FERRUM, VA, June 14, 2024 – Dr. Lana Whited, Professor of English, has been selected as the 2024-2026 Ferrum College Forrest S. Williams Distinguished Teaching Chair. Whited is the author of one monograph, sixteen peer-reviewed journal articles, and ten chapters in peer-reviewed books. She is also the editor of four anthologies about fantasy literature. Additionally, she has been a guest on fifteen episodes of three different scholarly podcasts, experiences that have given her insight into how scholarship is diversifying.
Whited has been active in organizing the 2018 campus Opioid Symposium featuring Dopesick author Beth Macy as well as the 2018 Harry Potter Festival and 2019 Generic Magic Festival in Roanoke, Virginia. She has brought nationally and regionally known speakers to campus, including Beth Macy, Janine Latus, Mary Bishop, Adam Shepard, Dan Smith, Sharon Mehdi, and others. Finally, she has served as the Director of the Boone Honors Program since 2007.
The Forrest S. Williams Distinguished Teaching Chair provides funding for a senior member of the Humanities faculty to further scholarly and teaching endeavors. In Ferrum’s new academic structure, this two-year appointment is envisioned as an academic leadership role designed to support faculty scholarship in the School of Arts and Humanities. Whited has crafted a plan for a peer workshop series that will provide colleagues with regular opportunities for peer feedback, editing, and preparation for publication.
Whited will also help create a community for conversation about how traditional scholarship is changing in response to the emergence of new technologies, such as online publishing opportunities, podcasts, and artificial intelligence technologies.
The Williams Endowment was established in 1994 with a gift from Forrest S. Williams and Jean B. Williams. Previous appointees include Dr. Emmanuel Obiechina, Dr. Kisor Chakrabarti, Dr. Peter Crow, Dr. Richard Smith, Dr. David Howell, and Dr. Eric Vanden Eykel.
“Dr. Lana Whited’s appointment as the Williams Professor at Ferrum College exemplifies academic excellence at its finest,” said Ferrum College President Dr. Mirta Martin. “Her dedication to scholarship and pedagogy, commitment to student success, and outstanding contributions to her field reflect the highest standards of our institution.”
