Catheryn Jennings

Education

PhD in Rhetoric and Writing (May 2020)
Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures
Michigan State University
Research Area: Cultural Rhetorics
Dissertation: Arrows and Archives: Gathering Oklahoma Stories

Master of Arts in English (May 2011)
Northeastern State University
Thesis: “The Search for a Personal Eire: Irish Travel Narratives as Quest Memoirs in Post-Celtic Tiger Ireland”

Level III Master Tutor Certification (May 2011)
College Reading and Learning Association International Certificate

Bachelor of Arts in English (May 2009)
Northeastern State University

Academic Appointments

Graduate Research Assistant
Michigan State University (Spring 2017-Present)
constellations: A Cultural Rhetorics Publishing Space (Spring 2019-Present)
The Cube Initiative (Fall 2019-Present)
Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies [JOGLTEP] (Spring 2017-Spring 2019)

Writing Consultant
Writing Center at Michigan State (Summer 2018-Fall 2019)

Graduate Teaching Assistant
Michigan State University
First Year Writing Program (Fall 2016-2018)

Part Time Faculty
Tulsa Community College
Northeast Campus Communications Division (Fall 2014-2016)

General Education Instructor and Tutor
Virginia College-Tulsa (Spring 2012-2016)

Adjunct Instructor
Northeastern State University
Department of Languages and Literature (Spring 2011)

Graduate Teaching Assistant
Northeastern State University
Department of Languages and Literature (Fall 2009-Spring 2011)

Scholarly Publications

Limbu, Marohang, and Catheryn Jennings. “‘Khaasaam: Delinking, Relinking, and Linking Yakthung Indigenous Mundhum (Music) Theories, Philosophies, and Practices’.” Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies, vol. 4, no. 2, Dec. 2017, http://joglep.com/files/9715/1395/7237/7.4_Khassam-Final.pdf.

Jennings, Catheryn. “Every Word Is a Prayer: Heritage Language Literacy and Indigenous Identity.” Forthcoming Untitled Edited Collection. Star Scholars, Spring 2021.

In-process/ Potential Publications

Jennings, Catheryn, director. Every Word Is a Prayer. Every Word Is a Prayer, constellations: A Cultural Rhetorics Publishing Space, (In-process/to be submitted, 2020), http://constell8cr.com/.

Conference Presentations

“Stories of Arrows and Archives: A work in Progress.”American Indian & Indigenous Studies Graduate Student Symposium, Michigan State University. East Lansing, MI. April 2019.

“Native women and neo-colonialism: Understanding the Relationship Between Currency and the Land.” Symposium on the American Indian. Northeastern State University. Tahlequah, OK. April 2019.

“The Academic Migration Trails That Take Us to Different Indigenous Lands: A Reflective Roundtable on Reciprocity and Community Building in Anishinaabewaki.” National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies. (roundtable). Albuquerque, NM. April 2019.

“Story as Methodology: Approaches to Research, Writing, and Teaching.” Conference on College Composition and Communication, American Indian Caucus (Workshop). Pittsburg, PA. March 2019

“Every Word is a Prayer: Filming and Telling Indigenous Heritage Language Stories.” Cultural Rhetorics Conference. Michigan State University. (Film Screening) East Lansing, MI. September 2018.

“Learning Cherokee Online: Digital Survivance and Language Revitalization.” Computers and Writing. George Mason University.
Fairfax, VA. May 2018.

“Learning Cherokee Online: Digital Survivance, Identity, and Language Revitalization.” American Indian Studies Association
Arizona State University. Tempe, AZ. February 2018.

“Mapping My Queerness: A 20 Year Journey.” Queer Conversations. Queer Theory Playground Symposium. Michigan State University. East Lansing, MI. March 2018.

“The Sooner State: The Tourist’s Gaze, Settler Colonial Rhetoric, and Oklahoma Heritage Tourism.” Conference on College Composition and Communication. American Indian Caucus (Round table). Portland, OR. March 2018.

“What We Say When We Raise Our Voices: An Inclusive,
Feminist Approach to Activism Slogan Rhetoric.” Feminism and Rhetorics Conference. University of Dayton. Dayton, OH. October 2017.

“#Whatdowewant.” Cultural Rhetorics Conference. Michigan State University. East Lansing, MI. October 2016

“#Queerculture.” Cultural Rhetorics Conference. Michigan State University. East Lansing, MI. October 2014.

“Newborn, Eviscerated, and Sold: The Role of the Child in Vaughn and Staples’ Saga.” Southwest/Texas Pop Culture Association/American Culture Association Conference
Albuquerque, NM. February 2013.

“The Rhetoric of Advanced Sciences: Science Fiction Television, Pop Science Books, and the Star Trek Explanation”
Pop Culture Association/American Culture Association National Conference. San Antonio, TX. April 2011.
“The Kama Sutra: Fact, Fiction, and the Absurd.” Living Literature of India Seminar. Northeastern State University. Tahlequah, OK. September 2010.

“At the Point of Boiling Over: The Rise of Steampunk”
Southwest/Texas Pop Culture Association/American Culture Association Conference. Albuquerque, NM. February 2010.

Invited Talks

“Making and Indian-ier Oklahoma: Indigenous Representation in Tourist Branding.” Saginaw-Chippewa Tribal College, Mount Pleasant, MI. February 2018.

Courses Taught (as Instructor of Record)

Michigan State: First Year Writing (Fall 2016-Fall 2018)

Virginia College-Tulsa: Composition 1 and 2, Fundamentals of Communication, Intro to Communication, Contemporary American Literature, Career, Exploration and Planning (Fall 2012-Spring 2016)

Tulsa Community College: Composition 1, Writing 1 and 2
(Fall 2013-Spring 2016)

Northeastern State University: Writing Enhancement, Reading Enhancement, Composition 1&2 (Fall 2009-Spring 2012)

Academic Service:

Reviewer and Editor: Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies. Michigan State University (Fall 2017-Present)

Land Acknowledgment Facilitation and Information Committee: American Indian Caucus. CCCC (August 2019-Present)

Workshop Facilitator: American Indian Caucus. CCCC (March 2019)

Content Researcher: Digital Publishing Lab. Michigan State University (2017)

Cultural Rhetorics Conference Committee: Michigan State University (2015-16)
Library Review Board Member: Virginia College-Tulsa (Fall 2012-Spring 2016)

Faculty Mentor: Student Ambassador Program. Virginia College-Tulsa (Fall 2012-Spring 2016)

Retention Committee Member: Virginia College-Tulsa Fall 2012-Spring 2013)

Faculty Textbook Reviewer: Pearson Publishing. Virginia College-Tulsa (Fall 2013-Spring 2014)

Workshop Facilitator: University Writing Center. APA/MLA, Introduction to the Writing Center, Online Research and Consulting, Multimedia Consulting Michigan State University (Summer 2018-Fall 2019)

Tutor and Presenter: CRLA/NSU Tutor Training Program. Northeastern State University (Spring 2009-Fall 2011)

Workshop Facilitator: University Writing Center APA/MLA Presentations Northeastern State University (Fall 2009-Spring 2011)

Book Sale Coordinator: Sigma Tau Delta (Mu Iota Chapter). Northeastern State University (Fall 2009-Fall 2011)

Professional Affiliations

Indigenous Graduate Student Collective, Michigan State University 2016-Present (president 2018-2019)
CCCC American Indian Caucus Member (2016-present)
Queer Theory Playground, Michigan State University (2016-present)
National Council of Teachers of English (2016-2019)
Popular Culture Association/American Cultural Association (2009-2013)
Sigma Tau Delta, Mu Iota Chapter: International English Honor Society (2009-2011) (President: 2011 Vice-President: 2010)
Graduate Student Association, Northeastern State University: Languages and Literature Department (2009-2011) (President: 2011 Vice-President: 2010)

Community Outreach Service

Indigenous Youth Empowerment Program Mentor and Tutor. Lansing, MI (2016-2019)

Beyond Insights Volunteer. Michigan State University. East Lansing, MI (2016-2017)

Honors and Awards

Spot Recognition Award Certificate: Virginia College-Tulsa (2013)

Outstanding Faculty Member of the Quarter: Virginia College-Tulsa
(Winter 2012)

Dr. Betty Ritch Lombardi Memorial Scholarship Northeastern State University (2009 and 2010)

References

Dr. Kristin Arola
Arola@msu.edu

Dr. Malea Powell
powell37@msu.edu

Dr. Danielle DeVoss
devossda@msu.edu

Dr. Estrella Torrez
torrezjs@msu.edu

Dr. Alexandra Hidalgo
hidalgo5@msu.edu

In my classroom, I foster a mutually respectful learning environment in which students can express themselves and are challenged to step out of their academic and rhetorical comfort zones to consider their work in constructive and impactful ways. My teaching practices are strongly situated in building relationships between learners and in working together to create knowledge and knowledge-making practices that we can all share. I have worked with students in diverse learning environments and classroom settings, and in these spaces and places, I have been reaffirmed in my belief that students come into the classroom with a deep desire to share their stories.

I use the inherently social and cultural nature of the classroom to create a community of learners that works together to create an environment where class members feel comfortable engaging with and sharing their work, work that can be very personal and vulnerable. I help facilitate a more personal relationship with the creating and composing process by asking my students to consider their work as part of larger conversations and to understand that the work they do can be impactful both within their own communities and to our shared global society.

The materials students engage with in all of my classrooms include voices from diverse communities to model for my students the ways in which factors like culture and community can shape the ways stories are shared. Looking at pieces written by marginalized peoples, having students bring in and lead discussions about relevant materials of their choosing, and non-alphabetic, multimedia content like movies and social media, allows my students to see that their stories are not alone, and they can be joined into larger conversations. This multimodal practice helps them to understand that, as writers, their work can push beyond traditional modes of composition. This is an idea that I have carried out of my composition classes and into my own rhetorical scholarship and courses outside of composition.

My students engage in active construction and critique of rhetorical strategies in their own writing, in the work of their peers, and in the course materials through workshopping and classroom-wide writing process discussions as they draft. With a priority on student learning and knowledge making practices, I use the class time to introduce ideas to students and work with them hand-in-hand to become critical participants in the course content. We share the progress of our work and our stories to help break down the purely student/teacher audience of the writing classroom and instead open it up to a class community of peer mentors. Beyond that, I assign regular journaling, peer review, and self-evaluation to facilitate student empowerment in the practice of writing as more than simply the means to a satisfactory grade, but instead as an essential part of cultural and scholarly engagement.

In my classroom, I focus on enhancing my students’ relationship with composition by positioning them to engage in the practice of writing as a worthwhile and lifelong process. I teach my students to value their writing and their stories, and that by doing so they will improve the quality of their work. When my students follow me class to class, and I am able to see them grow as not only stronger writers, but also as creators of engaging content, it assures me that the time spent fostering these skills empowers them as active learners.