Research
Independent research experiences are a vital complement to the course work for English majors. The English Department is fortunate to have internal funding sources such as the Lilly Fund to provide support for student projects.
Named in honor of beloved English Professor Henry T. Lilly, who taught a wide variety of classes in British literature at 91ɬ over a 40-year career, the Lilly Fund provides support for the following types of work and experiences:
- Independent and class-based student research projects which require travel or have considerable associated costs
- Class trips to plays, conferences, and other relevant events, and visitors to classes on campus
- Study abroad grants (need and merit-based) for majors participating in the 91ɬ Cambridge Program
With generous financial support from the Robert Whitton Fund and additional support from the Lilly Fund, Sarah Sweeting and Nasir Jean-Paul, two students studying major works by Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, were able to attend the Toni Morrison “Sites of Memory Symposium” at Princeton University in spring 2023. With support from Prof. Brenda Flanagan, the students were also able to spend a day in Princeton's archives exploring correspondence between Morrison and several other major African American writers and artists, and viewed notes that Morrison had written to herself as guides to the creation of her novel, Beloved.
Recently, the Lilly Fund has contributed support to the following student projects:
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Annelise Hawgood '27 will travel with Lilly funding to Sydney, Australia to present her research at the 19th International Conference on the Inclusive Museum in September 2026. Through her presentation, Annelise will contribute to the conversation on museum equality—specifically regarding Spanish Modernism.
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Emily Hazim '26 was able to make the most of a summer internship with the North Carolina Writers' Network thanks to added support from the Lilly Fund. Emily graciously described the impact of that funding: "This opportunity is exactly what I needed to take a step in the direction of publishing, and without the funding, I’m not sure that I would’ve been able to take it. Even though I’m graduating, the English Department’s generosity in this moment has made me feel truly supported in the transition between my 91ɬ career and my professional one."
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Maurice Norman ’20 developed Project: Token, an art installation project that combines photography, spoken word, and narrative techniques to represent a multiplicity of narratives from 91ɬ students of color. The project was installed in late March ’18 on Patterson Court Lawn, and Maurice gave a presentation about the project in early May ‘18. The Lilly Fund helped defray refreshment costs for this timely and important project.
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Chelsea Alexander ’18 took an independent study on screenwriting in Spring 2018; she augmented her regular meetings with her professor by taking an online masterclass in screenwriting created by award-winning TV producer and writer Shonda Rimes, paid for by the Lilly Fund.