Penn State DuBois to host 2026-27 Penn State Laureate Erin Murphy

Penn State DuBois will welcome 2026-27 Penn State Laureate Erin Murphy to campus on Wednesday, Sept. 2. As part of her visit, Murphy will present "With These Hands: A Collaborative Poetry Experience" at 12:15 p.m. in Room 209 of the DEF Building. The presentation is free and open to the public.

During her presentation, Murphy will read from and discuss her latest books, "The Book of Jobs: Poems About Work" and "Swoon: New & Selected Poems." Attendees will also have an opportunity to participate in the experience by creating their own lines of poetry.

Murphy is a professor of English at Penn State Altoona and an award-winning poet, prose writer and educator. She is the author or editor of 16 books and has received numerous honors for her work.

As the 2026-27 Penn State Laureate, Murphy is conducting presentations and workshops throughout Pennsylvania. Her laureate project invites members of the Penn State community to contribute their own writing as part of a University-wide collaborative poetry experience. At the conclusion of her term, Murphy will compose a collaborative poem using lines written by students, faculty and staff during her visits.

The Penn State Laureate is a full-year position awarded to a full-time faculty member in the humanities or arts. The program is designed to bring greater visibility to the arts and humanities and to the University's mission. Each laureate brings a unique scholarly or artistic perspective to audiences across Pennsylvania.

While at Penn State DuBois, Murphy will also spend time engaging with students in a classroom setting, providing an additional opportunity to share her work and experiences with students during her visit.