Posted on Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Five Westminster College students presented original literary research and creative writing at the Sigma Tau Delta International Convention held in March in New Orleans, with two students earning Convention Paper Awards for their presentations.
The students’ work was selected from a pool of submissions representing Sigma Tau Delta English honor society chapters from across the United States and overseas.
Mady Goodrich, a rising senior English major from Coudersport, Pa., received the Isabel Sparks President’s Award for Common Reader-Focused Writing for her presentation of “The Legend of the Seven,” a creative writing project completed under the guidance of Dr. Kristianne Kalata, professor of English.
Kamryn Taylor, a rising senior English major and honors student from Erie, Pa., received the Willa Cather Foundation Award for her presentation of “Performing Gender in ‘Fantomina’ and ‘Paul’s Case,’” a literary research project also completed under Kalata’s guidance.
Three additional Westminster students were selected to present their work at the convention.
Landree Noviello ’26, a psychology major from New Castle, Pa., presented “Mia,” a creative writing project completed under Kalata’s guidance. Noviello graduated in May.
Olivia Plummer ’26, an English major and honors student from Seneca, Pa., presented “Such That I Could Slip Away,” a creative writing project completed under the guidance of Dr. David Swerdlow, professor of English. Plummer graduated in May.
Cassandra Evans ’26, an English major from New Castle, presented “De Luca Family,” a creative writing project completed under the guidance of Dr. Trisha Cowen, associate professor of English. Evans graduated in May.
For Plummer, presenting at the convention provided an opportunity to share her writing with a broader audience and grow personally and professionally.
“This conference forced me to step beyond the confines of my own personal boundaries,” Plummer said. “I had never previously shared my work outside of immediate English majors at Westminster College, so it was eye-opening to see how my work impacted others. I learned how to carry myself and effectively articulate my ideas, and I met people with similar minds and thought processes who permanently affected how I view the world.”
Evans, who hopes to pursue a career in fiction publishing, said the convention allowed her to connect with others who share her professional and creative interests.
“This conference celebrated what I want to do and allowed me to share my work and meet others who have similar interests,” Evans said.
The five students received travel grants from Westminster College’s Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research to attend the convention. The Drinko Center financially supports undergraduate work through various grants for students participating in academic programs, conferences and creative projects at Westminster College.
Sigma Tau Delta is the international English honor society and provides opportunities for students and scholars of English language and literature to present their work, publish their writing and engage with a global community of scholars and writers.
For more information, please contact Kalata at kalatak@westminster.edu. To learn more about Westminster College’s major in English, visit www.westminster.edu/English.
Top photo, from left are Kamryn Taylor, Landree Noviello, Mady Goodrich, Cassandra Evans and Olivia Plummer. Pictured in bottom photo are Mady Goodrich, left, and Kamryn Taylor.
