About Us

Meet the Team

O'Connor Institute Staff

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Katie Simon

Dr. Katie Simon

Interim Executive Director for Flannery O’Connor Institute for the Humanities
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Jessica McQuain

Jessica McQuain

Programming Coordinator
478-445-0816
Education

Jessica earned her B.A. in English and Spanish with an International Certificate and her M.A. in English from Georgia College, making her a Double Bobcat. She is currently studying archives in the Master of Library and Information Science program at the University of Alabama. 

Research

Jessica's scholarship focuses on ecocritical approaches to contemporary American women's writing with a focus on the U.S. South. She explores topics of memory, trauma, and self-representation through literary criticism and creative writing. 

Favorite O'Connor works
  • Short Story: "The Turkey"
  • Book: Mystery and Manners 
  • Quote: "I can, with one eye squinted, take it all as a blessing." The Habit of Being
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Dr. Bruce Gentry

Dr. Bruce Gentry

Flannery O'Connor Institute Fellow
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A white woman with long, wavy light brown hair and glasses smiles at the camera

Lani Daniel

Project Coordinator, Flannery O'Connor & Milledgeville: Collecting the Past
706-998-6292
Education

Lani Daniel earned her Bachelor of Arts from Georgia College in December 2023 with a double major in English and Philosophy.

Biography

Lani previously worked as the Grant Support and Programming Intern at the Flannery O'Connor Institute for the Humanities where she gained her familiarity with the grants field. She now works as the Project Coordinator for the NEH funded grant Collecting the Past: Flannery O’Connor and Milledgeville.