Faculty Spotlight - Ellen McWhorter

In her sixth year of teaching as a professor in the English department at Merrimack College, Dr. Ellen McWhorter has decided to undertake a new position in instructing two Intro to College Writing Honors sections. “I honestly can’t stop talking about how much I love teaching FYW to Honors students. There are so many reasons: the energy level in the class is regularly high, which is infectious; the students tend to lean enthusiastically into the course material and the assignments, which lets us get straight to the most invigorating parts of college learning,” McWhorter says about her experience thus far. She believes that college students today lead much faster pace lives than she did when she was an undergrad in the late 90’s. “At any given moment there’s what’s happening in your head, what’s happening in front of your face, what’s happening on your phone, what’s happening online, etc. On the one hand it’s great to live in such a dynamic world, but when I was in college I was able to slow down and reflect a lot. I’m thankful for that time.”

Despite the chaotic academic climate that her students are faced with, she only had one piece of advice to give to her students: stay curious. As one of Professor McWhorter’s students, I can say from experience that her vivacious personality and engagement in the classroom have certainly kindled my curiosity in not only writing and language but across all disciplines.