Dr. Bill DeMastes, a professor of English at LSU, is in his first year as Faculty Athletics Representative. Dr. Demastes earned his Ph.D in English in 1986 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Field of Study of Drama as Genre and a speciailization in 20th-Century American and British Drama. He earned his masters in English in June 1979 from the Univeristy of Georgia in Athens where he specialized in 19th-Century American Literature.

At LSU, he served as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2001-2004 and Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of English from 1999-2001 and 2010-11. He has also served as Associate Chair of the Department of English (1998-99); Director of the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts Program (1996-2004); and, Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English (1992-94; 2006-06).

He was honored with the LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award in 2000 and in 2002 won the LSU Distinguished Faculty Award. He was named in 2009 an LSU Rainmaker which is given to the top 100 LSU Faculty. In 2010 he was named the Tiger Athletic Foundation undergraduate Teaching Award University College and in the summer of 2011 was named the Harry Ransom Summer Fellowship recipient from the University of Texas.

Education
University of Wisconsin-Madison: Ph.D. English, December 1986
Field of Study: Drama as Genre
Specialization: 20th-Century American and British Drama
University of Georgia, Athens: M.A. English, June 1979
Specialization: 19th-Century American Literature
University of California-Berkeley: A.B. Philosophy, June 1977

Significant LSU Administrative Assignments
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, 2001-2004
Director, Undergraduate Studies, Dept. of English, 1999-2001, 2010-2011
Associate Chair, Dept. of English, 1998-1999
Director, Master of Arts in Liberal Arts [MALA]) Program, 1996-2004
Director of Graduate Studies, Dept. of English, 1992-1994, 2005-2006

Honors, Awards
Harry Ransom Summer Fellowship, University of Texas, Summer 2011
Tiger Athletic Foundation Undergraduate Teaching Award University College, 2010
Alumni Professorship, 2009-Present
LSU Rainmaker (Top 100 Faculty) 2009
Board of Regents Research Grant, Fall 2008
ATLAS Grant (Award to Louisiana Artists and Scholars) recipient, 2006-2007
LSU Distinguished Faculty Award, 2002
LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award, 2000
President, American Theatre and Drama Society, 2001-2003