The English Department at the University of Michigan-Flint mourns the sudden loss of a dear colleague and friend: Amy Hartwig.
There is an acute pain to this loss as Amy majored in English with a specialization in literature. Before she went on to do great things for the College, she was, in a sense, “ours.” And so much about Amy made the department (among others) want to claim her as their own. According to Dr. Mary Jo Kietzman, Amy was “a joy—always positive, very smart, and determined to have a real and meaningful conversation in every class.” And while Dr. James Schirmer never had the pleasure of a class with Amy, he served with her on search and strategic planning committees. Amy’s influence will continue to be felt through the many pieces she composed as part of her official duties as CAS Communications Specialist as well as through official documents integral to the future of the College.
She believed in and followed through on the power of storytelling. She shaped how and what the College thinks and values about itself. And she embodied what’s possible to do with an English degree.
Amy Hartwig was one of our very best and we will miss her.
