Multicultural reading held for ECU English professor

A special tribute was held in honor of Gay Wilentz, an ECU English professor who co-founded ECU’s ethnic studies and multicultural literature programs at ECU. More than 100 of Wilentz’s students, colleagues and friends came to the Nov. 14 program.

Michael Bassman, assistant vice chancellor and honors program director, said the moment was right to honor Wilentz and her contribution to helping students and the university. Bassman had co-founded the ethnic studies program with Wilentz in 1989.

“Gay has always been an advocate for her students,” Bassman said. “We hope to honor someone who really cares about her students and who has always been their advocate.”

In the past 25 years at ECU, Wilentz has conducted numerous studies in Belize and has compiled the first anthology of literature by writers from Belize. In 2004, she received ECU’s lifetime achievement award for Research and Creative Activity.

She is author of several books, including Healing Narratives: Women Writers Curing Cultural Dis-Ease (Rutgers 2000).

Click here for a full profile on Gay Wilentz.