Marianallet Mendez-Rivera,
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Writing, Institute for Core Studies
First-Year Writing Program, Institute for Writing Studies
Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Scientific and Technical Communication,
University of Minnesota, 2006
M.S., University of Minnesota, Scientific and Technical
Communication, 2000
B.A. in Social Communication, Andres Bello Catholic University,
1994
mendezm1@stjohns.edu
Given my training as a rhetorician, technical writer and
intercultural communicator, my research interests somehow combine
aspects of all of them. One area of interest is the use of the mass
media to secure, maintain and enhance political power; more
specifically, I am interested in Venezuelan Presidential discourse.
Another area of interest is related to international technical
communication. Another related topic I am very interested in is
translation v. localization. Last, I’m interested in the use of
technology to enhance the classroom experience.
My goal as a professor is to facilitate learning. I do so
through three main principles. Student-centered practices: This
means striving to provide a learning environment in which course
content and students’ needs and interests go hand-in-hand. I also
firmly believe in collaborative practices. Collaboration, whether
it be working in teams, peer reviewing each others’ work, etc., if
well understood and practiced, results in a rich dialogue in which
multiple voices and approaches come together, and which in turn
helps students be aware of their own uniqueness and well as other
people’s. Last, teaching is very much about respecting all class
members’ opinions and interests. It has always been my goal to
facilitate learning experiences in which students not only respect
other students’ opinions but also discover the value and meaning of
their own as well as others’ perspectives. Respecting others, to a
great extent, is about self-awareness and expectations; it is about
understanding why one reacts, behaves or thinks in a particular
way. The classroom, I believe, provides a great opportunity to
achieve this goal.