Bio

Tonya C. Hegamin, MFA (she/her), is an award-winning author/artist/academic of Black and Native American (Lenape/Nanticoke) descent. She received her BA in Poetry Writing from University of Pittsburgh and obtained her MFA in Creative Writing/Writing for Children from The New School University. Her honors include awards from the New York Public Library, The Christopher Foundation and more. Her books, Most Loved In All the World, M+O 4EVR, Pemba’s Song and Willow have received honorable mentions and starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly and have been featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, Ebony and Essence. Hegamin serves as writing feedback facilitator at Oxford University’s Centre for Life Writing. Professor Hegamin proudly serves as faculty advisor for the MEC Crystal Queers Student Group and sits on the University Advisory Council on Diversity. She holds certificates in Diversity and Inclusion Education, as well as in Wellness Counseling from Cornell University. Professor Hegamin has published scholarly articles about creativity, praxis and pedagogy in The Journal of Creative Writing Studies, Can Creative Writing Really be Taught? and Creative Writing Innovations. Hegamin’s research interests focus on the intersections of narrative, creativity, cultural history, disability, gender/queer studies, race and healthcare. Hegamin has been a patient and victim advocate since 1998, working as an educator and counselor for organizations like Women Against Rape, Planned Parenthood, Police Athletic League, JPMorgan and Johnson& Johnson/Janssen Pharmaceutical.