Dr. Mihaela Moscaliuc, Ph.D, Professor for the Department of English and English Graduate Program Director, has been selected as a member of The Guggenheim Foundation’s 100th Class of Fellows.
The honor of a Guggenheim Fellow includes a grant that is awarded by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation that allows recipients to “pursue independent work at the highest level under ‘the freest possible conditions,’” according to the Guggenheim Fellowship website.
“The news was humbling and slightly numbing (but in a good way). I was too excited to react or even share the news,” said Moscaliuc. “It’s a huge honor to join the 2025 cohort of fellow artists, scholars, and scientists, and to be part of this 100-year-old tradition. In practical terms, it means that I should be able to take some time off from other obligations and focus on my writing. This gift of time is invaluable, and one I wish I could share with every writer.”
With the fellowship, Moscaliuc will be using her grant to advance her field of study and passion: poetry.
“I will be working on poems (and maybe some non-fiction pieces) that revolve around cross-cultural systems of belief and attitudes toward death. My writing practice involves immersive reading and social isolation, so I hope for plenty of that, as well as some traveling through Latin America and Eastern Europe,” Moscaliuc explained.
“I am indebted to all the writers who inspire me and whose work is a form of mentorship, and also to my students, who never fail to amaze me and who keep me excited about teaching and writing,” she continued.
Moscaliuc’s achievement is an honor for Monmouth University, and her fellow staff celebrate her achievement.
“I am very happy for my colleague and friend Dr. Mihaela Moscaliuc, and this is a great distinction for Monmouth University,” said Jeffrey Jackson, Ph.D., Associate Professor for the Department of English. “To be selected a Guggenheim Fellow is a very prestigious and highly competitive honor, and with her rich contributions to literary scholarship, translation, and creative writing, she is an exemplary member of this year’s highly impressive class, the Guggenheim’s 100th. With the generous terms of the award, Dr. Mosaliuc will be able to make even more transformative contributions to her scholarship and teaching.”
“I’m so delighted for Dr. Moscaliuc. To receive a Guggenheim is an enormous honor that is very validating of one’s work, and I extend my huge congratulations,” said Alena Graedon, M.F.A., Associate Professor for the Department of English.
Stacey Ayers, Administrative Assistant for the Department of English, reflected on Moscaliuc’s work, as well as her character. “I’m no poetry expert, but I’ve had the privilege of knowing Mihaela as a colleague and friend. Her passion, depth, and dedication shine through in all she does — and her poetry is no exception. The Guggenheim Fellowship is a remarkable and well-deserved recognition of the extraordinary talent she brings to the literary world.”
“Dr. Moscaliuc is an incredible advocate and role model for our creative writing and literature students. She is a great scholar and a powerful poet, a transformative teacher and a dedicated mentor, and an effective graduate program director, and an energetic community builder. We’re enormously fortunate to have her as a colleague and as an integral contributor to our English department and Monmouth University,” said John Hanley, Department Chair for the Department of English.
Students of Moscaliuc also congratulated her on her achievement, as well as reflected on her worthiness of this honor.
Meghan Reilly, senior English major, expressed, “Dr. Moscaliuc is incredibly deserving of this honor. I had the privilege to take her Seminar in English class, which focused on migrant poetry and analyzed themes of displacement and postcolonialism. I have learned so much from her as a professor, as a working poet, and as a person.”
“She is incredibly generous, supportive, and humble, while effectively translating the passion she has for teaching, her work, and her students’ success. It is professors like Dr. M that make learning an influential and transformative experience here at MU. I look forward to seeing everything that she accomplishes in the future!” Reilly continued.
Timothy Pakrad, senior English major, said, “I have been so lucky to consider Dr. Moscaliuc a mentor as well as my advisor. An artist and educator are hard to find in one. Congratulations, Dr. Moscaliuc, your impact is so appreciated and deserves to be celebrated.”
“Dr. M is one of the most encouraging professors I’ve had to opportunity to get to know at Monmouth,” Melaina Carrara, senior English major, concluded. “She is always pushing me to be better and always has a kind or inspiring word to share. I’m so excited and happy for her that she’s been given such an incredible honor.”
