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Ms. Melissa Laussmann

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Phone
Fax
N/A
Email
Title
Academic Counselor
Department
College of Science, Mathematics & Engineering, McCoy
Location
Bolin Hall
Room
136
Bio

Ms. Laussmann was born on Guam and has resided around the world. Though her studies began in accounting, she quickly found her passion was in writing and earned both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English at Midwestern State University. Now an academic counselor for McCoy College of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering, Ms. Laussmann is happiest when getting to know about her advisees' interests and goals, and how they will make a positive contribution to society.

Following MSU's mission to empower students and encourage lifelong learning, Ms. Laussmann reminds students that they have what it takes to succeed and learning never ends. "Students are capable of rising up to challenges and using those challenges to develop character, sharpen problem-solving skills and build inner strength."

Ms. Laussmann continues conducting research in ecocriticism and writing poetry. She has won awards for her work in academia and in creative writing, and has been published in various journals online and in print.

She is a member of the Joint Admissions Medical Program (JAMP) and the Health Professionals Advisory Committee (HPAC).



Institution Degree Graduation Date
Midwestern State University M.A. 2019
Midwestern State University B.A. 2016
Employer Position Start Date End Date

Awards & Nominations

  • Touchstone Poetry Award Nomination for "storm brewing." Nov. 6, 2024.
  • "You Make a Difference," Staff Senate Award. Midwestern State University, Nov. 2024.
  • First Place recipient in the adult poetry category for "One Day at the Rhine." North Central Texas College, April 2023. Published in Sonder by North Central Texas College.
  • Outstanding Graduate Woman, Midwestern State University, 2018.
  • Celebration of Scholarship- Best Podium Presentation in the graduate level. Midwestern State University, April 2017.
  • Outstanding English Student, Midwestern State University, 2016.
  • Vinson Creative Writing Award for "Song of the Sufi." Midwestern State University, 2015.

Creative Writing & Academic Publications

  • "winter chore." Under the Basho, Oct. 2025.
  • "forget-me-nots." Under the Basho, Oct. 2025.
  • "autumn drizzle." Cold Moon Journal, Sept. 25, 2025.
  • "winter rain." Humana Obscura, Fall 2025.
  • "sipping tea." Cold Moon Journal, June 30, 2025.
  • "crescent moon." Cold Moon Journal, May 29, 2025.
  • "mother's hands." Under the Basho, March 27, 2025.
  • "chimney smoke" and "traffic jam." Cold Moon Journal, March 9, 2025.
  • "stillness" and "sea mist." Blue Anthology by Human Obscura, Winter 2024.
  • "ebb and flow." Shadow Pond Journal, Issue No. 3, Summer 2024.
  • "Ewigkeit." Amethyst Review Magazine, April 2024
  • "untitled." Beautiful Poetry Journal, vol. 24, Silent Spark Press, March 2023.
  • "A Day at the Rhine." Sonder: The Annual Review for North Central Texas College, Spring 2023.
  • "Morning Meditation" published in Poetry Quarterly, Summer 2019.
  •  "Who says awareness is light?" and "Earth Song" published in Poetry Quarterly, Spring 2018.
  • "Landscape of Change: An Ecocritical View of Willa Cather's My Antonia," Agora vol. 24, Article 12, 2015.


Numerous additional creative writing publications not listed here.


Presentations

  • "The Art of Seeing: Tracing the Paths of Mindfulness in Works by Muir, Dillard, and Snyder." 62nd ASAT Conference, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX. Nov. 8, 2018.
  •  Red River Reading Series, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX. Dec. 4, 2017.
  • "Willa Cather's Landscape of Change." Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX. Nov. 2017.
  • "How Deans of Women Changed Academia." Celebration of Scholarship, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX. May 2017.