Gary Scharnhorst, a UNM English professor, was recently selected as chairperson of the American Literature Section of the Modern Language Association, which is the highest elected office for a professor in that field.
Scharnhorst said the position brings both enjoyment and the chance to be in the company of some very talented scholars.
"There have been several professors from UNM who have chaired the section, and I feel it is an honor to be in their company," he said.
The Modern Language Association of America was founded in 1883 and is the largest professional organization in the world with more than 40,000 members, he said.
The organization is responsible for promoting the scholarly study of American Literature, sets the professional standards for English professors, publishes a job list for new English scholars and recommends teaching texts.
Scharnhorst was nominated by an advisory board and competed against four other professors for the position.
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His responsibilities will include appointing members to different committees that will select the Board of Editors, the panel that decides the nominees for the distinguished career award and the advisory council.
Scharnhorst said he is also responsible for helping coordinate the annual convention. "English professors from across the country gather at conventions and we discuss the profession as a whole," he said. "We set professional standards and establish connections with others in the field."
Scharnhorst said he looks forward to going to the convention because it gives him the chance to scout authors and editors for the articles and journals the association publishes.
"I love going to these conventions because not only do we discuss our profession, but we get to see our friends," he said.
Scharnhorst has been a professor at UNM since 1987. He has been teaching American literature for 15 years.
"I love teaching at UNM. I don't think there is any other profession I would prefer to have, and I don't think there is anything I'd rather do in life," he said.
He said his teaching style calls for a lot of interaction with students and thinks of his job as being in the performing arts.
"I always begin my classes with a joke or humorous book review," he said. "I'm hardly a lecturer."
Scharnhorst completed his doctorate at Purdue University in 1978. He has written or edited 18 books and is the co-editor of the American Literary Realism journal and the American Literary Scholarship. He was a Fulbright lecturer in 1978, 1985 and 1993.
