Erika Gotfredson started at Aquinas in fall 2025. Prior to coming to Aquinas, Dr.
Gotfredson taught literature, writing, and film courses at Central Methodist University
in Fayette, Missouri and Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. She completed
her Ph.D. in English from Purdue University in 2023, where her research focused on
literary representations of race and geography in contemporary American novels. She
received her M.A. in English from Wake Forest University in 2018 and her B.A. in English
from Presbyterian College in 2016.
Dr. Gotfredson is committed to teaching excellence, which is reflected in the numerous
teaching awards she has received, including Central Methodist University鈥檚 Faculty
Innovation Award. She was also honored with the Young Alumna Award from her beloved
alma mater Presbyterian College in 2024. She previously worked as the assistant director
of the Purdue English Big Read.
Dr. Gotfredson lives in Portland, Michigan with her husband (a professor of chemical
engineering and materials science at Michigan State University) and their pup Scout.
In her free time, Dr. Gotfredson enjoys watching sports (her teams include the US
women鈥檚 soccer team, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Purdue Boilermakers), spending
time outdoors, and doting on her nieces and nephews.
