Assistant Professor of English and writer Rick Hilles is one of three poets to receive the prestigious 2008 Whiting Writers' Award.

The award, presented on Wednesday at a ceremony in New York City, recognizes "10 young writers for their extraordinary talent and promise and is one of the most coveted prizes for up and coming writers," according to Liza Lucas of Goldberg McDuffie Communications.

Hilles, an assistant professor in the Master of Fine Arts Program at Vanderbilt University, has published numerous works of poetry as well as received notable awards, including the 2006 Poetry Book of the Year by ForeWord magazine and 2007 Poetry Society of America's Robert H. Winner Award.

"I was stunned in the best possible sense because I have tried hard over the years not to allow myself to even hope for it," said Hilles on receiving the latest recognition.

"I guess I'll just have to take this immense gratitude I'm feeling and disperse it equally among everyone," he said when the foundation's director told him about the anonymity of the selection process.

Hilles joined the Vanderbilt faculty during the fall of 2005 and currently teaches two poetry workshops.

"I feel extremely fortunate to have worked with so many superbly talented and inspiring students since coming to Vanderbilt," Hilles said. "Our M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing is still very new, though I'm happy to say that, in the most recent issue of ǃÚPoets & Writers,' it was listed as among the 20 ǃÚTop Fully Funded Programs.'"