Ryan Sergent – Payne

1118 Richmond Green Drive, Apt. 2 Richmond, Ky

ryan_sergent5@myunionky.edu

Education
Master of Arts in Literature May 2020
Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond Kentucky
Bachelor of Arts in English and History, Magna Cum Laude May 2018
Union College, Barbourville, Kentucky

Research Experience
Ledford Scholar Summer 2017
Appalachian College Association, Union College
 Conducted primary source research at numerous archives.
 Collected oral histories throughout Appalachia
 Organized and Presented work completed at the ACA Student Summit

Conference Presentation
"’Don't the Moon Look Like Hell?’ Satirizing Middle Class Values in Crane's Maggie."
Kentucky Philological Association. Richmond, KY, April 2017
“Poverty, Drugs, & Coal: The Wars On and For Appalachia.” Appalachian College Association.
Kingsport, TN, September 2017
“Why Are You Like This? Toxic Masculinity in Tom Wolfe’s The Bonfire of the Vanities.”
American Cultural Association of the South. Savannah, GA. October 2017.
“The “War” On Coal: Realities of Life in the Kentucky Coalfields” The Mildred Haun
Conference: A Celebration of Appalachian Literature, Scholarship, and Culture. Morristown,
TN. February 2018.
“It’s Complicated: Homosocial Relationships in Shakespeare’s Comedies” Kentucky
Philological Association. Barbourville, Ky. March 2018.
“Who are you? Identity, LGBTQ+, and the Shipping Community” Kentucky Philological
Association. Pikeville, Ky. March 2019.
“Human Beings, Kudzu, and Substance Abuse: An exploration of Invasive Species in Works by
Ron Rash” Appalachian Studies Association. Asheville, NC. March 2019.
Invited Speaking Engagements
The Panel for Online Learning March 2015
 Student Representative – Presentation on my experience with online learning
Presentation to the Trustee Spouses October 2017
 Poverty, Drugs, & Coal – Presentation on Ledford Fellowship Research.
Presentation to the Union College Faculty November 2017
 Why are you like this? – Presentation on my experience at the American Culture Association of
the South
Union College Baccalaureate May 2018
 C.I.R.C.L.E.S Speech – Reflection on my time at Union College and how it helped me embody
the C.I.R.C.L.E.S. values
Honors and Awards
Graduate Writing Award, Department of English, Eastern Kentucky University 2019
Eastern Kentucky Essay Award, Department of English, Union College 2018
Dr. Erwin S. Bradley History Award, Department of History, Union College 2018
Cornel B. Ledford Scholarship, Appalachian College Association 2017
Eastern Kentucky Essay Award, Department of English, Union College 2017
William Faulkner Rushton Writing Award, Department of English, Union College 2017
H.H. Owens History Award, Department of History, Union College 2017
Dr. Erwin S. Bradley History Award, Department of History, Union College 2017
Above and Beyond Award, Student Government Association, Union College 2017
Presidential Laureate, Union College 2016 – 2018
Dean’s List, Union College 2014 – 2018

Employment/ Professional History

Noel Studio for Academic Creativity August 2018 – May 2020
Worked one on one with faculty to create content for developmental classes
Help students achieve academic goals
Offer structural suggestions for students writing
Union College SGA, Vice President of Academic Affairs August 2015 – May 2016
Worked to expand the use of academic services
Fostered community
Organized Events
Representative for student body on the Academic Policy Committee
Academic Resource Center Tutor August 2015 – May 2018
Help student achieve academic goals
Foster a learning community
Support and encourage students in their academic work
Writing Center Consultant August 2014 – May 2018
Offer structural suggestion for students writing
Foster a learning community
Support and encourage students
Residential Assistant August 2014 – May 2018
Foster Community
Enforce rules set forth by the college
Support and encourage students

Teaching Experience
Writing Group Leader 2017 - Present
Department of English, Union College
 Discussion and group leader for the writing lab paired with English 100: Intro to
Freshman Composition and Writing.
 Instructed students on proper use of grammatical structures in academic papers

Professional Service
Editor
Deborah Davis Gray, Author 2017 - 2018
 Processed chapters chosen for publication
 Created and Formatted cover art
Gerald Knicks, Author 2018 - 2019
 Offered content feedback
 Revised work to ensure readability
Assistant Editor Spring 2018
Kentucky Philological Review
 Processed works chosen for publication
 Transferred processed works to the correct format
  Formatted works into publishable document
 Compiled editorial data
Assisting Editor Spring 2017
Kentucky Philological Review
 Processed works chosen for publication
 Transferred processed works to the correct format
Achieves After Dark Spring 2019
 Worked one on one with creative authors chosen for publication
 Offered feedback and suggestions to ensure readability and correct grammar
Professional Memberships
 Appalachian Studies Association (ASA) 2019
 Popular Cultural Association of the South (PCAS) 2018
 American Cultural Association of the South (ACAS) 2018
 Appalachia College Association (ACA) 2017
 Kentucky Philological Association (KPA) 2017 – 2019

References
Shayne Confer, Joseph Pearson
Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Associate Professor of History
Sciences Union College
Union College (606)546 – 1614 jpearson@unionky.edu
(606)546 – 1613 sconfer@unionky.edu
Jimmy Dean Smith, Bruce Cory,
Professor of English Assistant Professor of Spanish and Humanities
Union College Union College
(606)546 – 1247 jdsmith@unionky.edu (606)546 – 1229 bcory@unionky.edu