Feature Stories
Lois M. Tyson
Dr. Lois M. Tyson is professor of English at Grand
Valley State University, and faculty-development coordinator for the
English department. She has served as a member of the GVSU faculty
for over 20 years.
She is described by her former students as always patient,
encouraging, consistently kind, and exceedingly passionate about her
profession. They commend her for utilizing her many talents to
personally connect them with literature and critical theories, and for
her lasting and profound impact on their personal and professional
lives.
Tyson earned a Bachelor of Arts in French from
Rutgers University in 1972, and double master’s degrees in education
and English from Ohio University in 1982 and 1984. She earned a Ph.D.
in English from the Ohio State University in 1989.
She has
authored various publications, anthologies and papers on wide-ranging
topics including critical theory, literary analysis, and American
literature. Her highly acclaimed text, Critical Theory Today: A
User-Friendly Guide, now in its second edition, is in wide
distribution and has contributed to her recognition as one of the
nation's preeminent authorities on the subject.
Tyson has
received numerous accolades during her career. Among other awards, she
accepted Grand Valley’s Distinguished Contribution in a Discipline
Award in 1996 and the Outstanding Teacher Award in 1994. In 1995,
she was honored with the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Michigan
Association of Governing Boards of State Universities.
Tyson
currently resides in Grand Haven, MI.
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