On the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 16, word spread throughout the Department of English and the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Writing program that long-time Program Assistant Kimberly V. Garrett passed away in her Pittsburg, California home. She was 48 years old when she passed.
Garrett had been a pillar of the USF community for over 20 years, graduating from USF in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and history. She immediately began work as the program assistant for the Department of English, later picking up the mantle of program assistant for the MFA in Writing program in August 2018. She was the recipient of the 2024 Fr. William J. Dunne Award for her contributions to the USF community through service and leadership.
Garrett was also a co-founder of The Writers of Discontent, an annual fundraiser to support social justice organizations, founded in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. The Writers of Discontent raised over $6,000 for a variety of social issues such as race-based violence, gun violence, homelessness and the rights of undocumented students.
Dean Jeffrey Paris announced the news of Garrett’s passing to English students via email midday Thursday, Sept. 17. The English department and MFA in Writing program held a remembrance that evening on the Kalmanovitz Hall rooftop for the community to “gather together and hold the space for thinking of and honoring our colleague and friend.”
An altar had been set up on Garrett’s desk in the MFA in Writing office, at which people stopped to leave flowers and notes on their way to the rooftop. Roughly 70 people attended, with faculty and staff from across departments of the College of Arts and Sciences in attendance. At the remembrance, those who knew and loved Garrett shared memories of her.
Victoria Crowe MFA ’25, adjunct professor of English, shared with the Foghorn, “In my memory, there is not a time I can recall her sitting at her desk alone. She was always surrounded by someone, whether they needed her help with something or simply wanted to be in her company.” William Brown MFA ’26, also adjunct professor of English, shared, “She could make anyone feel at home. … I know she’ll be missed by so many people, because she was a comfort to so many.”
English Department Chair Omar F. Miranda shared in an email to the Foghorn, “Beyond being one of the most special people I have ever known, [Kimberly] was an avid, profound and deeply conscientious reader. She read with real intensity and passion. She noticed things other readers missed, formed strong opinions and argued for them with conviction.” In recent years, Garrett had continued her studies of literature and creative writing in both English and MFA in Writing courses.
In Garrett’s own words, she was “the author of several pieces of unpublished poetry” and of one piece of published poetry. Her poem “Letter to the Editor” appeared in Invisible City, the online literary journal of the MFA in Writing program, in December 2025. Department Chair Laleh Khadivi shared that the program hopes to gather Garrett’s unpublished poems into a collection to be shared with current and future students. MFA in Writing Professor D.A. Powell spoke of Garrett’s love of writing and ended with this sentiment: “There are writers who are maintenance workers. There are writers who are tech assistants. There are writers who are program assistants.”
English department student assistants moved the altar from the MFA in Writing office to outside of the English office, KA 487, so those who knew Garrett can visit and contribute. There is a notebook open on the altar where people can write remembrances, which will be given to her family. Garrett is survived by her husband Mohamed Elnowihy. The couple would have celebrated their first year of marriage this week, having been married on Sept. 26, 2025.
Amira Walker, third-year English major and English department student assistant, shared after the remembrance, “Kimberly wasn’t just the program assistant; she was my friend. … I want everyone to remember who Kimberly was.”
I’m so sorry to hear of Kimberly’s passing. Although I never had the opportunity to meet her, I knew of her passion and dedication to her work. It is heartbreaking to lose our young, educated colleagues and fellow educators far too soon. My heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones during this difficult time.