Contacts & Location

Administration

The Department of Literatures in English administrative office located at 250 Goldwin Smith Hall is open Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm. The mailroom and copy room are open Monday-Thursday 8:30am-4:30pm.

Currently on Cornell's campus, masking is encouraged but not required.
Please check Cornell's up to date COVID-19 policy for visitors to campus here.

If, after perusing the below lists of faculty and staff administrators, you are unable to determine who to contact, you can email [email protected], our general inquiry email address. You can reach our administrative office by phone at 607-255-6800.

Administration Contact Information
Faculty Administrator Role	Name	Contact Information
Picket Family Chair of the Literatures in English Department	Professor Shirley Samuels	250 Goldwin Smith [email protected]
Associate Chair	Associate Professor Elisha Cohn	171 Goldwin Smith Hall [email protected]
Director of Graduate Studies (DGS)	Associate Professor Lindsay Thomas	282 Goldwin Smith Hall [email protected]
Director of Creative Writing (DCW)	Associate Professor Valzhyna Mort	250 Goldwin Smith Hall [email protected]
Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS)	Professor Laura Brown	347 Goldwin Smith Hall [email protected]
Director of Honors	Associate Professor Philip Lorenz	106 Klarman [email protected]
Placement Director	Associate Professor Lenora Warren	346 Goldwin Smith [email protected]
Advisor to Minors	Senior Lecturer Gregory Londe	341 Goldwin Smith [email protected]
Editor, EPOCH	Professor J. Robert Lennon	251 Goldwin Smith epoch @cornell.edu

Staff Administration Details
Staff Administrator Role	Name	Contact Information	Ask me about...
Department Manager	Emily Parsons	250 GSH (607) 255-6799 [email protected]	Navigating Cornell (working with professors, with other administrators or offices, sensitive issues) New projects and initiatives, budget HR, hiring, policy Anything not mentioned below
Assistant to the Chair	Victoria Brevetti	250 GSH (607) 255-6801 [email protected]	Paycheck and appointment questions Scheduling an appointment with the Chair Course evaluations Submitting items for creative writing & other writing contests
PhD Graduate Program Coordinator	Katrina Overton	250 GSH 607-254-3471 [email protected]	PhD academic program/funding related questions PhD exam scheduling and other required processes/paperwork Taking a leave of absence or being in absentia (if you are a graduate student) PhD program admission and process
MFA Graduate Program Coordinator	Meegs Longacre	250 GSH (607) 255-4538 [email protected]	MFA academic program/funding related questions MFA exam scheduling and other required processes/paperwork MFA program admission and process Website biography and news updates Communications & publicity
Teaching Programs Coordinator	Belle McDonald	250 GSH (607) 255-8848 [email protected]	Classes, curriculum, and enrollment questions from students or instructors Classroom information
Undergraduate Program Coordinator	Aurora Ricardo	250 GSH (607) 255-6800 [email protected]	Scheduling an appointment with the DUS Events and resources for undergraduates English major, minors, and honors programs
Accounts Coordinator	Alice Murdock	250 GSH (607) 255-3878 [email protected]	Spending Faculty Research and Travel (FRT) funds Facilities (keys, rooms, custodial/repair services)
Events Coordinator	Ilyana Castillo	250 GSH (607) 253-2394 [email protected]	Department events Reserving the Literatures in English department lounge
IT Support for Goldwin Smith	Gabriel Plaine & Bryson Grygier	[email protected]	Support for Cornell-managed computers and printers located in Goldwin Smith Hall Selection, set-up, and support of faculty and staff computers

Location

The Department of English is located in Goldwin Smith Hall, the Arts Quad’s flagship building and most prominent structure.

Built in 1906, Goldwin Smith Hall is positioned with a wide-angle view of the the quad's first three structures, White, McGraw and Morrill Halls. In addition to the Department of English, Goldwin Smith is also home to the College of Arts & Sciences dean’s office, academic advising, classics, comparative literature, German studies, history of art, medieval studies, philosophy and the famous Temple of Zeus Cafe.

Note: Cornell has acknowledged that this building's namesake, Goldwin Smith (1823-1910), authored many bigoted essays that put forth anti-Semitic, anti-feminist, anti-suffrage and anti-coeducation views that are antithetical to Cornell's and the Department of Literatures in English's values. Read Cornell's statement here, and learn more about student research into Goldwin Smith's legacy here.

The quad features both classic and modern architecture and includes the landmark statues of both Ezra Cornell, the university’s founder, and Andrew Dickson White, the university’s first president. A.D. White’s towering presence at the entrance to Goldwin Smith Hall oversees impromptu academic discussions and lunch breaks, which often take place on the stone steps and nearby year-round tables. The quad serves as home to both to the College of Arts and Sciences, the university’s largest undergraduate college, and the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. In late spring, graduating seniors from all Cornell colleges and their families gather on the lawn, and in the fall, students play Frisbee and lounge on the grass between classes. Small seminars can often be seen dotting the quad during the warmer months. The quad is also the primary gathering place for Dragon Day and many of the university’s celebratory events.