How You Can Help

The Publications Unit Fund

To establish a fund supporting the activities of the ISU Publications Unit.

Make a gift to the Publications Unit Fund

The Lois Lenski Lecture Series

The Lois Lenski Lecture series is named for two-time Newberry award winning children's author and illustrator, Lois Lenski (1893-1974).

In the course of her career, she became friends with Illinois State University English professor Taimi Ranta (1916-1995). Ranta was instrumental in ensuring that Lenski donated many of her literary papers and the original art for some of her illustrations to Milner Library. The Lenski Lecture was named in honor of Lois Lenski, but Ranta's generosity of spirit was the inspiration for this fund.

The Lenski Lecture Series, first established in 1994, was the first named lecture series in children's literature in the United States. The purpose of this fund is to support the oldest and best-known speaker series of its kind.

Make a gift to the Lois Lenski Lecture Series

The David Foster Wallace memorial Restricted Fund

The purpose of the David Foster Wallace Memorial Restricted Fund is to support activities of the Department of English by sponsoring the Wallace Memorial Reading Series, which will bring well-known authors to campus to present a public reading of their work and to interact with students and faculty.

It will also support activities of the Department of English by sponsoring the David Foster Wallace Award. This cash award will honor a graduate or undergraduate student whose writing engages its subject from an original, committed, and humane perspective.

Assets of this endowment are invested in the ISU Endowment Investment Pool.

Make a gift to the David Foster Wallace Memorial Restricted Fund

The Class of 39 Ruth Henline Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 1984 by a committee of 1939 graduates to honor the Class of 1939 and Ruth Henline. Henline was a professor at Illinois State Normal University from 1926 until her retirement in 1970.

The scholarship is available to students, junior or senior level, majoring in English Education and intending to teach. Assets of this endowment are invested in the Illinois State University Endowment Investment Pool.

The Dorothy Bryan Schemske Scholarship

This endowment was established in 1998 by Dorothy Bryan Schemske, a 1941 graduate of Illinois State Normal University.

The scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student working toward a career in teaching English, with a preference to a studuent with an interest in creative writing.

Assets of this endowment are invested in the Illinois State University Endowment Investment Pool.

Make a gift to the Dorothy Bryan Schemske Scholarship

The Glenn Grever English Education Scholarship Fund

This endowment was established in 1996 in memory of Professor Glenn Grever.

The scholarship is awarded Fund to a full-time or part-time senior, majoring in English Education and student teaching during the semester that the scholarship is available.

Assets of this endowment are invested in the Illinois State University Endowment Investment Pool.

Make a gift to the Glenn Grever English Education Scholarshipp Fund

The Jean Ann Martin Honegger Scholarship

This endowment was established in 2003 by Jean Ann Martin Honegger ('64 B.S.) for the purpose of providing financial support for a female freshman College of Arts and Sciences student intending to major in English.

Assets of this endowment are invested in the Illinois State University Endowment Investment Pool.

The Julia N Visor Scholarship

The Julia N. Visor Scholarship is a monetary prize given each year for the best undergraduate essay on issues of race relations, colonialism and cultural diversity in any sub-field of English studies - literature, rhetoric, linguistics, creative writing, publishing, new media studies, technical writing, or education.

Make a gift to the Julia N Visor Scholarship

The Neuleib-Scharton Award

The Neuleib-Scharton Award is presented to the graduate student and undergraduate student who have written the best papers in rhetoric, composition, and writing studies in history, theory, or criticism. It honors Professors Jan Neuleib and Maurice Scharton, whose work together within and beyond the Department serves as a reminder that rhetoric and writing practices are inherently collaborative and thus essential to building and sustaining community.

Jan is Professor Emeritus of English, retiring from ISU in 2020 after a 40+ year career in the Department. She was the founding director of the University’s first Writing Center and directed the Writing and English Education programs. She also founded the Illinois State Writing Project, which she directed for eighteen years. Maurice taught in the English department from 1977 through 2002 and was a popular teacher of rhetoric, writing, grammar, as well as a teacher of teachers through grants and workshops.

Together Jan and Maurice published Inside Out: A Guide to Writing, Things Your Grammar Never Told You: A Pocket Handbook, as well as numerous journal articles. They also edited the oldest English journal in the United States, the Illinois English Bulletin, and, through the Illinois State Writing Project, worked with teachers from across the state to help them improve their own writing and their teaching of writing.

Donate to the Neuleib-Scharton Award

The Publications Unit Publishing Award

The Publications Unit is a service and instructional branch of the Department of English, providing editorial, technical, marketing/advertising, and desktop publishing/production support for the creative/literary/scholarly publications housed under the Unit. The Publications Unit also serves the vital role of providing educational and practical experience for the department’s graduate assistants and undergraduate interns interested in small nonprofit presses, journals, and scholarly publications.

The Publications Unit builds upon the interests and strengths of the department’s faculty, staff, and students working within the field and studies of publishing. The Publications Unit Publishing Award is intended to enhance this mission by acknowledging the excellent work of students involved in the study of publishing and nonprofit literary arts.

Make a Gift to the Publications Unit Publishing Award

The Taimi Ranta Childrens Literature Scholarship

This endowment was established in 1996 in memory of Professor Taimi Maria Ranta.

The scholarship is awarded to a full-time or part-time junior, senior, or graduate student majoring in English focusing on children's or adolescent literature.

In addition to scholarships, funds may be used to provide resources for deserving students who are studying Children's Literature and who wish to present scholarly works at related conferences. Those students who receive these scholarships will be designated as "Ranta Scholars."

Assets of this endowment are invested in the Illinois State University Foundation's long-term investment pool.

Make a gift to the Taimi Ranta Children's Literature Scholarship

The Tom Kuster Creative Wrtiting Award

This endowment was established in 1998 by Richard and Marilyn Kuster in memory of their son.

The award is given to a full-time or part-time junior, senior, or graduate student majoring in a program within the English department.

Assets of this endowment are invested in the ISU Endowment Investment Pool.

Make a gift to the Tom Kuster Creative Writing Award

The William Morgan Poetry Award

This endowment was established in 2003 by Professor Emeritus William Morgan, a long-time member of the department.

The award is normally given annually to an undergraduate English major who demonstrates excellence in both the writing of original poetry and in the scholarly and critical study of poetry. The award is also normally given annually to a master's or Ph.D. candidate in English who demonstrates excellence in both the writing of original poetry and in the scholarly and critical study of poetry (including poetry pedagogy).

If, in a given year, there is no clearly deserving application at either the undergraduate or graduate level, no award will be given.

Assets of this endowment are invested in the ISU Endowment Investment Pool.

Make a Gift to William Morgan Poetry Award

The Dr. Robert and Marilyn Sutherland Endowment for Creative Writing Fellows

Sutherland Fellowships are awarded to a small number of creative writing students who work a year in the Department's Publications Unit and spend a second year teaching creative writing. The fellowship is treated as a professional job, where students are expected to complete work at an elevated and often fast-paced level and to challenge knowledge and skill levels with each assignment. Fellows are also recognized as students and will be trained and supervised within an educational environment. These fellowships also include a tuition waiver.

Make a gift to the Dr. Robert and Marilyn Sutherland Endowment for Creative Writing Fellows

The English Graduate Programs - Research Fund

This fund supports English graduate student research including research travel, research presentations, and archival work.

Make a gift to the English Graduate Programs - Research Fund