June Cummins: A Tribute

Dr. June Cummins, faculty member in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at San Diego State University from 1998 to 2018 and graduate director for over a decade, died February 22, 2018 after a rapid decline from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A native of San Diego, June completed an English BA at University of California, Berkeley in 1985, and an English MA, M.Phil., and Ph.D. at Columbia University in 1986, 1989, and 1998, respectively. A dedicated scholar of Jewish children's literature, June served from 2001 to 2007 and 2013 to 2015 on the Board of Directors for the Children's Literature Association (ChLA) and was also an inaugural member of the Diversity Committee of ChLA-a committee that remains at the forefront of ChLA's success in diversifying both the membership and the scholarship of the organization. Those of us who served with June on the board remember her as tenacious, outspoken, and committed to fairness and equity for all, especially for those who have been marginalized and excluded within the profession. When June felt strongly about an issue that came before the board, she would not back down; she was a force to be reckoned with.

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