Jessica Bane Robert, part-time instructor and Director of Prestigious Fellowships and Scholarships under the Dean of the College,earned her MFA from the Stonecoast Creative Writing Program, University of Southern Maine in 2007. Since then, she has taught writing and literature courses for the English Department and Writing Program, and Mindfulness for the Higgins School of Humanities. Some course offerings include: Sense of Place, Introduction to Creative Writing, Introduction to Fiction, Heat of the Poem, Heart of the Poet, and Mindful Choices. Her areas of interest include holistic student development, creative writing, and mindfulness and the place where the three intersect.
Her poems and essays have appeared in numerous anthologies and journals and have won prizes such as the Rita Dove International Poetry Prize and the International Merit Award from the Atlanta Review. Her first chap book of poems, Scarred Seasons, was published by Finishing Line Press and was nominated for a Mass Book Award and a Pen New England Literary Award.
Bane Robert owns the Barred Owl Retreat: Center for Writing and Learning in Leicester, MA that provides individual and group retreats for artists and educators: www.barredowlretreat.com