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GLOBAL POETRY CONTEST CATEGORIES AND JUDGES

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Dr. Wanda A. Rider is a true woman of letters. She earned her BSE at Lyons College, Masters in Education at the Memphis State University and her Ph.D at the University of Mississippi. Aside from her post-graduate work at the University of Tennessee, she was awarded her Honorary Degree at the Academia Leonardo de Vinci, Rome, Art at the Memphis Academy of Arts, Music at MSU, and Writing at the Southeast Missouri State College. After acquiring all of these honors and degrees, she has served as an educator herself, by teaching high school and graduate school for 52 years.

Dr. Rider’s works include published articles in journals, book reviews, and magazine articles. She edited Recipe Masterpieces and The 100 Year NLAPW History Book, messages in 32 magazines, chapters in college text on Parallelism in Poetry, and History of Desha. She has edited biographies, histories, plays, short stories, dissertations, songs and poetry. She has also penned a chapter in Martha Mashall’s book, History of Tennessee NLAPW.

As the UPLI Executive Vice President, she spearheaded the 14th World Poetry Congress held in 1995 at Memphis, USA. She received the Golden Crown Award along with other meaningful medals, and presented the Gold Crown to Robert Penn Warren, the first U.S. Poet Laureate. She has attended World Congresses of Poets across the globe, including places such as: Taipei, New York City, Rome, Milan, Seoul, Arizona, England, Philippines, Bangkok, Texas, China, Alabama, Nicaragua, Greece, and Japan. With her husband, she has published Praise for Dr. Amado M. Yuzon, the founder of UPLI.

Aside from UPLI, Dr. Rider has played a vital role in many other noted organizations: past president of the Poetry Society of Tennessee and Mid-South Writers and the two-time National President of NLAPW with service on the board. She is a member of The National Faculty, Phi Delta Kappa, Kappa Delta Phi, honorary member of the National Beta Club, and Chair of the Mid-South Poetry Festival. She also started and chaired the Mid-South Writers May Festival.

Special Honors: Named Distinguished Alumna by Lyons College; Teacher of the Year Award; Master Teacher Award; “Dame of Merit” by the Knights of Malta; Tennessee NLAPW Lifetime Achievement Award; Tennessee NLAPW Most Outstanding Member Award; received Golden Owl Versatility Award in writing; recognized for achievements by superintendents of schools, mayors, governors, and Senator Howard Baker; Honored with plaques at the Memphis Board of Education, at Pen Arts and in Taipei Park as a Distinguished World Poet.

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