Meet Devoney Looser ’89, BA (English) minors in French and communication, summa cum laude, with Honors. Devoney is an internationally recognized expert on the history of women’s writings, feminist literary criticism, and Jane Austen—has worked in higher education for thirty years. She is Regents Professor of English and Global Sport Scholar at Arizona State University, where she’s taught since 2013 and a recipient of this year’s Augsburg Distinguished Alumni Award.
What keeps you busy these days? I’m working on a new book, Wild for Austen, for St. Martin’s Press, for publication in fall 2025, to coincide with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth. For play, I’m skating with a wonderful roller derby team, Roughneck Roller Derby, in Tulsa, OK. (I work in Arizona, but I spend weekends with my husband and our younger son in Tulsa.)
How did Augsburg shape your path? Augsburg completely transformed my path. I was a first-generation college student, who needed (and received!) not only financial support but a lot of guidance. I started college as a shy and quiet student; I ended up with so many opportunities to grow, through student leadership roles in the newspaper, yearbook, and literary magazine, as well as the orientation program and the library, where I worked. Augsburg’s faculty and staff shaped—and still shape—my path, through their generous sharing of wisdom, support, and opportunities.
Who is an Auggie (alumni, faculty/staff, friend, etc.) that has impacted you and why? The fact that there are so many Augsburg faculty and staff I could name who had a positive impact on me is inspiring, right? The one I’d like to mention here is English Professor Cathie Nicholl. Cathie is the person who first suggested I should go to graduate school. What she said during an advising session was, “Don’t drop your French class. You’ll need that for graduate school.” I always joke that, at this moment, I thought to myself, “Wait a minute! I’m going to graduate school?” But there’s some truth to that! It’s a moment that felt like a light bulb going off in my head, and her support and encouragement is what set me on the path to the PhD and to a career as an academic and a writer.
What is a fun or favorite memory of your time at Augsburg? I have very happy memories of our rushing to meet late-night editing and production deadlines for the Echo newspaper. That’s where I first started to drink coffee but, more importantly, made lifelong friends. I also remember fondly a winter night hanging out with Echo staff, including co-editor Steve Aggergaard, that ended with our making snow angels in Murphy Square.Thank you Devoney!