Teaching Associate Professor Douglas McKinstry has four degrees from The University of Tennessee: a Bachelor’s Degree in Russian (language); a Master of Science Degree in English Education; a Master of Arts Degree in English; and a Ph.D. in English, with concentrations in American and British literatures.

For several decades Professor McKinstry’s teaching passions have focused on fiction primarily–novels and short stories from a gamut of national origins–but with avid interests as well in drama, poetry, and in the teaching of composition at the undergraduate level. McKinstry has enjoyed some fiction-writing success, placing short stories in both widely circulated as well as smaller literary magazines.  One of McKinstry’s short stories was nominated by a small publication for a Pushcart Prize.  Professor McKinstry was an invited presenter at two Young Writers Institute gatherings held on the UTK campus. 

Professor McKinstry has won a Chancellor’s Excellence in Teaching Award and has been nominated several times for other awards at department and college levels.  Like many other teachers at UTK, McKinstry has enjoyed glowing student evaluations throughout his teaching career.  He has mentored two dozen graduate teaching assistants in his time at UTK and recently was a mentor as well for a first-year lecturer in the English department.

Professor McKinstry has written dozens of letters of recommendation for former students headed for graduate schools, internships, and more permanent career positions.  He considers writing such letters one of the many privileges associated with teaching at a major university.