Michael Pickard

Michael Pickard serves as the Eudora Welty Chair of Southern Literature and Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing at Millsaps College, where he chairs the English Department and directs the Millsaps Digital Welty Lab. Recognized with the 2022 Divisional Award for Excellence in Teaching and other institutional honors, his work bridges literary scholarship with digital innovation.

His educational journey includes:

• B.A. in English, Millsaps College (2004)
• Visiting Student, St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford (2002-2003)
• M.A. in Creative Writing, Boston University (2005)
• Ph.D., University of Virginia (2015)

Dr. Pickard’s research centers on Eudora Welty studies within broader frameworks of British Romanticism, 19th-century literature, and digital humanities. His expertise extends to textual studies, book history, and Mississippi cultural traditions, with current projects exploring Welty’s domestic spaces as literary artifacts and regional foodways. The Millsaps Digital Welty Lab serves as his primary research hub for digital editions like Welty’s Powerhouse.

Recent publications reveal a concentrated trajectory in Southern literary scholarship, particularly Eudora Welty’s legacy through digital and mystery genres. His work increasingly intersects archival research with contemporary cultural analysis, notably expanding into Mississippi foodways through collaborations with culinary experts.

Notable recognitions include:

• Divisional Award for Excellence in Teaching (2022)
• Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher Award
• E.B. Stewart Family Professorship of Language and Literature
• Janet R. Langley Award for Excellence in Academic Advising
• W. Charles Sallis Award for Distinguished Service

Supported by grants from the Mississippi Humanities Council and Mississippi Arts Commission.

As Department Chair and award-winning advisor, Dr. Pickard oversees curriculum development while mentoring students through the Janet R. Langley Award-recognized advising program. His grant-funded initiatives enable digital scholarship projects and community-engaged research on Mississippi’s literary and culinary heritage. The Millsaps Digital Welty Lab operates as a collaborative space for students and scholars to explore digital textual editing and material culture studies, with current focus on Welty’s house and garden as a framework for understanding her literary universe.