Chad Wriglesworth

Chad Wriglesworth is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Waterloo, specializing in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of 20th/21st century American literature, ecocriticism, religion, and environmental humanities. His work explores the cultural and spiritual dimensions of North American regional landscapes.

• PhD in Twentieth-Century American Literature, University of Iowa
• MA in Theology and Literature, Regent College, University of British Columbia
• MA in English, Portland State University
• BA in English, Warner Pacific University

Wriglesworth's research focuses on literary representations of environmental reclamation, theological perspectives in contemporary poetry, and bioregional theory. He is currently completing two major projects: editing 'What Clever Friends' (University of Michigan Press) and authoring 'Geographies of Reclamation' (University of Nevada Press), both examining Pacific Northwest cultural and environmental narratives.

His recent work demonstrates expertise in analyzing literary responses to ecological challenges, indigenous land rights, and the intersection of spirituality and environmental stewardship. Wriglesworth's publications span interdisciplinary journals and book chapters addressing water ethics, salmon habitat restoration, and agrarian philosophies in American literature.

• 2025 Distinguished Teacher Award, University of Waterloo
• 2024 Arts Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Waterloo
• 2018 Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Award for Teaching Excellence
• 2016 Best Interview Award (Evangelical Press Association)
• 2015 Robert Harding Humanities and Social Sciences Award
• 2009-2011 Mellon Foundation Early Career Fellowship

As Associate Editor of The Raymond Carver Review, Wriglesworth contributes to ongoing scholarship on Pacific Northwest literary traditions. His teaching excellence has been recognized multiple times, including through the University of Waterloo's Federation of Students Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award (2018, 2014, 2008). He supervises graduate students in American literature, ecocriticism, and Native American studies.