 applicants. Created in 1997, these fellowships have been awarded to 354 students. See the original news article "UH Poet Earns Soros Fellowship," published on May 5 on uh.edu.