McNally Named New Director of All-College Honors

February 18, 2021

Buffalo, NY - History Professor Bruce J. Dierenfield, PhD, who retired from Canisius in July 2020, passed the baton for directorship of the All-College Honors program onto Janet M. McNally, this fall.  The program provides academically gifted, highly-motivated undergraduate students with an accelerated and enhanced intellectual experience, which is complemented by co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that nurture the academic, cultural and social development of students. 

McNally is an associate professor of English and creative writing, and the first woman to direct the All-College Honors program.  Prior to her appointment, she taught a variety of All-College courses, including contemporary American fiction and poetry, American immigrant workers, and contemporary retellings of myths and fairy tales.  She also directed students’ creative honors theses, which requires students to produce original prose or poetry collections.

McNally is the author of two young adult novels, The Looking Glass and Girls in the Moon, and published a prizewinning collection of poems titled Some Girls.

A 2002 alumna, McNally earned undergraduate degrees in English and communication studies.  She also holds a master of fine arts degree in fiction from the University of Notre Dame.