Writer Joyce Carol Oates, Princeton University’s Roger S. Berlind ’52 professor of the humanities and professor of creative writing in the Lewis Center for the Arts, has been inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the state and beyond. Ms. Oates is among 11 inductees recently announced by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Ms. Oates joined the Princeton faculty in 1978 and is the author of a number of award-winning books of fiction including novels and short story collections, as well as essay collections, in the course of a writing career that has spanned five decades. She began writing novels at 14, after her grandmother gave her a typewriter for her birthday. At 19, she won the Mademoiselle magazine fiction contest.

Much of her fiction has been set in upstate rural New York and has explored family relationships, many of them plagued by violence, poverty, and addiction. Some of her most acclaimed novels are We Were The Mulvaneys (1996), a portrait of a family’s fall from grace; Blonde (2000), which portrays the life of Marilyn Monroe; The Falls (2004), a haunting story about Niagara Falls; and The Gravedigger’s Daughter (2007) which is based on the life of Oates’ grandmother.

In addition to her fiction, Ms. Oates is known for her literary criticism and essays, which have examined such diverse themes as boxing, serial killers, poetry, and art. Her many literary awards include the National Book Award, the PEN/Malamud Award honoring excellence in the art of the short story, the O. Henry Prize for continued achievement in the short story, and the Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement. In 2010 Ms. Oates was awarded The National Humanities Medal.

The New Jersey Hall of Fame was created to “honor citizens who have made invaluable contributions to society and the world beyond.” The Hall of Fame’s mission is to encourage children to strive for excellence by presenting significant and powerful role models as a source of learning, inspiration, and hope for young people. In addition to its annual award designations, the organization holds an essay contest for school children.

“I am deeply honored to join the impressive list of inductees for 2012,” noted Ms. Oates upon learning of the designation. “I am so pleased to see artists, and in particular writers, recognized by the Hall of Fame for the important contributions they make to our state and to society.”