Endowed Chair

Each year, our University Endowed Chair in Creative Writing teaches one graduate MFA workshop. The Chair holder also visits classes and gives two readings. MFA students may take a workshop with only one Endowed Chair holder.

National Book Award Winner Tim O'Brien held the Chair every other year from 1999 through 2012. Now, as our professor of creative writing, he teaches six MFA workshops annually. Every workshop is open to every student. Previous Chair holders include the poet Ai, Barry Hannah, Denis Johnson, Robert Stone and Cristina Garcia.