Sandee Gertz

Sandee Gertz is an Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing at Cumberland University, affiliated with The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts. She joined the university in 2016 and teaches courses such as English Composition, Intro to Literature, and Creative Writing with a focus on poetry. Her work spans poetry, essays, and creative nonfiction, and she holds an M.A. and M.F.A. from Wilkes University (2012).

Her research interests include poetry, creative writing pedagogy, and the intersection of literature with arts education. Notable awards include the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Grant Fellowship for Poetry (2000), the Sandburg-Livesay Award, and a Pushcart Prize nomination. She is the author of The Pattern Maker’s Daughter, a poetry collection used in universities like Carnegie-Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh.

Gertz has spearheaded initiatives such as the Poet In Residence Series (supported by a Bell Family Grant) and co-founded campus events like the Open Mic Series and Black Box Creative Expression. Previously, she directed a nonprofit arts center promoting accessible arts education. She also hosted the Poetry Radio Show Everyday Poetry on Radio Free Nashville and was a Writer in Residence at Nashville Public Writers’ Rooms.

Her current projects include a novel set in her hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and a Tennessee-inspired poetry manuscript. She advocates for integrating poetry into daily life through campus programs and creative writing workshops.