Education
Ph.D., English. University of California, Riverside. 2005.
Dissertation: “Romantic Genius and Literary Celebrity in American Literature”
Committee: Professors Steven G. Axelrod, Chair; Emory Elliott; Katherine Kinney.
M.A., English. University of California, Riverside. 2000.
B.A., English. University of California, Riverside. 1996.
Books
Writing Up: Reading and Writing for College Readiness. Co-authored with Jason Spangler. (BVT Publishing, 2016)
Publications in Academic Journals and Edited Volumes
Chapter in Edited Volume: “Claiming Their Place: Contemporary Arab American Poetry and Poetics.” The Bloomsbury Handbook to Contemporary American Poetry. Eds. Steven G. Axelrod and Craig Svonkin. New York: Bloomsbury, 2023: 379-91.
Chapter in Edited Volume: “Strategic Genius, Disidentification, and the Burden of The Prophet in Arab-American Poetry.” Arab Voices in Diaspora: Critical Perspectives on Anglophone Arab Literature. Ed. Layla Al Maleh. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi, 2009: 93-121. Print. Cross/Cultures. Ser. 115.
Article in Edited Volume: “The Strategic Voice of Western Poetics in Arab American Poetry.” Etching Our Own Image: Voices from Within the Arab American Arts Movement. Eds. Anan Ameri and Holly Arida. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2007: 83-98.
This article was awarded Honorable Mention as part of the Carl Bode Award for Best Articles published in The Journal of American Culture in 2006 by the American Culture Association.
Article: “The Sadakichi Hartmann Papers: The Ironic Legacy of a Quintessential
Bohemian.” CRATE: A Literary Journal. Volume 1.1 (2005): 60-67.
Article: “Two Palestinian Lives.” Special Issue: “Edward Said: Tributes.” Politics and Culture. Edited by Amitava Kumar and Michael Ryan. Volume 4.1 (2004): http://politicsandculture.neu.edu
Book Reviews and Encyclopedia Entries
Review: “Bob Dylan’s Chronicles: Volume 1.” Modern Language Studies. Volume 35.1 (2005): 99-104.
Encyclopedia entry: “Kahlil Gibran,” in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Poets and Poetry, Five Volumes. Ed. Jeffery Gray, et al. Westport: Greenwood Publishers, 2005: four pages.
Encyclopedia entry: “Marvin Bell,” in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Poets and Poetry, Five Volumes. Ed. Jeffery Gray, et al. Westport: Greenwood Publishers, 2005: five pages.
Selected Conference Papers and Presentations
Area Chair and Panel Organizer. “American Literature 1945 to the Present.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) Conference. Portland, OR. October 26-29, 2023.
Area Chair and Panel Organizer. “American Literature Before 1865.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) Conference. Los Angeles, CA. November 10-13, 2022.
Area Chair and Panel Organizer. “Rhetorical Approaches to Literature.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) Conference. Las Vegas, NV. November 11-14, 2021.
Area Chair and Panel Organizer. “Metafamilies I and II.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) Conference. San Diego, Ca. November is 14-17, 2019.
Area Chair and Panel Organizer. “American Literature 1865-Present I, II, and III.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) Conference. Pasadena, CA, November 11-13, 2016.
Area Chair and Panel Organizer. “Poetry and Poetics I, II, and III.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) Conference. Portland, OR, November 6-8, 2015.
“The Basic Skills Textbook: What We Need…What We Get…” Session title: “Rethinking ‘Remediation’: New Approaches for the 21st Century.” Presented at Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 112th Annual Conference. Riverside, Ca October 31-November 2, 2014.
Panel Chair. “Satire and Humor” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 112th Annual Conference. Riverside, Ca October 31-November 2, 2014.
Panel Chair. “Film Studies.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 111th Annual Conference. San Diego, Ca November 1-3, 2013.
Panel Chair. “Rhetorical Approaches to Literature.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 110th Annual Conference. Seattle, Wa, October 19-21, 2012.
Panel Chair and Presenter: Organized special session panel titled, “Teaching Big Novels in Developmental Writing? Seriously.” Presented paper titled, “Too Far from the Shore? Moby Dick in the Pre-Collegiate Writing Course.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 109th Annual Conference. Claremont, Ca, November 5-6, 2011.
Panel Chair. “Asia and Pacific Mysteries.” Special Session at Modern Language Association (MLA) Conference. Los Angeles, Ca. January 6-9, 2011.
Panel Chair. “Literature and Other Arts: Music.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 107th Annual Conference. San Francisco, Ca, November 6-7, 2009.
“Following Neruda: Naomi Nye’s Poetics of the Dispossessed.” Presented at Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 107th Annual Conference. San Francisco, Ca, November 6-7, 2009.
“I’d Like to if You’d Like Me to…Promoting Scholarship at the Two-Year College.” Presented at Modern Language Association (MLA) Conference. San Francisco, Ca, December 28, 2008.
“Elvis as My Tour Guide: The Elvis Effect and Commercial Hawaiian Tourism.” Presented at Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 106th Annual Conference. Pomona, Ca, November 7-8, 2008.
Area Chair and Panel Organizer. “Poetry and Popular Culture.” Oceanic Popular Culture Association (OPCA) Conference. Honolulu, HI. May 23-25, 2008.
“Robert Frost as Children’s Author?” Presented at Pacific Ancient and Modern Languages Association (PAMLA) 105th Annual Conference. Bellingham, WA, November 3, 2007.
Area Chair and Panel Organizer. “Music and Videos.” Oceanic Popular Culture Association (OPCA) Conference. Honolulu, HI, May 25-27, 2007.
Panel Chair and Organizer. “Poetry and Poetics I and II.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) Conference. Riverside, Ca, November 10 and 11, 2006.
“Trans-Spirituality in Kerouac’s American Haikus.” Presented at the American Studies Association (ASA) Conference. Oakland, Ca, October 12, 2006.
“The Pound-Hartmann Correspondence: Rethinking Pound’s Confucianism.” Presented at Modern Language Association (MLA) Conference. Washington DC, December 29, 2005.
Panel Chair. “American Literature to 1865.” Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 103rd Annual Conference. Pepperdine University, November 13, 2005.
“Post 9/11 Arab-American Poetry.” Presented at Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 103rd Annual Conference. Pepperdine University, November 11, 2005.
“The (very) Public Friendship of Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg.” Presented at the Popular/American Culture Associations Conference (PCA/ACA). San Diego, Ca, March 26, 2005.
“Appropriating Rimbaudian Poetics: Bob Dylan Life and Art.” Presented at Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) 102nd Annual Conference. Reed College, November 7, 2004.
“I’ll Let You be in My Dream if I Can be in Your Dream: The Friendship of Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan.” Presented at “Beat Meets East: An International and Interdisciplinary Conference on the Age of Spontaneity.” Co-sponsored by the University of Wisconsin and Sichuan University. Chengdu, China, June 2004.
Panel Chair. “Morphing Music Through Literature and Politics” (Dis) Junctions: 10th Annual Humanities Conference: UC, Riverside. April 2003.
“ ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’: The Dark Side of the Moon and Gravity’s Rainbow.” Presented at the California American Studies Association (CASA) “Imajinorities: who we are/n’t,” Conference. April 2002.
“ ‘No, They Not Green, They White’: Constructions of the “White Negro and New Masculinity in Easy Rider.” Presented at: (Dis)Junctions: The Eighth Annual Humanities Conference: UC, Riverside. April 2001.
Invited Speaker and Honorarium Presentations
” ‘As Authentic as Anything in Cairo or Beirut’ “: Oriental Rug Fantasies in Southern California.” Presented at Breaking through the Stucco Facade: Diversity and Southern California’s Fantasy Past. Co-sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Los Angeles and the Autry Museum of the American West. held at the Autry’s Historic Southwest Museum. March 19, 2016.
“The Rug Shoppe and The Mission Inn.” Presented for A Symposium on the Mission Inn. Held at the Historic Mission Inn. Riverside, Ca. March 21, 2015.
“Community College Teaching and Placement Panel.” University of Ca, Riverside. May 27, 2008.
“A Panel of New Faculty Hires.” Meeting of the San Diego and Imperial County Community College Association. March 9, 2007.
“Strategic Genius and Arab-American Poetry.” Presented at Diwan: A Forum for the Arts. Celebrating the First Anniversary of the Arab-American National Museum. Dearborn, MI. April 1, 2006. Honorarium.
Readings
“Selections from About Forty Miles Inland.” Reading for Poetry Studies and Creative Poetry Panel. “Gossip From Coast to Coast: Poetry of Talk and Place.” Popular/American Culture Association Conference (PCA/ACA). San Diego, Ca, April 14, 2017.
Selected Teaching Experience
Fall 2016-Present
Professor of English. Palomar College.
Fall 2010-Spring 2016
Associate Professor of English. Palomar College.
Fall 2006-Spring 2010
Assistant Professor of English. Palomar College.
Courses taught: Composition and Critical Thinking; Basic Writing; Introduction to Humanities; World Literature; Introduction to Literature; Literature and Ideas; American Literature. Introduction Linguistics.
Fall 2005-Spring 2006
Visiting English Instructor, Riverside City College.
Summer 2004-Fall 2007
Adjunct Faculty Member, California Baptist University.
Courses taught: Literary Criticism and Theory; Major Directors; Survey of Early American Literature; Intro to Literature; Research Methods for English Majors; A Decade in Film; Art and Film; Graduate Seminar in Film Theory, Creative Writing.
Summer 2004
TESOL Instructor, University of California, Riverside, Extension.
Intensive English Program for international students.
Courses taught: Intermediate Writing; Beginning Reading.
Spring 2003
Teaching Assistant, English Department, University of Ca, Riverside. Survey of 20th Century Literature with Professor Katherine Kinney.
Fall 2002
English Instructor, University of Redlands.
Courses Taught: English Writing Tutorials.
Spring 2002
Grader, UC Riverside. Sound Clash: Music, Literature and Identity. Professor Josh Kun.
Fall 2000-Spring 2005
Teaching Assistant, English Department, University of Ca, Riverside.
Courses taught: Beginning, Intermediate and Applied Composition; Basic Writing (English 4,5,1ABC, Writing Center)
Fall 2000-Fall 2003
Associate Faculty Member, San Jacinto Community College, Menifee.
Courses taught: Freshman Composition; Critical Thinking and Writing; Writing Center Instructor.
Fall 1999-Spring 2000
Teaching Assistant. Religious Studies Dept. UC Riverside.
Courses taught: Religious Myths and Rituals; Death
Fall 1997-Winter 1998
English Teacher, Sherman Indian High School. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. Riverside, Ca.
Courses taught: Introduction to Literature; World Literature; British Literature; Native American Literature; Creative Writing.
Fall 1996-Spring 1997
English Teacher and Varsity Soccer Coach, Ramona High School. Riverside, Ca.
Courses taught: American Literature; Health Academy English.
Academic Honors and Awards
Promotion to Full Professor. Fall 2016
Faculty Research Award. Palomar College. 2015-2016.
Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor. Palomar College. Fall 2010.
Honorable Mention: The Carl Bode Award for Best Article in The Journal of American Culture, 2006.
University of California, Riverside. English Department Dissertation Fellowship 2003-2004.
Inland Area Writing Project Fellow. 2001-Present.
Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for Religious Studies Department. University of California, Riverside. 1999-2000.
Research Assistantships and Editorial Experience
Co-Editor: Pacific Coast Philology. 2021-Present.
Editor of Literary Criticism. CRATE: A Literary Journal, the inaugural issue, 2004-2005.
Research Assistant under University Professor Emory Elliott and Vice-Provost Yolanda Moses on Academic Diversity and Conference Committee project, Summer 2004.
Research and Editing Assistant to the Chair, Professor George Haggerty. Manuscript and article preparation. August 2000-Spring 2005.
Research Assistant under Professor John Briggs on project sponsored by Association of Literary Scholars and Critics. Survey of Literature in High School Classroom. December 1998-May 1999.
Professional Service
Reader of mss., Rocky Mountain Review.
Reader of mss., Pacific Coast Philology.
Executive Committee Member, Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association 2014-2017.
Site Committee Member, San Diego Conference, Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association 2013.
Modern Language Association. Discussion Group Executive Committee. “The Two-Year College.” Elected to Five Year Term. 2012-2017. Served 2012-2014.
University Consultant and Presenter on special project for GEAR/UP: The English Articulation Project, 2004.
Inland Area Writing Project. Subject A Exam Outreach Consultant. 2003-2005.
Educational Testing Service (ETS). Grader for Subject A Exam. Berkeley, May 2003 and 2005.
Inland Area Writing Project. Fellow and Summer Institute Facilitator for University/High School Partnership. “Teachers Teaching Teachers.” 2001-2003.
Treasurer. Graduate Students in English Association. 2001-2002.
Treasurer. (Dis) Junctions: UCR’s Graduate Humanities Conference. 2000-2001.
College and Department Service
Department Chair. English, Reading, and Humanities 2023-
Chair, Tenure Evaluation and Review Board Committee for Probationary Faculty member, Amy Shen. 2022-2023.
Faculty Director of the Writing Center (2021-2022)
Outside Member, Tenure Evaluation and Review Board Committee for Probationary Faculty member, Gina Wilson (Child Development). 2018-2022.
Co-Chair with VP of Instruction, Sabbatical Leave Committee. 2016-2018.
Outside Member, Tenure Evaluation and Review Board Committee for Probationary Faculty member, Mary Mendoza (ASL). 2016-2020.
English Department Representative. Adult Education Block Grant. Curriculum Alignment Project. Summer 2016.
Member, Search Committee. English Department Faculty Hires. 2015-2016
Chair, Tenure Evaluation and Review Board Committee for Probationary Faculty member, Katherine Kelp-Stebbins. 2014-2018.
Member, Sabbatical Leave Committee. 2014-2016.
Member, Search Committee. English Department Faculty Hires. 2014-2015.
Outside Member, Tenure Evaluation and Review Board Committee for Probationary Faculty member, Netta Schroer (Psych). 2013-2017.
Member, Search Committee. English Department Faculty Hire. 2013-2014.
Member, Search Committee. English Department Faculty Hire. 2010-2011.
Outside Member, Tenure Evaluation and Review Board Committee for Probationary Faculty member, Cord Taylor (Phys Ed). 2010-2014.
Member, Professional Procedures Committee. 2010-2012.
Faculty Senate Representative, Budget Committee. 2008-2009.
Faculty Senate Secretary/Faculty Council. 2008-2009.
Faculty Senate Representative, Finance and Administrative Services Planning Council, Spring 2008.
Member, Search Committee. Dean of Languages and Literature. 2007-2008.
Faculty Senate Representative, Student Services Planning Council, Fall 2007.
Faculty Senator, Palomar College Faculty Senate. Fall 2006-Spring 2009.
Professional Organizations