Alumni Hall of Fame

On November 2, 2023, the Department of English welcomed alumni Drew Fennell, Bryan Gordon, Randy Russell and Susan Stroman to campus for the Hall of Fame, a celebration of the broad possibilities available to English majors.

In welcoming the honored guests, department chair John Ernest explained why majoring in English can create so many opportunities: “That spirit of daring and innovation, the willingness and preparation to lead when leadership is needed, the ability to enter into any endeavor, any field or profession and succeed. This is what the English major is really about and this is what we are here to celebrate and honor tonight.”

The event also introduced four Rising Stars in the department, current students and recent graduates whose work and initiative show great promise. Each student spoke to what drew them to the department and the experiences that made them realize that majoring in English was the right choice, followed by introducing a Hall of Fame inductee, who shared how their foundation in English shaped their lives. ​

“I’ve had a couple of different majors in my time at the University of Delaware,” said Erin Munoz, a third-year student. “I pursued criminal justice, psychology and elementary​ education, but I never truly felt like I belonged to any of them. I can honestly say that I found a home within the English department, and I’ve never been more satisfied with my academic life.” Munoz plans to pursue a graduate degree with the goal of following in the footsteps of the professors who have provided inspiration to her at UD.

She introduced Bryan Gordon, class of 1969, who has built a career in the TV and film industry as a writer and director whose credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, The West Wing, Weeds and One Tree Hill. “Let me just get this out of the way. I never wanted to go to UD. It was too close to home. How can I test my wings, experience different people,” Gordon began. “But I was wrong. Delaware was a unique experience. I grew up, came of age and was living a life.” Gordon met friends at UD who challenged his thinking and encouraged him to write, setting him on his path. ​

Before starting at UD, Jordana Garland dreamt of what college would look like, but then the pandemic hit and class became zoom meetings in her room. “In the midst of everything that culminated to cement 2020 in the history books, I found peace in my various English courses, not just during freshman year but even now in my senior year,” Garland said. “I knew the English department was where I belonged when I sat down in English 227 Introduction to Creative Writing. I wrote poetry, essays and short stories to better understand the world around me and myself, and Professor Dill saw a light full of passion within me.”

In introducing Delaware attorney Drewry Fennell, Garland thanked her for creating an inspiring legacy in leadership and advocacy in the state. Fennell has been a leader in Delaware promoting better government, social justice and public welfare. She and her wife Lisa Goodman were the first couple in the state to have a civil union.

“What I learned at UD about critical thinking and writing and reading was foundational to what I’ve been able to do in my life. If there’s one thing we all learn as English majors it’s empathy. We study stories and characters and people,” Fennell said. She came to UD as a transfer student in her mid-20s after leaving her first college when her father died. “When I started here I was the recipient of that empathy, and this department brought me back to life and rekindled my passion for learning.” ​

Senior Alyson Cohen always knew she loved reading and talking about the books she read. While at UD, she has learned how to apply what she loves to different disciplines. “When I began my coursework as an advertising minor, I realized just how much being an English major had prepared me,” Cohen said. “English students are inquisitive. We ask the right questions and work tirelessly to answer them. We know how to unpack, how to dig deeper and how to think critically. English students are creative, outside-the-box thinkers who face challenges head-on.”

Randy Russell made a career of facing challenges, first in the military as a transport and refueling pilot flying global missions, then on Wall Street working with clients in technology, media, telecom and private equity. Russell is co-founder, president and COO of Boca Impact Partners, a private equity partnership. Early in his career Russell observed that Marines whose officers had strong writing skills were promoted more frequently than those whose officers struggled with writing, as promotions depended on written reports from the officers. And in the finance industry he realized that all the time spent reading made it possible for him to learn anything he needed to know. “If you come from the land of poetry, you can write an IPO perspective. You can convince a CEO to do business with you. If you polish your weighted average cost of capital to the fifth decimal and round it off to two, nobody cares. I can get that any day of the week, but I can't get someone who can tell the story.” ​

Meeting with her advisor at freshman orientation, Chelsea Raff wasn’t thrilled at the recommendation to take a Shakespeare class; however, it turned out to be one of the best decisions of her college career. Learning to analyze a play led Raff to join UD’s student theatre groups, where she directed Little Women for Harrington Theatre Arts. “Being an English major gave me the knowledge I needed to connect with the script, the cast and the audience to create a beautiful production.” Taking courses in women in literature and women writers was also an inspiration for Raff. “I love these classes and what they taught me about the female experience. Losing myself in stories about sisterhood, finding love, overcoming hardship and chasing your dreams has always been one of my favorite parts of reading.”

Raff introduced five-time Tony Award-winning choreographer and director Susan Stroman, whose career in the arts is an inspiration.

“Growing up in Delaware, my father instilled in me how valuable a degree in English would be to my future and how mastering a command of the language and studying the classics and storytelling would serve me well,” Stroman said. “My English major inspired me to dive deep into stories, all kinds of stories, and to dream big. I took everything I learned from the English department and applied it to my whole life.” Stroman recounted meeting the first woman dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Helen Gouldner, who encouraged her to pursue her passion for theatre and dance. Quoting Shaw, Gouldner told Stroman, “You don’t need to find yourself, you need to create yourself.” ​

​The Hall of Fame event brought together English alumni, students and faculty in for a personal, intimate celebration of the amazing opportunities majoring in English provides. One of the Rising Stars described being in the room together as “the essence of what it means to belong to such a warm and inviting community of dreamers, writers, educators and storytellers.” ​

Article by CAS Communications Staff
Published December 4, 2023