The Department of English would like to announce that MFA student Andrew Romriell is one of the recipients of the 2023-24 Presidential Fellowship

As Ohio State’s Graduate School describes it, the Presidential Fellowship is the “most prestigious award to recognize the outstanding scholarly accomplishments and potential of graduate students entering the final phase of their dissertation research or terminal degree project.” Romriell is the only student in the division of arts and humanities within the College of Arts and Sciences to receive this year’s award.

Romriell is a writer, poet and photographer from Salt Lake City, Utah. His work has been featured or is forthcoming in journals Black Warrior Review, Brevity, New Delta Review, South 85 Literary Journal, and elsewhere. His debut essay collection Wolf Act, a book about growing up queer in the Mormon religion, is set to be released this coming fall from University of Wisconsin Press.

Reflecting on this achievement, Romriell says, “For me, art has always been about risk-taking. In the midst of creation, it can be difficult to know whether what you're crafting will matter or make a difference. To find such fervent support for my work—whether in topics of spirituality and queerness, HIV and apocalyptic video games, or any number of other strange things—is unbelievably gratifying.”

Romriell would like to extend his appreciation to the English department. “None of it would have been possible without the tremendous work of so many throughout the Ohio State English Department, most notably my advisor Elissa Washuta, as well as Lee Martin, Marcus Jackson, and Austen Osworth who wrote such thoughtful recommendations. I'm excited to spend the next year and half devoted to my research and craft.”

Congratulations to Andrew Romriell on this achievement!