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Dr. Ellen Malphrus Wins 2023 Carolina Trustees Professorship Award

Dr. Ellen Malphrus of the University of South Carolina Beaufort has been named the recipient of the Carolina Trustees Professorship Award, in recognition of her outstanding work as an educator, author, and scholar. The Carolina Trustees Professorship is a prestigious award presented annually to excellence in teaching, research, and service.

Each year, faculty from USC (Columbia) and one system institution receive this award for service to their disciplines, peers, students and communities. This is the fourth year in a row that USCB has won the Carolina Trustees Professorship for System Campuses.

Dr. Malphrus is a Professor of English and Writer in Residence at USCB. Her critically acclaimed novel Untying the Moon (foreword by Pat Conroy) is among her many publications. Her poetry, fiction, and essays regularly appear in highly-regarded literary journals across the country. She was mentored by US Poet Laureate James Dickey.

Dr. Malphrus has been a faculty member at USCB since 1998 and has taught a wide range of courses, including creative writing, American literature, and Southern literature. She is known for her engaging teaching style and her ability to inspire her students to explore their creativity and develop their writing skills. As faculty advisor to The Pen, USCB’s national award-winning literary and art journal, she also mentors and inspires student writers and editors.

In addition to her work in the classroom and leadership in many university service committees, Dr. Malphrus is also a dedicated scholar. Her research interests include the literature of the American South, environmental literature, and the intersection of literature and visual art. She has published a number of scholarly articles and book chapters and has presented her research at conferences across the country.

Dr. Malphrus is an active member of the Lowcountry community and is involved in many local organizations. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Pat Conroy Literary Center and has been deeply involved with the Pat Conroy Literary Festival since 2015. She is also a noted public speaker across the region.

Dr. Malphrus is deeply honored to receive The Carolina Trustees Professorship award and is grateful for the support of her colleagues and students at USCB. She sees the award as a testament to the importance of the humanities and the power of education to transform lives and communities.

“It is difficult to think of anyone more deserving of this award. Dr. Malphrus’s expertise and experience—as teacher, writer, scholar, leader, and colleague—are as impressive as her munificence in sharing them. A consummate teacher and mentor, Dr. Malphrus guides by example,” said Lauren Hoffer, Ph.D., Chair, Department of English, the Arts, & Interdisciplinary Studies.  

Dr. Malphrus earned her Ph.D. in English at the University of South Carolina. She also holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing and a bachelor’s degree in English.