PATRICIA JABBEH WESLEY

Knowledgeable Professor of English and Creative Writing with robust background in literature and language pedagogy. Developed comprehensive curricula and fostered dynamic learning environment to enhance student engagement and academic success. Demonstrated effective communication and critical thinking skills in diverse classroom settings.

Professional educator with deep commitment to fostering academic excellence and intellectual growth. Extensive experience in curriculum development and integrating innovative teaching methods to enrich learning experience. Known for collaborative spirit and adaptability, ensuring seamless team dynamics and consistent results in ever-evolving educational landscapes. Proficient in literature analysis and student mentorship.

BOOKS OF POETRY PUBLISHED

Patricia Jabbeh Wesley: Collected Poems, 1998-2020,” (UNP, Aug. 3, 2026)

· The River is Rising: Poems, 2nd Publication: (Press 53, Winston-Salem, NC, 2023)

· Praise Song for My Children: New and Selected Poems, (Autumn House Press, Pittsburgh, 2020), 240 pages

· When the Wanderers Come Home, (University of Nebraska Press, Nebraska, 2016)126 pages

· Where the Road Turns: Poems, (Autumn House Press, Pittsburgh, PA, 2010) 110 pages.

· The River Is Rising: Poems, (Autumn House Press, Pittsburgh, PA, 2007) 106 pages

· Becoming Ebony (Crab Orchard, SIU Press, Carbondale, IL, 2003)96 Pages Before the Palm Could Bloom: Poems of Africa (New Issues, Kalamazoo, MI, 1998) 86 Pages

· Audible Book Version of my book, Praise Song for My Children: New and Selected Poems (2020, Autumn House Press, 2020), 6 hours, 41 minutes(Narrator)

· Breaking the Silence: An Anthology of Liberian Poetry, Editor, (African Poetry Book Series, University of Nebraska Press, January, 2023), 302 pages

· In Monrovia, the River Visits the Sea :(A Children’s Book, One Moore Book Publishers, New York, NY, 2012)

Association of Writers and Writing Programs, (AWP), African Studies Association, (ASA)

• Professor of English, Creative Writing, & African Lit., Penn State University, Altoona, 2019-01-01 to Present
• Associate Professor of English, Penn State University Altoona, 2011-01-01 to 2019-01-01
• Assistant Professor of English, Penn State University Altoona, 2005-01-01 to 2011-01-01
• Assistant Professor of English, Department of English, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2003-01-01 to 2005-01-01
• Visiting Assistant Professor of English, Department of English, Western Michigan University, 2002-01-01 to 2003-01-01

• Brittle Paper's 100 Notable African Books of 2023, Breaking the Silence: Anthology of Liberian Poetry, 2023-01-01
• Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Award, $10,000, Praise Song for My Children: New and Selected Poems, 2022-01-01
• Poetry Magazine’s Levinson Prize in Poetry, My Poems, “Black Woman Selling Her Home in America,” and “Healing Will Come: Elegy After Natural Disaster, 2022-01-01
• Prairie Schooner Magazine’s Edward Stanley Award, My Poems, “My Name Is Dawanyeno.”, 2022-01-01
• Penn State University Fall Humanities Institute Faculty Resident Fellowship, 2020-01-01
• First Symbol of Patriotism Award, 2016-01-01
• WISE Women of Blair County Award in Arts and Letters, 2016-01-01
• Africana Research Grant, Penn State University, 2013-01-01
• Penn State University Fall Institute of Arts and Humanities Faculty Research Fellowship, 2012-01-01
• Penn State University Senior Faculty Research Award, $2000, 2011-01-01
• The Barack Obama Presidential Award from Blair County NAACP, 2011-01-01
• Penn State University’s AESEDA Grant, $75,000, 2011-01-01
• Nominee, Pushcart Prize, 2010-01-01
• The Liberian Award Recipient for Educational Success, 2010-01-01
• The River is Raising - Anisfield-Wolf Book Award Nomination, 2008-01-01
• Nominated Penn State Laureate, 2008-01-01
• Awarded the Penn State International Travel Grant, $3000, 2008-01-01
• Awarded the Dean’s Fund, $1500, 2008-01-01
• Nominated Penn State Laureate, 2007-01-01
• Pushcart Prize Nomination, 2007-01-01
• The College of West Africa Alumni Association –USA Literary Excellence Award, 2006-01-01
• Awarded the Research Development Grant (RDG) and the Dean’s Fund, $4000, 2007-01-01
• Awarded the Research Development Grant (RDG) and the Dean’s Fund, $4000, 2006-01-01
• 2nd Prize Crab Orchard Award for Becoming Ebony, 2002-01-01
• Special Recognition as the Featured, Distinguished Ph.D. Graduate, 2002-06-01
• The Victor E. Ward Foundation Crystal Award for Achievement in the Arts, 2001-01-01
• Irving S. Gilmore Emerging Artist Grant, 1998-01-01
• Two Art Fund Individual Artist Grants from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, 1997-01-01
• The World Bank Fellowship, $75,000, 1982-01-01 to 1985-01-01

• Final Judge, Cutthroat Magazine’s Joy Harjo Poetry Prize, 2021-01-01
• Final Judge, Brunel International African Poetry Prize, 2017-01-01
• Final Judge, Lena Shull Book Prize for the North Carolina Poetry Society, 2016-01-01
• Final Judge, The Driftwood Magazine Poetry Competition, 2010-01-01
• Judge, The Ragan Poetry Competition, 2004-01-01
• Judge, UICA Writing Competition, 1996-01-01
• Contributing Editor, Cutthroat, A Journal of the Arts, 2017-01-01 to Present
• Advisory Board Member, Writing for Peace, 2015-01-01 to Present

• Black but Comely: Settler-Colonial Identity, African Whiteness, and Intertextuality, 2022-01-01
• Empire of Rubber: Firestone’s Scramble for Land and Power in Liberia, 2021-01-01

The River is Rising: Poems, Press 53, Winston-Salem, NC, 2023-01-01, Praise Song for My Children: New and Selected Poems, Autumn House Press, Pittsburgh, 2020-01-01, When the Wanderers Come Home, University of Nebraska Press, Nebraska, 2016-09-01, Where the Road Turns: Poems, Autumn House Press, Pittsburgh, PA, 2010-07-01, The River Is Rising: Poems, Autumn House Press, Pittsburgh, PA, 2007-11-01, Becoming Ebony, Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, IL, 2003-03-01, Before the Palm Could Bloom: Poems of Africa, New Issues Press Poetry Series, Western Michigan, Kalamazoo, MI, 1998-01-01, Praise Song for My Children: New and Selected Poems, 2023-01-01, Breaking the Silence: An Anthology of Liberian Poetry, University of Nebraska Press, 2023-01-01, 2019 Dovetales Anthology: One World, One People Writing for Peace, Durango, CO, 2019-01-01, In Monrovia, the River Visits the Sea, One Moore Book Publishers, New York, NY, 2012-12-01, Patricia Jabbeh Wesley: Collected Poems, 1998-2020, University of Nebraska Press & African Poetry Book Series, 2026-01-01