Current Students

Ayotunde Afolabi holds a bachelor's degree in English and International Studies from Osun State University. After the completion of his degree, he proceeded to get a Post Graduate Diploma in Education which gave him the leverage to teach for 3+ years in Nigeria, before coming for his Master's program at the Bowling Green State University.

  As an aspiring literary scholar, Ayotunde's research focuses more on African literature,  especially themes of Gender and Identity how it intersects with related areas like migration and politics.

Ayotunde enjoys playing football and virtual games outside of academic work.

Ash Anteau (any pronouns) received her bachelor's in English from Bowling Green State University in 2021. Her research interests are primarily driven by questions about the physical and spiritual experiences of late medieval people, which often involves questions of gender, sexuality, disability, religious discourse, identity, and expression. In addition to her academic interests, Ash is a multimedia artist and amateur birder.

Aishat Babatunde (she/her) is a second-year student in the master’s program in Literary and Textual Studies at Bowling Green State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan. A journalist by profession, Aishat pivoted towards literature to pursue her long-life dream of researching books and people. Her research interests lie at the intersection of postcolonial and global literature with a particular focus on gender, race/ethnicity, and materialism in contemporary Nigerian pop culture. Aishat is driven by passion to promote greater understanding and appreciation of African literature and culture. 

Outside of her academic work, she continues to work as a freelance journalist and copy editor.

Ahmad Bilal (he/him) is an MA student in English Literary & Textual Studies at Bowling Green State University. His research interests include American Popular Culture, World Literature in English, and South Asian Literature. He is particularly interested in exploring power dynamics, oppression, poverty narratives, and class issues in literature. Ahmad brings a critical and analytical approach to his research, promising to make a valuable contribution to the field.

Born and raised in Northwest Ohio, Savannah Packman is a second-year MA Literary and Textual Studies Program student. She graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in May 2020. Prior to attending BGSU, she earned an Associate of Applied Business in Marketing from Terra State Community College. Savannah works at WGTE Public Media in Toledo and plans to continue working in the nonprofit landscape after graduation.  

Her research interests include horror studies, film studies, feminist theory, Marxist theory, and psychoanalysis. Outside the classroom, Savannah enjoys spending time with her cats, watching films, and thrifting. 

Mr. Edwin Oyugi Matundura (he/him) is from Kenya, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Kenyatta University in 2000. He taught high school students for several years before beginning graduate study in literature at Kisii University in 2018, then came to BGSU in 2023 to join the MA program in Literary and Textual Studies. His areas of interest include literary trauma theory, postcolonial approaches to American literature, and queer theory.

Sophia Michalski (she/her) received her BFA in Creative Writing from BGSU in May 2023. During her undergraduate studies she was president of a student organization and a member of the school literary journal Prairie Margins. Having double-minored in Chinese and Japanese, Sophia enjoys analyzing similarities and differences in languages and hopes to continue learning languages. Sophia reads a great deal for both academic and recreative purposes, though she prefers fantasy fiction or YA novels in her free time and enjoys having conversations while analyzing these texts. When she’s not studying, she likes to play videogames rich in storytelling or watch TV with her dog.

Sarah Urbank (she/her) received her BA in English with a minor in Women's Studies from the University of Akron. As an undergraduate, Sarah's academic work and fiction were published in First Year Voices and Ashbelt, and she worked as an assistant at UA's EXL Center for Experiential Learning. Currently, she is pursuing an MA in BGSU's Literary and Textual Studies program. Sarah's research interests include graphic novels, science fiction and fantasy, queer and gender studies, and women in literature. Outside of academia, she has spent time renovating houses, learning to restore antique tractors, and farming. She enjoys watching Doctor Who and hiking with her dog.

Aysenur Zaza (she/her) received her BA in English Literature from Bogazici University, Turkey in 2022. Her research interests include Gothic novels, food, trauma, sexuality, identity, and women in literature. When she’s not studying, she likes to solo-travel as much as she can, go for a walk, or cuddle with her cat and attempt to write a novel. Before pursuing a master’s degree in Literary and Textual Studies at Bowling Green State University, she worked as a content marketer.