Concord University Professor of English Dr. Delilah O’Haynes has authored a peer-reviewed chapter in the newly released book American Indian Workforce Education: Trends and Issues. The chapter is titled “Educating the Educators: Making Workforce Education Successful Through Understanding and Respect for Indigenous Cultures.”
O’Haynes said the book “has the potential to influence the future of the way we administer and/or oversee American Indian education in this country.”
“This work will be used by educators, political leaders, American Indians, corporations, and all others with an interest in American Indian workforce education,” she said.
O’Haynes’ interest in the topic is tied to her family’s heritage and enhanced by her educational background and teaching experience.
“I am American Indian and Irish, predominately. My family’s DNA shows five Indian tribes in our heritage,” she said.
“My doctorate is in Composition Theory and American Literature. I chose American Literature because of my Indian heritage and studied American Indian Literature whenever possible,” she said. “I introduced the teaching of American Indian Literature here at Concord many years ago, and I now teach two classes on this literature – one for sophomores, an introductory course, and one for English majors.”
O’Haynes has taught at Concord University since 1992. She has also taught at several other higher education institutions and on the senior high and elementary school levels.
O’Haynes received an associate degree from Southwest Virginia Community College; a bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University; and a master’s degree from Radford University. She did post-master’s work in Creative Writing at Georgia State University and earned a doctorate in English and Education from the University of Tennessee.
Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and journals and she has had several poetry and nonfiction books published. The Character of Mountains, a book of poetry, was nominated for the Appalachian Book of the Year in 2007. O’Haynes has also had professional articles published in several journals.
