Dr. Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, associate professor of English and director of the Office of Student Research at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) received the Inspirational Woman Award during a recent leadership recognition program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
Goodspeed-Chadwick was presented with the award by the Office for Women during the 17th Annual Women’s Leadership Reception in the IUPUI Campus Center Theater on March 26. The theme for this year’s event was “Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment.”
The IUPUI Inspirational Woman Award recognizes a nominee whose dedication, service, and generosity is beyond the call of duty and whose work and life story inspires others.
At IUPUC, which has a student body that is two-thirds female, Goodspeed-Chadwick serves as a faculty mentor and recognized role model for students, said Dr. George Towers, head of the Division of Liberal Arts.
“Julie is a superlative teacher who consistently earns some of the highest student evaluation scores among the liberal arts faculty. Each year, many of Julie’s students tell us that she is the best professor they’ve ever had,” explained Towers. “Her teaching is a combination of immense talent, hard work, and a commitment to continuous improvement.”
Goodspeed-Chadwick teaches undergraduate courses on American literature, literary interpretation, introduction to fiction, literary theory, modern and contemporary poetry, and composition, among others.
In addition, she has been the key campus leader responsible for the growth of undergraduate research at IUPUC. She established the Office of Student Research (OSR) in 2010.
“Through her tenacity, dedication, and leadership, Julie built the OSR into a very successful program that enables undergraduates to develop critical-thinking, intellectual inquiry, and other skills that will make them more attractive candidates to prospective employers or for graduate programs,” reported Emily Dill, executive director of the University Library of Columbus. “One would be hard-pressed to find a more successful scholar at this stage in her career, especially one who is as student-centric and service-focused as Julie.”
Through OSR, nearly 40 independent student research projects at IUPUC have been funded and completed with guidance from faculty advisors. In 2013, Goodspeed-Chadwick led the first delegation of student and faculty researchers to present their findings at the Indiana University Undergraduate Research Conference in Bloomington. Throughout the duration of their projects, students also have opportunities to present their work at professional conferences related to their major fields of study.
In addition, Goodspeed-Chadwick is a nationally recognized scholar on women and twentieth-century American literature who focuses on modernist studies and works written by authors including Ernest Hemingway, Kay Boyle, Sylvia Plath, and Gertrude Stein. In 2012, she was an invited plenary speaker at Yale University’s Gertrude Stein Symposium. Later this spring, she will give the anchor presentation at a special session on Stein’s work at an American Literature Association conference in Washington, DC.
Her research focuses on the politics inherent in identity constructions and responses to trauma in modern and contemporary literature. Much of her scholarly focus is exploring social justice issues, particularly in connection with gender and race.
According to Towers, Goodspeed-Chadwick and her students began a Feminism Club at IUPUC this year to educate the campus community about social injustices against women around the world, like human trafficking, domestic abuse, and equal rights.
Goodspeed-Chadwick’s work has been published by top-tier academic journals, including those from the Modern Language Association. Since last year, she has written six articles that were accepted for publication in academic journals, an impressive record for any full-time faculty member. She is a manuscript reviewer for at least six different publications and an advisory board member of the Society for the Study of American Women Writers.
Professor Goodspeed-Chadwick earned a B.A. in English and a B.A. in communication from Marian College, followed by an M.A. in English and a Ph.D. in English from Ball State University.