Cherie Rowe, a doctoral student in English as well as an accomplished actor and director, is writing a dissertation on Thomas Hardy’s novels. Cherie has made numerous contributions to the humanities at URI and across the state. She serves on the BIPOC advisory committee for What Cheer Writers, is a mentor at Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts, is organizing a Shakespeare Festival in Newport, and has acted in and directed numerous plays. At URI she has taught English and writing to students ranging from undergraduates to senior citizens. Her faculty advisor describes her as a “true star at URI as a champion of undergraduate student poetry and as an indefatigable originator and animator of literary events.”