$500,000 gift endows writing position

A 1960s Cornell College alumnus has given the college $500,000 to permanently endow the Robert P. Dana Emerging Writer Fellowship, a position where emerging writers have the opportunity to teach and mentor students while continuing their own work.

The Robert P. Dana Emerging Writer Fellowship was established in 2012 to honor Robert P. Dana, the Iowa poet laureate and long-time Cornell College English professor. The Fellow works half-time for the college, teaching two courses: Introduction to Creative Writing and a first-year writing course. The Fellow also serves as an advisor for Cornell’s student literary journal Open Field and assists in the planning and direction of Cornell’s visiting writers programs. The position is designed to allow the Fellow to pursue his/her own creative work.

“This endowment ensures that we will continue to host talented writers at the beginning of their careers,” Cornell President Jonathan Brand said. “Writing is vital to all of our students, and the Dana Fellow plays a major role in shaping the literary culture of our campus.”

The position is part of the college’s Center for the Literary Arts, also established in 2012. The center offers opportunities for students, regardless of major, to engage with literature and writing. It is housed in the Van Etten-Lacey House, a historic home previously occupied by two longtime English professors, Winifred Mayne Van Etten ’25 and Stephen Lacey ’65. The center hosts readings throughout the year, both by students and by visiting writers. It has also hosted writing workshops, all-night write-ins, and seminars by professional writers.