Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Profile

An internationally acclaimed poet, essayist, and cultural leader, Rita Dove has shaped American literature and elevated poetry as a form of public discourse over a 46-year career. She has received the nation’s highest cultural honors, including the National Humanities Medal and the National Medal of the Arts.

Dove’s experience at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she graduated in 1977, developed her commitment to broadening representation and access within American literary institutions.

She taught creative writing at Arizona State University from 1981 to 1989, launching a distinguished academic career alongside her rising national profile. Her 1986 poetry collection, Thomas and Beulah, inspired by her grandparents’ lives, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1987.

In 1993, the Library of Congress named Dove as U.S. Poet Laureate, making her the youngest person to hold the position. She expanded poetry’s reach and relevance in this role, convening writers and artists to explore the African diaspora and positioning literature as a vital lens for understanding American culture and history.

Dove continued her academic leadership at the University of Virginia, where she served as chair of the English department and Commonwealth Professor of English from 1993 to 2020. She was appointed Poet Laureate of Virginia from 2004 to 2006, championing literacy, arts education, and public engagement with poetry.

Among her many accomplishments include 29 honorary doctorates from institutions across the country, including an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Iowa in 2022. She continues to inspire the next generation of writers as the Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia.

From publishing collections of poetry and short stories to writing lyrics and libretti for musical works by notable composers, Dove is a trailblazing icon in the literary community.