English D.A. Graduate
Reaches her Dream
Jessica Barros, D.A. arrived at St. John’s
University with a goal of teaching at the post-secondary level.
Having earned a BA in English and Political Science from Boston
College and an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, a
doctoral degree was the logical next step.
Prior to pursuing her doctorate at St. John's
University, Dr. Barros taught writing and literature courses
centered on race in various programs with students of diverse
academic, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds––including one
in which she held a tenure-track position. Her research
interests had focused on Hip-Hop language and race,
African-centered languages, and institutionalized forms of racism
in education. When it came time for Dr. Barros to enroll in a
doctoral program, St. John’s University’s Doctor of Arts program in
English was a natural choice due to the program’s focus
on advanced study in literary, cultural, and composition studies
with preparation for teaching.
While enrolled at St. John’s University, she
proved to be a high achieving student. Dr. Barros presented her
research at a number of universities as well as national
conferences such as National Council of Teachers of English
Assembly for Research (NCTEAR), Conference on College Composition
and Communication (CCCC), and the Thomas R. Watson
Conference.
Most notably, in 2011 Dr. Barros was awarded a
Dissertation Fellowship by the University of California Santa
Barbara's (UCSB) renowned Black Studies
Department. During Barros's tenure as a Dissertation
Scholar, she designed and taught a Hip-Hop course centered on race
and completed her dissertation: Cape Verdean Rhetorical
Discourse Strategies in Bandera, a qualitative study that
investigates literacies in Bandera, a Cape Verdean feast honoring a
patron saint. At the end of her fellowship at UCSB, Barros gave a
university-wide public lecture on her dissertation. She was also an
invited speaker at UCSB's symposium, "Rethinking the Black American
Speaking Subject," where she delivered the keynote address.
Barros most recently was the recipient of the
2012 National Teacher of English (NCTE) Conference on College
Composition and Communication (CCCC) Chairs' Memorial Scholarship
Award for "the timeliness, theoretical grounding, quality of
research, theoretical, and potential future" for her presentation.
Barros is an invited speaker at a featured Cross-Caucus panel at
the 2013 Conference on
College on Composition and Communication Conference. In
addition to being on a featured panel in the upcoming conference,
as part of a panel that calls for the dismantling racist policies
that exclude black students, Barros will talk about her research on
women's African-centered literacy narratives. Formerly a member of
the NCTE's Black Caucus Communication Committee, she is a candidate
for the position of Financial Secretary for NCTE's Black
Caucus.
Barros recently accepted and is looking
forward to her position as Assistant Professor in Ithaca College's
Writing
Department. Her peer-reviewed, dissertation based article can
be read in the upcoming issue of Community Literary
Journal.
For more information, please contact Dr.
Stephen Sicari, by calling 718-990-6387, or via e-mail at sicaris@stjohns.edu