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We caught up with the incoming 2023 PhD cohort to find out why they choose UCLA, what they love about studying literature, and the research they hope to explore while in the program. Learn more about this class below!

Johan Lorraine Alvarado
BA, UC Berkeley

Why pursue a PhD in English?

I’m passionate about bringing attention to the critical cultural productions of underrepresented people, especially those of queer, trans, communities of color.

What made you decide to study at UCLA?

Meeting the faculty, staff, and current graduate students solidified my decision to study here. The unbridled passion for their research, the adoration for their colleagues, and the excitement for the incoming cohort made me realize that I, too, will find a home at UCLA.

What interest areas do you plan to research and explore in the program?

I’m interested in contemporary work that is attentive to queer diasporic sensibilities. Though I have mainly focused on poetry during my undergraduate career, I wish to expand my inquiries into multimedia/hybrid texts and performance practices.

What books are you currently reading? Any recommendations?

I’m currently reading Franny Choi’s newest poetry collection The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On and re-reading Richard Siken’s Crush. I definitely recommend both texts, even for non-poetry readers; these books will make you feel something, I promise.

Do you have any hobbies?

With my vast love for reading poetry, it’s no surprise that I write and perform as well! But when my nose isn’t stuck in a book, you can find me crocheting, painting, or being a bit pretentious about coffee.

Valerie Barrios
BA, Boston University

Why pursue a PhD in English?

I am pursuing a PhD in English to broaden my depth of knowledge in my chosen research area, and to gain skills that will help me develop as a scholar and researcher.

What made you decide to study at UCLA?

The range of work done within the department and the faculty at UCLA were two big draws for me. I felt my research would be well supported and able to thrive within this program.

What interest areas do you plan to research and explore in the program?

Broadly, I am interested in Chicana/o/x and Latina/o/x cultural productions and postcolonial theory. I was also an Economics major as an undergraduate, and I am eager to explore interdisciplinary research that incorporates economic theories within these areas.

What books are you currently reading? Any recommendations?

I just started The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea, which I am really enjoying. It’s hard to narrow down recommendations, but a recent read that I really loved and would recommend is The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.

Do you have any hobbies?

I like to make time to read and write outside of my work as a student. I also enjoy going for walks, exploring new places, and cooking.

Ames Loji
BA, Wayne State University
MA, Michigan State University

Why pursue a PhD in English?

I enjoy both teaching and research, and English feels like a natural disciplinary home to me. I appreciate the way that scholars of English center textual and creative expression in exploring questions about culture and society more broadly, and I hope to contribute to these conversations myself.

What made you decide to study at UCLA?

The department! I admire the work of many scholars in UCLA’s English department, and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to learn from them. I am also excited to be in a program that supports interdisciplinarity, and everyone I spoke to during the admissions process made me feel very welcome.

What interest areas do you plan to research and explore in the program?

I hope to study literary and cultural production from Oceania in conjunction with decolonial theory, the environmental humanities, and disability studies.

What books are you currently reading? Any recommendations?

At the moment, I’m reading Claire G. Coleman’s speculative fiction novel Terra Nullius, and I’m finding it very compelling! It’s set in Australia, and uses sci-fi conventions to critique colonialism in a really interesting way.

Do you have any hobbies?

In addition to reading, I like to hike, ski, and spend time with my wife and our cats. I also love food and am excited to experience the food scene in LA!

Madeline Werner
BA, University Of Washington

Why pursue a PhD in English?

I value and enjoy studying language, culture, and history through the medium of literature.

What made you decide to study at UCLA?

UCLA has a strong community of scholars working in early modern and medieval fields. I am particularly excited about the work being done in the Center for Early Global Studies.

What interest areas do you plan to research and explore in the program?

I am interested in medieval and early modern texts. I hope to strengthen my analysis of disability, race and racialization, and the environment in those literatures.

What books are you currently reading? Any recommendations?

I am currently reading Piranesi by Suzanne Clarke and I am currently listening to the audiobook of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, both of which I recommend. Others that I have enjoyed recently include The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, Big Tree by Brian Selznick, and The Devourers by Indra Das.

Do you have any hobbies?

I spend my free time playing D&D and similar RPGs with friends, knitting, reading, and going for walks.