As ever, the IWP’s mission prioritizes mutual understanding in intercultural community, but the truth is, we live in a deeply divided world and true dialogue across difference and division has become extraordinarily challenging. We’ve seen that in our own programs. That commitment is at the heart of this new era: taking even more seriously our responsibility to foster civil discourse in a world marked by conflict and division and working to cultivate intellectual and creative humility that in turn could facilitate genuine exchange and respectful mutual understanding.

We hope to return to year-round programming, potentially bringing UI faculty and students to other parts of the world, reaching emerging international writers, and creating opportunities that serve our colleagues and graduate students. Achieving that vision will require new funding sources and strong partnerships. 

What do you see as the biggest opportunity hidden inside this moment of transition? 

Since the IWP’s 59-year funding partnership with the U.S. Department of State ended in 2025, the support we’ve received from university leadership as well as the IWP’s many partners on campus—across disciplines and colleges—as well as the incredibly generous gifts of donors has been extraordinary. It means we are at a moment when we can truly dream big about the future and how the IWP can contribute to the public good. I am genuinely optimistic. This is a moment of tremendous opportunity for us as an organization. 

How do you balance honoring nearly six decades of impact while reimagining the program for a changing world? 

The IWP has always been deeply committed to honoring the work of our founders, Paul and Nieh Hualing Engle, and their legacies will always be a central part of our identity. The world has changed in many ways, and we have an obligation as an organization to engage with current conversations in global literature. So much of that simply means being intentional about how we build our communities and the kinds of events we hold, but also the values we embody. I am thrilled to be doing coursework this summer with Sherry Watt, professor in the College of Education, designed for individuals interested in “strengthening their capacity for constructive dialogue across conflict.” We need to listen to our writers and be attentive to their serious concerns so we can build on the Engles’ legacy. 

What makes the IWP uniquely positioned to address division and misunderstanding through storytelling right now? 

Storytelling remains one of the most powerful ways to foster understanding. When I worked in the Carver College of Medicine as director of the Writing and Humanities Program, I understood our mission to be mitigating dehumanization in medical education and health care through the humanities and creative arts with a focus on narrative. I have found that every single thing I did there—all of the curriculum, lectures, grants, projects—have direct application here at the IWP. How can we understand the complexities of narrative and its relationship to power but also how can we use storytelling to humanize? That is what the IWP can do—not just promote exceptional global literature and offer space to writers to create their work, but also take seriously the implications of the stories we tell in the material world, in people’s lives. How can our creative work make positive contributions? 

How will the IWP deepen connections with faculty, staff, students, campus partners, and the broader community in this new era?

The IWP is here for UI faculty, graduate students, and campus partners. Over the past six months, I've spent a great deal of time meeting with colleagues across campus, reintroducing the program, and asking, "What can we do for you? What would you like to see?” Many exciting ideas have emerged from those conversations, and we're already incorporating campus partners—including the Stanley Museum of Art—into our fall programming. I encourage anyone on campus to reach out if they would like to collaborate. I’d love to hear from you. 

This fall we will launch new professional development programming that will be for our writers and also available to students. This means bringing editors, agents, and writers to campus to talk about what we call the “business side” of writing—essentially living a creative life but also getting creative work published in the U.S. We are also working to make new opportunities available to graduate students, particularly in the Translation and Spanish Creative Writing MFA programs.