M. Evelina Galang, director of UM’s Creative Writing Program and English professor in the UM College of Arts & Sciences, has received a 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Award.
Galang was recognized in the “Behind the Scenes Leader” category, acknowledging that she “goes beyond the call of duty to devote time, energy and resources to advocate for those who need a voice, or support the organization she represents.”
She received her award – which honors women of Philippine ancestry who are putting forward outstanding work in their fields, and contributing to society, legacy and “femtorship” (women-focused mentorship) – last week at the 11th Filipina Leadership Summit. The conference took place at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel in Manila, the Philippines.
The award and the conference were sponsored by the Filipina Women’s Network (FWN), a San-Francisco-based professional association committed to improving the status of Filipina women worldwide. It convenes programs and activities that enhance public perceptions of Filipina women’s capacities to lead, and build a pipeline of qualified leaders.
Galang has written three works of fiction: short story collection Her Wild American Self (1996), prize-winning novel One Tribe (2006), and young-adult novel Angel de la Luna and the 5th Glorious Mystery (2013).
The American Library Association included Angel de La Luna on its 2014 Amelia Bloomer List, identifying it as one of the best books with feminist content for teenaged readers. The book weaves together the story of a 14-year-old girl’s coming of age with the history of the Philippines, and details her immigrant experience in America.
Galang is the editor of Screaming Monkeys: Critiques of Asian American Images. In 2001, she was a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar in the Philippines.
She teaches fiction writing to master’s-level creative writing students, and serves as the advisor for the Filipino Student Association.
October 21, 2014
