In 2019, the English MA program launched Mastering the Next Step, a professional development series that prepares graduate students for specific career paths. Sessions are lead by professionals across a variety of unique fields. Past speakers incude:
- Naomi Eagleson, Owner of The Artful Editor and author of Radiant Field, spoke about launching her own editing company
- Julia Lee, Author of The American Slave Narrative and the Victorian Novel, Our Gang: A Racial History of “The Little Rascals,” and By the Book, spoke about her experience getting published
- Guadalupe Montano, Academic editor and adjunct professor at USC and Cal State Dominguez Hills, spoke about working as a professional editor
- K.J. Peters, Author of various academic articles and the textbook, The Argument Handbook, spoke about getting published as an acaemic author
- Linda Ruggeri, Nonfiction editor and co-author of, Stepping into Rural Wisconsin, spoke about professional editing
- Will Collie, General Manager at Edelman, presented a case study about executive positioning and social good
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Nancy Oganezov, Social Media Strategist, hosted a workshop on social media for authors
- Jenny Ferguson, author of Border Markers, hosted a workshop on how to write a query letter
LMU also hosts speakers throughout the year to educate, inspire, and entertain. Past speakers include:
- Jamaica Kincaid, award winning Antiguan-American novelist
- Hanif Abdurraqib, author of Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest
- Yuval Taylor, writer and editor of nonfiction books about literature, performance, and music
- Dorianne Laux, poet
- Michelle Bitting, poet