M.A. Students
Sloan Criner
Sloan Criner grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before earning her B.A. in classics and English, as well as a minor in creative writing from Washington and Lee University. She graduated with honors in English for her thesis “Weaker Vessels,” her own work of literary historical fiction which she is currently querying to literary agents. Her research interests lie in female representation, the push and pull between objectification and autonomy which women’s identities experience in literature spanning from classical to contemporary. After obtaining her M.A. in English, she plans to go on to teach English at a high school level, where future English majors are made.
Anja Hemesath
Anja Hemesath (she/her) is from Alexandria, Virginia, but now lives in Chesterfield, Virginia. She received her B.A .in English from Virginia Tech. Her research interests are contemporary fiction, body horror, and womanhood. She spends her free time knitting, drinking coffee, and making futile attempts to befriend neighborhood squirrels.
Emily Meade
Emily Meade is a writer from Christiansburg, Virginia. She received her B.S. in English (concentration in professional and technical writing) from Radford University and a publishing certificate from New York University in 2022. Emily currently works full time as the Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech. When she isn’t freelance writing and reading books, she enjoys spending time with her golden retriever puppy, Mr. Darcy.
Darnell Pelzer Jr.
Darnell Pelzer Jr. was born in Queens, New York, and moved to Norfolk, Virginia at 10. He earned an honors degree in English from Washington & Lee University, double-minoring in Africana studies and journalism, with the assistance of a QuestBridge scholarship. His thesis and capstone show an interest in African American and postcolonial literature, pushed further by Arthurian and media studies. Other passions include video games, sustainability, and photography/videography.
Eliza Quesenberry
Eliza Quesenberry, a first-year M.A. in English candidate, was born and raised in Franklin County, Virginia. She has been cultivating a love of literature and writing for most of her life, earning a B.A. in professional and technical writing and an Honors Laureate diploma from Virginia Tech in 2025. Her scholarly interests focus on the role of religion in 19th-century literature. When she is not working on something school-related, she can be found singing, playing the piano, drawing, painting, or cuddling with dogs.
Atlas Roberson
Atlas Roberson (they/he/she) is returning to Virginia Tech after graduating with their B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing in 2023. Originally from Mechanicsville, Virginia, she is excited to return to Blacksburg and pursue their M.A. in English. His interest lies mainly in LGBTQIA+ and women's literature with the goal of becoming a professor. When not reading, Atlas can be found running, baking, writing analytical essays about songs, and diving down obscure rabbit holes of fleeting fancies.
Olivia Skinner
Olivia Skinner is an MA student in the English graduate program.
Angela Lee Whitlow
Angela Lee Whitlow (she/her) was born and raised in Roanoke, Virginia. Before beginning her master's in English, Angela obtained an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Virginia Western Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Virginia Tech, where she double-majored in professional and technical writing and English. Her primary research interests are postcolonialism and magical realism, with a focus on how the two intersect. When not buried deep in her research and classes, you can find Angela reading fantasy novels, playing cozy video games, crocheting, and on local adventures with her husband.