CONWAY, Ark.—The Hendrix-Murphy Foundation awarded $376,705 in grants in the fall semester for eight student co-curricular projects and six faculty-led study-travel trips in literature and language, as well as funding for five distinguished visitors. Since 2010, the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation has spent more than $6 million on programming overall—$3.1 million on study-travel in the U.S. and abroad; $1.3 million on visiting writers, theatre directors, and literary scholars; and $1.9 million on campus literature and language projects.
“I’m thankful for the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation, Hendrix-Murphy staff and student-workers, everyone who serves on the governance committees, and to the proposers themselves,” said Dr. Tyrone Jaeger, Hendrix-Murphy Foundation interim director.
“So many of our programs change lives, and I find it truly gratifying to play a small part in helping students, faculty, and staff engage in meaningful ways with literature and language.”
Several Hendrix-Murphy Foundation projects also provide students with Odyssey Program credit. The Odyssey Program is Hendrix College’s signature engaged-learning program where students complete at least three experiential projects in areas such as global awareness, service to the world, and professional and leadership development.
“We were thrilled to see such an extraordinary level of engagement in this fall’s Hendrix-Murphy funding cycle. The Foundation received 20 proposals—more than double the number submitted in October 2024—which reflects the deep and growing commitment to literature and language across the Hendrix community,” said Timothy Purkiss, Hendrix-Murphy Foundation assistant director. “Even more impressive than the number was the strength of the proposals themselves. This was an exceptionally high-quality slate of ideas, and we’re proud to support the creativity and ambition our students, faculty, and staff continue to bring to their work.”
The slate of Distinguished Visitors for the upcoming academic year will be announced in spring 2026.
The following student and faculty-led projects were approved for funding:
Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) Conference
Dr. Ellie Black ’18, assistant professor of English; Marie Kressin ’17, assistant professor of English; and Greer Veon ’17, director of residential life; will select a group of students who they will accompany to attend the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) Conference & Bookfair—the largest literary conference in North America. AWP is arguably the most important conference for those interested in literary careers related to writing, editing, publishing, or teaching and will be an invaluable experience for students interested in those related fields for their career path. This faculty-led trip carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
Céfiro Graduate Conference in Spanish Language and Literature at Texas Tech University
Dr. Zachary Brander, assistant professor in Spanish and Murphy Fellow in Spanish, will take a group of students to attend the Céfiro Graduate Conference—the graduate student organization of the Spanish & Portuguese program (Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures) at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Students will present upper-level essays in a panel or roundtable which will center on the value of study abroad programs for language acquisition and cultural competence. Students will also travel to the nearby Lubbock Lake Landmark to discuss intersections between Spanish language, literature, and local history on the South Plains. This conference trip carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
French Language and Influence in Montreal
Charlotte Miller ’26, an economics major from Conway, will attend a one-week French course at the ILSC Language school in Montreal, Canada. The project is supervised by Dr. Rod Miller, professor of art, and carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
German Language Development through Study and Immersion in Graz
Tessa Rivera ’28, an English-Literary Studies major and Murphy Scholar from Hot Springs, will spend a month in Austria where she will attend private German classes at Deutsch in Graz while also living with a German-speaking host family. Her goal is to use this month of German language immersion to prepare for a year-long study abroad in Graz in the next academic year. The project is supervised by Rebekah Nelson, director of international programs.
HDX in Mexico City '26: Linguistic Landscapes
Dr. Zachary Brander, assistant professor in Spanish and Murphy Fellow in Spanish, and Dr. Felipe Pruneda Sentíes, director of Hendrix writing center and instructor of Spanish, will teach a hands-on course in Mexican Spanish and critical discourse analysis while on a 12-day trip to Mexico City with students. Students will develop their multicultural communication, translation and multiliteracy skills as they learn to interpret the "linguistic landscapes" of the Mexico's diverse capital. Structured excursions focused on literature and language punctuate daily class time with the trip leaders. Written tasks related to daily lessons and excursions require students to think critically about language and society in Mexico and beyond. This faculty-led trip carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
The Hendrix-Murphy Playwriting Intensive in New York City
Hal Cosentino, assistant professor of theatre arts and Murphy Fellow in Theatre, will travel with 10 students to New York City to fully immerse themselves in the craft, execution, and contemporary trends of American theatre. Students will participate in an eight-day-long series of workshops, practicum seminars with produced playwrights, and curated experiences attending productions of contemporary new plays. Students will leave the intensive with a completed script, and an awareness of how American theatre is created and produced. This faculty-led trip carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
Hiking Through the States: A Creative Writing Journey
Amalia Anton ’27, a Spanish major and Murphy Scholar from Ridgefield, Washington, and Rebekah Caffey ’27, a biochemistry/molecular biology major and Murphy Scholar from Little Rock, will embark on a week-long hiking road-trip through the southwestern and western United States which will culminate in Washington state. They will focus on creative writing projects as they better understand how sensory experiences impact writing about place. The project is supervised by Dr. Tyrone Jaeger, professor of English-Creative Writing, and carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
Language Immersion in Mexico City
Kailey Thurman ’26, a biology major and Murphy Scholar from East End, and Lathan Smalley ’26, a mathematics major and Murphy Scholar from Rogers, will spend a week taking intensive Spanish language lessons at the Lengua y Cultura Language Center in Mexico City. They will travel to Mexico City to study Spanish to improve their Spanish language proficiency, as well as improve their ability to speak Spanish with friends and loved ones and expand their cultural awareness. The project is supervised by Dr. Zachary Brander, assistant professor of Spanish and Murphy Fellow in Spanish, and carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
Language, Plants, and Health in the Andes
Dr. Andres A. Caro, professor of chemistry, will guide students through discovering the intersection of language learning and ethnobotany in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Students will study how local people use plants for medicine, food, and daily life, while also learning the words and expressions that carry this knowledge. To explore this connection, students will take part in Spanish instruction and practice interviews with community members, guided by local experts. In partnership with Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the project offers hands-on experience at the intersection of culture, health, and biodiversity, while fostering empathy and cross-cultural understanding. This faculty-led trip carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
Learning Modern Standard Arabic in Amman
Demah Yousef ’26, a chemistry major and Murphy Scholar from Little Rock, will spend a month over winter break studying Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) at Ahlan Way located in Amman, Jordan. Learning MSA offers a perspective on how differently each Arab country communicates with one another, and her goal is to continue building on her MSA skills that she developed throughout the Fall 2025 semester while exploring these factors. The project is supervised by Dr. Zachary Brander, assistant professor of Spanish and Murphy Fellow in Spanish, and carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
Maya Language Immersion in Mexico
Chanley Atwell ’27, a politics major and Murphy Scholar from Conway; Daniel Hernandez ’29, an environmental studies major from Ensenada, Mexico and San Diego, California; and Alex Hernandez-Oaxaca ’28, a French/music double major and Murphy Scholar from Conway, will attend a four-week language immersion program at the Open School of Ethnography and Anthropology (OSEA) in Pisté, Mexico. They will engage with beginner Maya language coursework and instruction. In addition to Maya, the experience is also an immersion in Spanish, since that is the primary language for most community members. Daily classes, community excursions, and the homestay ensure immersion in both Maya and Spanish. The project is supervised by Dr. Zachary Brander, assistant professor of Spanish and Murphy Fellow in Spanish, and carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
Spanish Immersion in Valparaíso, Chile
Amalia Anton ’27, a Spanish major and Murphy Scholar from Ridgefield, Washington, will go to Chile for a month-long homestay and immersion experience through Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. This month will equip Anton for her semester abroad at the same university by acclimating to the culture of Valparaíso and preparing to take all course study in Spanish. This project is supervised by Dr. Lillian Contreras-Silva, professor of Spanish, and carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
Travel Writing in Tuscany: Tourism and Equity
Dr. Anne J. Goldberg, associate professor of anthropology and Department Chair in Sociology/Anthropology, will travel with students to Arezzo and Bologna, Italy to examine travel writing with an emphasis on comparative tourism. Students will engage with local professionals working in diverse sectors of tourism, including governmental institutions and the arts. Central to the trip is a critical inquiry into the nature of tourism in the context of overtourism, considering how travel writing can both perpetuate and mitigate its challenges. At the end of the trip, students will publish their narratives on a website and will hold a reading of their works on campus in fall 2026. This faculty-led trip carries credit for Hendrix’s Odyssey Program.
Zora! Festival of the Arts
Colm Simmons ’26, an English-Literary Studies major and Murphy Scholar from Little Rock, will attend the three day “Zora! Festival of the Arts” in Eatonville, Florida. Hurston is known for being a strong voice during the Harlem Renaissance and was a Florida native raised in an all-black town during the Jim Crow era. Simmons’ goal is to learn more about Hurston’s legacy as a member of the black literary canon, which is the topic of Simmons’ senior thesis. The project is supervised by Dr. Alex Vernon, M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of English, and Chair of the Department of English.
About the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation
The Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language were founded in 1978 by a gift from Charles H. Murphy, Jr., former CEO of Murphy Oil Corporation, in memory of his mother Bertie Wilson Murphy. Their mission is to enhance and enrich the study of literature and language at Hendrix College. For more information, visit hendrixmurphy.org.
About Hendrix College
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at hendrix.edu.