I taught at WVU from 2007-2024, after spending eleven years at the University of Northern Colorado. I was thrilled to come to Morgantown, since both of my parents are WVU alums: my dad grew up in Grantsville (Calhoun County), and my mom grew up in Athens (Mercer County). I, however, was a born in Ohio and received my PhD from Ohio State. But I consider myself a Mountaineer now, and in fact, my book about the Mountaineer mascot, Mountaineers Are Always Free: Heritage, Dissent, and a West Virginia Icon, came out from West Virginia University Press in January 2020. Click here for more information. 

My areas of specialty are folklore, American literature, young-adult literature, and English education. If you're interested in how some of those things collide, check out the Journal of Folklore and Education, a publication of Local Learning.

As an emeritus faculty member, I still have access to my WVU email address, rvhathaway@mail.wvu.edu. While I won't be checking it daily, you're welcome to contact me there and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able. 

For more information about my work, click on the "vita" link in the right-hand sidebar.