Tanner Callis

About Tanner

Year: Graduate Student
Major: English
Hometown: Hays, KS
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lexey Bartlett; Dr. Sharla Hutchinson
Research Recognition: 2023 Outstanding Graduate Student Research and Creative Activity Award

Learn more about the Outstanding Graduate Student Research and Creative Activity Award

Describe Your Research

For the Sigma Tau Delta International Convention, I presented a comparison of features of Anglo-Saxon religious and elegiac poetry through a close-reading style analysis. I also presented in a roundtable consisting of five students who completed creative projects in literature classes as an alternative or supplement to a more traditional research essay. Featured in this “UnEssay” roundtable was my short graphic novelization of a section from Vergil’s Aeneid and a board game inspired by social justice topics in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

At SACAD, I gave an oral presentation about the meaning of motion and landscapes featured in literature of the American West. I drew comparisons of the three novels selected—Lonesome Dove, My Antonia, and Under the Feet of Jesus—to the vision of the West illustrated in Frederick Jackson Turner’s “Frontier Thesis."

What was it like sharing your research?

Sharing research on the international stage comes with its share of delights. For one, English majors are often pulled into topic-oriented panels so as to create a space designated for conversation on specific social topics, works, or themes. At the convention, I received opportunities to view my creative projects in light of findings by other students from across the nation. The option for students to submit creative-oriented projects instead of the traditional research essay, it turns out, is an approach seeing increased adoption in academia. As a graduate student, a wave of fulfillment crossed my mind as I found myself learning more about not only the effectiveness of offering creative project options in pedagogy, but also about reasons why students might want to consider new ways to look at scholarship through these kinds of projects.

Since my initial chance to present at SACAD as a psychology undergrad, the celebratory day has held an important space in my mind. Last year, however, was my first year as an English major, and I will not shy away when I say that my research was met with a few puzzled glances as the only student in my section presenting orally over a non-scientific study. After that experience, I promised myself to recruit other English majors for the following year. As one might imagine, it was the most encouraging feeling to go up again this year alongside two of my English colleagues and the general support of the department. Of seven student oral presentations, three came from English Programs. I hope we can increase our participation even more at the next SACAD, and I challenge other students writing in the Humanities to join us and consider the oral presentation route for sharing their work.

What are your future career goals?

I would like to find employment in the academic setting, perhaps in the publishing area if not in teaching. Working on these projects and sharing them has given me insight to the kind of work academics commit themselves to. I’ve learned much about project initiation, work timelines, the research process, visual design, communication, and presentation skills—all transferable and highly coveted traits that I could not have gained in the classroom alone. My research experience, in what occurs both behind the desk and up on the podium, has prepared me for working in such professional settings.

Why should other students get involved in research?

Since my initial chance to present at SACAD as a psychology undergrad, the celebratory day has held an important space in my mind. Last year, however, was my first year as an English major, and I will not shy away when I say that my research was met with a few puzzled glances as the only student in my section presenting over a British novel instead of a “scientific” study of some kind. After that experience, I promised myself to recruit other English majors for the following year. As one might imagine, it was the most encouraging feeling to go up again this year alongside two of my English colleagues and the general support of the department.

Moreover, most professors at FHSU are committed to helping students reach out and connect themselves with their research interest areas. If students are uncertain about working on independent research endeavors, they should consider sharing their class projects at welcoming events like SACAD. And of course, they should encourage a friend to present their work, too—it’s shocking by how much the extra support can influence one’s personal and professional development! Of seven student oral presentations at this year’s SACAD, three came from English Programs. I hope we can increase our participation even more next year, and I challenge other students writing in the Humanities to join us and consider the oral presentation route for sharing their work.

About Tanner

Learn more about the Outstanding Graduate Student Research and Creative Activity Award