Jason S. Todd, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of English
Faculty Director of the Core Curriculum
Director of the Digital Humanities Program
Xavier University of Louisiana

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Southern Mississippi, May 2006
    Major Field: Creative Writing, Fiction
    Minor Field: Mass Communications
  • M.A., University of Southern Mississippi, May 2003
    Major Field: Creative Writing, Fiction
  • B.A., Webster University, December 1996
    Major Field: Literature and Language, Creative Writing
    Minor Field: Religious Studies

Employment History

Current

  • Associate Professor of English, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2007-present.
  • Faculty Director of the Core Curriculum, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2022-present.
  • Director, Digital Humanities Program, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2021-present.

Previous

  • Associate Director, Center for the Advancement of Teaching & Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2015-2021.
  • Quality Enhancement Plan Director, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2010-2015.
  • Writing Center Director, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2007-2010.
  • Adjunct Instructor, Ohio Dominican University, Summer 2007.
  • Instructor, English Department, Southeastern Louisiana University, 2006-2007.

Honors. Awards, & Certificates

  • Norman C. Francis Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, Xavier University of Louisiana, Spring 2023.
  • Faculty Fellowship, UNCF Teaching and Learning Center, Spring 2023.
  • Fellowship, Faculty Writing Retreat, A Studio in the Woods, 2022-2023.
  • Certificate, #LearnEverywhereXULA Advanced, Level 3, Oct 2022.
  • Certificate, Advanced Online Student Engagement, Strategic Education, Sep 2021.
  • Certificate, Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR), Quality Matters, May 2020.
  • Certificate, Teaching 21st-Century Skills in College, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Nov 2019.
  • Certificate, Exploring ePortfolios, Online Learning Consortium, Aug 2016.
  • Fellowship, CCE Digital Humanities, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2016/2017.
  • Fellowship, Faculty Communities of Teaching Scholars, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2014/2015.
  • Honorable Mention, Leapfrog Press Fiction Contest, Stupid, Stupid Men: Stories. 2013.
  • Nomination, Pushcart Prize for Fiction, "When Will It End?" 2011.
  • Nomination, NCF Excellence Award for Service, Xavier University of Louisiana. 2010.
  • Second Place, Southern California Review Fiction Prize, "This Is Where." 2009.
  • Member, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. 2006.
  • Excellence Fellowship, Center for Writers, University of Southern Mississippi. 2005/2006.
  • Writer-in-Residence, All Write! Initiative, Mississippi Arts Commission. 2003-2004.

Publications

Academic

  • "Disruption is the Norm: A Faculty Development Center’s Response to the Future." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer, Janice Florent, and Bart Everson. Onwards to Better: How Facing a Pandemic Will Improve Higher Education in the 21st Century, edited by Regan Gurung and Dwaine Plaza. Stylus, Forthcoming.
  • "#LearnEverywhereXULA (#LEX): An Asynchronous Course to Support Synchronous Remote Teaching." With Tiera Conston, Bart Everson, Janice Florent, and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Proceedings of Innovate Learning Summit 2020, edited by Theo J. Bastiaens and Gary H. Marks, vol. 2020, 1, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), 2020, pp. 108–12. https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/218789/
  • "The A-Word: The Role of Faculty Developers in Assessment." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Assessment: Individual, Institutional, and International Approaches. Eds. Susan Nola, Chris Hakala, and Eric Landru. APA Books, 2020.
  • "Interdisciplinarity through Graphic Novels." Phi Kappa Phi Forum, vol. 95, no. 3. 2015.
  • "What If We Dared to Ask?" Rev. of What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, by Randall Munroe. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, vol. 95, no. 2, 2015.
  • "A Good Carpenter: Cash Bundren's Quest for Balance and Authority." The Southern Literary Journal, vol. 46, no. 1. 2013.
  • "Kane, Bob." Greenwood Encyclopedia of Comic Books & Graphic Novels. 2010.
  • "O'Neil, Denny." Greenwood Encyclopedia of Comic Books & Graphic Novels. 2010.
  • "Read Today, Lead Tomorrow." Xavier Gold Spring. 2010.
  • "Steinke, Darcey." New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, Vol. 9, Literature. 2007.
  • "Entry Level Technology Standards for Professional Education: Basic Technology Literacy Exam." With Edward Mann, Mary Nell McNeese & April Miller. Proceedings of The Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference (SITE) 2003. Ed. Caroline Crawford et al. AACE, 2003.

Online Scholarly Contributions

  • "Goodbye, Google, Part II." CAT Food Blog, 30 Nov 2021, https://cat.xula.edu/food/goodbye-google-part-2.
  • "Goodbye, Google, Part I." CAT Food Blog, 17 Nov 2021, https://cat.xula.edu/food/goodbye-google-part-i.
  • "Hanging on the Telephone." CAT Food Blog, 18 Sep 2021, https://cat.xula.edu/food/hanging-on-the-telephone.
  • "From Google to LibCal." CAT Food Blog, 22 Aug 2021, https://cat.xula.edu/food/from-google-to-libcal.
  • "Conversation #102: Tiera Coston on CARE for First-Generation Students." Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else, 9 Mar 2021, https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-102.
  • "To Merge or Not to Merge." CAT Food Blog, 24 Jun 2020, https://cat.xula.edu/food/to-merge-or-not-to-merge.
  • "EdPuzzle, Edward Snowden, & Square Pegs." CAT Food Blog, 17 Apr 2020, https://cat.xula.edu/food/edpuzzle-edward-snowden-square-pegs.
  • With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. "Conversation #96: #KeepTeachingXULA (Part 3)." Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else, 14 Apr 2020, https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-96.
  • With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. "Conversation #94: #KeepTeachingXULA (Part 2)." Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else, 31 Mar 2020, https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-94.
  • With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. "Conversation #93: #KeepTeachingXULA (Part 1)." Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else, 24 Mar 2020, https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-93.
  • "Using Zoom for Office Hours." CAT Food Blog, 16 Mar 2020, https://cat.xula.edu/food/using-zoom-for-office-hours.
  • "Class Engagement as a Self-Assessment." The CAT Food Blog, Jan. 2020. https://cat.xula.edu/food/class-engagement-as-a-self-assessment
  • "Using Zoom for Office Hours." The CAT Food Blog, Mar. 2020. https://cat.xula.edu/food/using-zoom-for-office-hours
  • "EdPuzzle, Edward Snowden, & Square Pegs." The CAT Food Blog, Apr. 2020. https://cat.xula.edu/food/edpuzzle-edward-snowden-square-pegs
  • "To Merge or Not to Merge." The CAT Food Blog, June 2020. https://cat.xula.edu/food/to-merge-or-not-to-merge
  • Room 101 Radio (podcast), May 2020. https://room101.jtodd.info/topics/podcasts
  • "Conversation #93: #KeepTeachingXULA (Part 1)." The Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else Podcast, Mar. 2020. https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-93
  • "Conversation #94: #KeepTeachingXULA (Part 2)." The Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else Podcast, Mar. 2020. https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-94
  • "Conversation #96: #KeepTeachingXULA (Part 3)." The Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else Podcast, Apr. 2020. https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-96
  • "Conversation #84: Xavier Students React to the New Core Curriculum." Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else, 30 Apr. 2019, https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-84.
  • "Conversation #83: Jeremy Tuman on Service Learning at Xavier." Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else, 16 Apr. 2019, https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-83.
  • "Conversation #77: Amber Fallucca on ePortfolios." Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else, 15 Jan. 2019, https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-77.
  • "Gamifying Grammar, Part I." CAT FooD, 9 Sept. 2018, https://cat.xula.edu/food/gamifying-grammar-part-i.
  • "Conversation #70: Laurie Ruettimann on the Future of Work." Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else, 28 Aug. 2018, https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-70.
  • "How Do You Know When Your Course Is Ready?" CAT FooD, 6 Aug. 2018, https://cat.xula.edu/food/how-do-you-know-when-your-course-is-ready.
  • "Conversation #69: Xavier Students Talk About Brightspace." Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else, 24 Apr. 2018, https://cat.xula.edu/food/conversation-69.
  • "How to Find the Information to Request a Course Migration." CAT FooD, 24 Oct. 2017, https://cat.xula.edu/food/how-to-find-the-information-to-request-a-course-migration.
  • "Slow Writing." CAT FooD, 24 Sept. 2017, https://cat.xula.edu/food/timelessness-and-writing.
  • "Team-Teaching Means Team-Grading." CAT FooD, 15 Feb. 2017, https://cat.xula.edu/food/team-teaching-means-team-grading.
  • "Grant Writing Success." CAT FooD, 13 Jan. 2017, https://cat.xula.edu/food/grant-writing-success.
  • "On Innovation and Procrastination." CAT FooD, 21 Nov. 2016, https://cat.xula.edu/food/on-innovation-and-procrastination.
  • "Support for First-Time Grant Writing Award Recipients." CAT FooD, 30 Sept. 2016, https://cat.xula.edu/food/support-for-first-time-grant-writing-award-recipients.
  • "Empowerment through EPortfolios." CAT FooD, 8 Sept. 2016, https://cat.xula.edu/food/empowerment-through-eportfolios.
  • "The End of the Deadline?" CAT FooD, 25 Aug. 2016, https://cat.xula.edu/food/the-end-of-the-deadline.
  • "2016 FaCTS Fellows." CAT FooD, 2 Mar. 2016, https://cat.xula.edu/food/2016-facts-fellows.
  • "The 8-Minute Lecture." CAT FooD, 31 Aug. 2015, https://cat.xula.edu/food/the-8-minute-lecture.

Fiction

  • "Something Resembling Normal." Writing Raw Oct. 2015: n. pag. Web.
  • "Green." Red Savina Review 3.1 (Spring 2015): n. pag. Web.
  • "Goodbye, Mr. Wonderful." The Xavier Review 33.1 (2013): 31-40. Print.
  • "When Will It End?" 971 Menu (Sep. 2011): n. pag. Web.
  • "We Have a Safe?" The Journal of College Writing 10 (2010): 109-121. Print.
  • "The Man Who Shot Henry McCarty." Fiction Weekly (Jul. 2009): n. pag. Web.
  • "This Is Where." Southern California Review 2.1 (2009): 100-112.
  • "Not Josef." Paradigm Fall 2007: n. pag. Web.
  • "Horatio." Phantasmagoria 5.2 (2006): 29-42. Print.
  • "Goodnight, Reilly." Chicago Quarterly Review 8 (2006): 50-58. Print.
  • "Outside Evansville." The Armchair Aesthete 22 (2004): 42-50. Print.
  • "Still." The Muse Apprentice Guild Spring 2003: n. pag. Web.
  • "Cleaning Out." The Muse Apprentice Guild Spring 2003: n. pag. Web.

In Circulation

  • Stupid, Stupid Men: Stories. Short story collection in circulation.
  • "Something Worth Nothing." Short story in circulation.
  • "Batman vs. the Victorians." Critical article in circulation.

In Progress

  • Get It All Back. Novel in progress.
  • "The Truth about Trolls." Short story in progress.
  • "Finding the Truth, Losing the Self: Spider Jerusalem, Hunter S. Thompson, and Herman Melville's Confidence-Man." Article in progress.
  • "'Under the Dominion of Mild Laws': The Politics of Gender in The Pioneers." Article in progress.

Presentations

Invited Talks

  • "Enhancing Writing Skills:
Transparency & Collaboration." Anwarul Uloom College, Hyderabad, India, 27 Mar 2021.
  • "Making Writing Meaningful in the Psych Classroom." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 26th Annual APS-STP Teaching Institute, Washington, DC. 22 May 2019.
  • "Making Writing Meaningful in the Psych Classroom." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 42nd Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, St. Pete Beach, FL. 03 Jan 2020.

Faculty Development

  • "Spanning the Memory Gap." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 06 Oct 2021.
  • "Projects & Problems: Extended Collaborative Learning." With Joseph Drexler-Dreis. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 15 Apr 2021.
  • "Engage Students using Awards in Brightspace." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 14 Apr 2021.
  • "Level Up with User-Friendly Brightspace HTML Templates." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 31 Mar 2021.
  • "Automate Communications Using Intelligent Agents in Brightspace." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 18 Mar 2021.
  • "Student Engagement with Collaborative Documents." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 10 Feb 2021.
  • "Time-Saving and Transparent Rubrics." With Cary Caro and Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 02 Feb 2021.
  • "Alternatives to Lectures." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 21 Oct 2020.
  • "Alternative Assessments 2.0." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 03 Sep 2020.
  • "Quick Pivot Teaching." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 27 Aug 2020.
  • "Effective Mixed Mode Teaching." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 14 Aug 2020.
  • "Complex Tests in Brightspace." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 13 Apr 2020.
  • "(Re)Thinking Exams." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 06 Apr 2020.
  • "Engaging Students Online." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 30 Mar 2020.
  • "Teaching with YouTube." With Janice Florent and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 25 Mar 2020.
  • "Back to Basics: Brightspace Grades." With Janice Florent and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 23 Mar 2020.
  • "Brightspace: Meet Your Classes Virtually." With Janice Florent and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 20 Mar 2020.
  • "Virtual Classroom: Achievements & Challenges." With Janice Florent and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 19 Mar 2020.
  • "Zoom: Achievements & Challenges." With Janice Florent and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 18 Mar 2020.
  • "Brightspace: Tests and Quizzes." With Janice Florent and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 16 Mar 2020.
  • "Brightspace: Assignments and Discussion Forums." With Janice Florent and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 12 Mar 2020.
  • "Teaching XCOR: 1 Year Later." With Janice Florent and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 11 Mar 2020.
  • "Introduction to Brightspace Training Session." With Janice Florent and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 09 Mar 2020.
  • "An ePortfolio Showcase." With Lisa Schultz and Tia Smith. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 23 Oct 2019.
  • "The Rubrics Cube." With Richard Peters. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 12 Sep 2019.
  • "The Faculty ePortfolio Summer Seminar." Core Curriculum Enhancement Grant. 13-16 May 2019.
  • "Online Teaching Bootcamp." With Janice Florent and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 9 May 2019.
  • "Baby Steps toward the Flipped Classroom." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 24 Apr 2019.
  • "Digital Yoknapatawpha." With Worthy Martin (UVA). Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 27 Mar 2019.
  • "Flipping the Classroom." With Ifeanyi Onor, Cirecie Olatunji, Elizabeth Manley, and Kelly Johanson. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 18 Mar 2019.
  • "Academics Beyond the Classroom: Brightspace ePortfolio and XULA Digital Commons." With Kayla Siddell. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 18 Feb 2019.
  • "Social Hour with a Purpose." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 12 Feb 2019.
  • "Teaching Portfolio Working Group." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 14 Jan 2019.
  • "Writing to Learn, Writing for Transfer." With Bonnie Noonan. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 28 Nov 2018.
  • "Student Motivation and Brightspace." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer & Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 12 Nov 2018.
  • "Unworkshop." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 29 Oct 2018.
  • "EAB: New Users & Refresher." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 10 Oct 2018.
  • "Introducing ePortfolios." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 19 Sep 2018.
  • "Feedback and Brightspace." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer & Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 17 Sep 2018.
  • "Building the Core through XCOR." With Richard Peters & Wendy Gaudin. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 10 Sep 2018.
  • "Get Your Game On: Gamify your Brightspace Courses." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 25 Apr 2018.
  • "Using iPads in the Classroom." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer, Janice Florent & Bart Everson. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 09 Mar 2018.
  • "Writing-in-the-Disciplines Saturday Workshop." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 03 Mar 2018.
  • "Writing in the Disciplines: From XCOR 1000 to XCOR 3000." With Richard Peters. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 29 Jan 2018.
  • "Measuring Student Learning Outcomes." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 10 Nov 2017.
  • "Brightspace: Using Turnitin (Plagiarism Detection Tool)." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 08 Nov 2017.
  • "Brightspace: Using Turnitin (Plagiarism Detection Tool)." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 07 Nov 2017.
  • "Writing to Learn Saturday Workshop." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 21 Oct 2017.
  • "Teaching Writing-Intensive Courses." With Bonnie Noonan, Ronald Dorris, Tia Smith, Shearon Roberts & Terry Watt. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 21 Sep 2017.
  • "Writing Student Learning Outcomes." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 15 Sep 2017.
  • "Student Motivation Workshop (Pharmacy)." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 20 Apr 2017.
  • "Connecting Communities: Ideas for Xavier's Newest Course." With Steve Salm. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 10 Apr 2017.
  • "Transparency in Learning and Teaching Workshop." With Karen Nichols. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 31 Mar 2017.
  • "Emotional Intelligence Workshop (Pharmacy)." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 23 Mar 2017.
  • "Motivation and Engagement in the Flipped Classroom." With Megan Osterbur. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 26 Jan 2017.
  • "Advising with the Online Catalog." With Anil Kukreja, Kim Vaz-Deville, Elizabeth Yost Hammer & Tiera Coston. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 27 Oct 2016.
  • "Flipped Classroom Workshop (for PsyD faculty)." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 15 Sep 2015.
  • "Flipped Classroom Workshop." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer, Janice Florent & Karen Nichols. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 14 Sep 2015.
  • "Blackboard: Using Turnitin for Plagiarism Detection." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 25 May 2015.
  • "Blackboard: Using Turnitin for Peer Review." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 25 May 2015.
  • "The Impact of Read Today, Lead Tomorrow." With Danielle Duffourc. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 09 Feb 2015.
  • "Reading Textbooks." With Tiera S Coston. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 29 Oct 2014.
  • "Blackboard: Using Turnitin for Peer Review." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 26 May 2014.
  • "Reading: The Problem with Word Problems." With Andrea Edwards & Tiera Coston. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 20 Feb 2014.
  • "Critically Reading in the News." With Brenda Edgerton-Webster. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 22 Jan 2014.
  • "The Problem with Word Problems." With Tiera Coston, Andrea Edwards. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 17 Oct 2013.
  • "Reading as Service." With Mark Gstohl. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 21 Mar 2013.
  • "iPads: Possibilities for Teaching and Learning." With Janice Florent, Elizabeth Yost Hammer, Bart Everson, Gloria A. Thomas, Yamlak Tsega & Vincent Simmons. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 14 Nov 2012.
  • "Reading Guides." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 30 Oct 2012.
  • "Assessment Help." With Brenda Edgerton-Webster. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 19 Sep 2012.
  • "Giving Useful Feedback on Reflective Writing Assignments." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 01 Mar 2012.
  • "Reflective Writing Assignments." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 19 Jan 2012.
  • "Read Today, Lead Tomorrow." With Sindhu Unnithan & Michele Woods. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 15 Sep 2011.
  • "Reading in College: What Should We Expect of Our Students?" With Elizabeth Hammer. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 07 Apr 2011.
  • "Classroom and Course Assessment of Active Reading Tasks." With Jacques Detiege. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 24 Mar 2011.
  • "Reading Across the Curriculum." Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 27 Jan 2011.
  • "Student Learning Outcomes." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer & Glenda Hembree. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 07 Oct 2010.
  • "Commenting on Student Writing." With Leslie Richardson. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 05 Oct 2009.
  • "Blackboard: Using Assignment and Plagiarism Detection Tools." With Janice Florent. Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana. 30 Sep 2009.
  • "Writing Effective Emails." With Bonnie Zakotnik. Human Resources Office, Xavier University of Louisiana. Oct 2009.
  • "Writing Personal Statements." Department of Psychology, Xavier University of Louisiana. Xavier University of Louisiana. Apr 2008.
  • "Paraphrasing and Plagiarism." Dr. Elizabeth Yost Hammer's Experimental Psychology Class, Xavier University of Louisiana. Mar 2008.
  • "Thesis Statements." Dr. Phillip Linden's Introduction to Theology Class, Xavier University of Louisiana. Nov 2007.
  • "Writing Center Workshops." English Department Graduate Assistant Orientation, University of Southern Mississippi. Aug 2006.
  • "Plagiarism and Turnitin." English Department Teaching Assistant Practicum, University of Southern Mississippi. Nov 2005.

Scholarship of Teaching

  • "#LearnEverywhereXULA: Shifting Our Mission Online." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 2021 SACSCOC Annual Meeting, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. 03 Dec 2021. Conference Presentation.
  • "When Fiction Becomes Reality: Teaching Dystopias during a Pandemic." 42nd Annual Association for Interdisciplinary Studies Virtual Mini-Conference, Association for Interdisciplinary Studies.
  • "High Touch Remote Teaching, Part I." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 3rd Annual Sparking Success Conference, The Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching at Tulane University.
  • "Making Writing Meaningful in the Psych Classroom." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 42 Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology.
  • "Making Writing Meaningful in Any Classroom." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 2nd Annual Sparking Success Conference, Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching.
  • "Re-igniting Reading: Energizing the Campus Literary Climate." With Danielle Duffourc. SACS/COC Annual Meeting. Dec 2015, Houston, TX. Conference Presentation.
  • "Social Justice and the Graphic Novel." With Shayna Blum. Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association 2015 Annual Conference. Apr 2015, New Orleans, LA. Conference Presentation.
  • "The Reading Course Portfolio: Guiding Critical Readers." With Oliver Hennessey. College Reading and Learning Association 47th Annual Conference. Nov 2014, St. Paul, MN. Conference Presentation.
  • "Faculty Communities of Teaching Scholars: Learning to Teach Interdisciplinarily." With Robin Runia. Association for Interdisciplinary Studies 36th Annual Conference. Oct 2014, East Lansing, MI. Conference Presentation.
  • "Diversity and Collaboration: Reading in the Disciplines." College Reading and Learning Association 46th Annual Conference. Nov 2012, Houston, TX. Conference Presentation.
  • "Reading Scholars." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer & Paul Schafer. College Reading and Learning Association 45th Annual Conference. Nov 2011, San Diego, CA. Conference Presentation.
  • "Writing Center Roundtable." Louisiana Association of College Composition 2009 Annual Conference. Nov 2009, Monroe, LA. Roundtable Discussion.
  • "The Center Cannot Hold." Louisiana Association of College Composition 2008 Annual Conference. Nov 2008, Alexandria, LA. Conference Presentation.
  • "Entry Level Technology Standards for Professional Education: Basic Technology Literacy Exam." With Edward Mann, Mary Nell McNeese & April Miller. Mississippi PT3 Convocation and Creating Futures through Technology Conference. Feb 2003, Biloxi, MS. Conference Presentation.
  • "Using Technology during the Teacher Candidacy Experience." With Mary Nell McNeese. Mississippi PT3 Convocation and Creating Futures through Technology Conference. Feb 2003, Biloxi, MS. Conference Presentation.
  • "Using Technology in the Elementary School Classroom." With Mary Nell McNeese. Mississippi Educational Computing Association Conference. Jan 2003, Jackson, MS. Conference Presentation.

Literary Scholarship

  • "A Straight Story: Narrative Imperfection in Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing." Narrative 2020 Conference. Mar 2020, New Orleans, LA. Conference Presentation.
  • "Changamire's Bookshelf: Intertextual Advocacy in Ta-Nehisi Coates's Black Panther." South Atlantic Modern Language Association Annual Conference. Nov 2018, Birmingham, AL. Conference Presentation.
  • "'Make It New': Reconsidering the Early Batman Stories as Modernist Literature. South Atlantic Modern Language Association Annual Conference. Nov 2017, Atlanta, GA. Conference Presentation.
  • "Finding the Truth, Losing the Self: Spider Jerusalem, Hunter S. Thompson, and Herman Melville's Confidence-Man." Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association Annual Conference. Mar 2016, Seattle, WA. Conference Presentation.
  • "Finding the Truth, Losing the Self: Spider Jerusalem, Hunter S. Thompson, and Herman Melville's Confidence-Man." Xavier University of Louisiana English Department Faculty Colloquium. Mar 2016, New Orleans, LA. Presentation.
  • "'Doubtless, sir, your title is both legal and equitable': The Intersection of Gender, Law, and Civilization in Cooper's The Pioneers." South Central Modern Language Association 69th Annual Conference. Nov 2012, San Antonio, TX. Conference Presentation.
  • "'Hit's What Paw Says': Language, Balance and Authority in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying." Mississippi Philological Association 2009 Annual Conference. Jan 2009, Clinton, MS. Conference Presentation.
  • "Political Housecleaning: How Two Mississippi Editors Used Woman Suffrage to End the State's Era of Shame." American Journalism Historians Association National Convention. Oct 2005, San Antonio, TX.
  • "A Good Symbol: José Bové's Performative War for Tradition." Graduate Student Symposium on Globalization. Apr 2005, Hattiesburg, MS. Conference Presentation.
  • "Melville's American Didactic: The Search for Identity in Redburn." Mississippi Philological Association Conference. Jan 2005, Itta Bene, MS. Conference Presentation.
  • "The Books Inventing: Romance and Fiction in Dreiser and Faulkner." Mississippi Philological Association Conference. Jan 2004, Columbus, MS. Conference Presentation.

Fiction Reading

  • "Goodbye, Mr. Wonderful." English Department Faculty Colloquium, Xavier University of Louisiana. Mar 2013, New Orleans, LA. Fiction Reading.
  • "The Man Who Shot Henry McCarty." National Library Week Literary Event, Southeastern Louisiana University. Apr 2007, Hammond, LA. Fiction Reading.
  • "This Is Where." Kafe Night Reading Series, University of Southern Mississippi. Nov 2005, Hattiesburg, MS. Fiction Reading.
  • "Even Anarchists Deserve a Day Off." Kafe Night Reading Series, University of Southern Mississippi. Apr 2005, Hattiesburg, MS. Fiction Reading.
  • "White Space." Mississippi Philological Association Conference, Mississippi Valley State University. Jan 2005, Itta Bene, MS. Fiction Reading.
  • "You Never Know." Kafe Night Reading Series, University of Southern Mississippi. Oct 2004, Hattiesburg, MS. Fiction Reading.
  • "White Space." Kafe Night Reading Series, University of Southern Mississippi. Jan 2004, Hattiesburg, MS. Fiction Reading.
  • "We Have a Safe?" Mississippi Philological Association Conference, Mississippi University for Women. Jan 2004, Columbus, MS. Fiction Reading.
  • "We Have a Safe?" Kafe Night Reading Series, University of Southern Mississippi. Sep 2003, Hattiesburg, MS. Fiction Reading.
  • "Goodnight, Reilly." Kafe Night Reading Series, University of Southern Mississippi. Nov 2002, Hattiesburg, MS. Fiction Reading.
  • "Outside Evansville." Kafe Night Reading Series, University of Southern Mississippi. May 2002, Hattiesburg, MS. Fiction Reading.

Grants

Creating a Culture of Critical Reading

  • $330,000 Implementation Grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
  • To help fund the final two years of Read Today, Lead Tomorrow
  • January 2013 – December 2015

The Big Read New Orleans

  • $13,900 Big Read Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
  • To promote and enhance reading and discussion of Ernest Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying
  • February 2013 – March 2013

Planning Grant

  • $91,000 Planning Grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
  • To fund the first two years of faculty development for Read Today, Lead Tomorrow
  • September 2010 – May 2012

Teaching Experience

  • Dystopias, Real & Imagined [Created]
    Worked students through various concepts of social oppression and the literary and cinematic genre of dystopias. Empowered students to created a class podcast exploring the intersection of dystopias in reality and the imaginary.
  • The College Experience
    Introduced first-year students to the rigors and requirements of college life. Engaged students through personal reflection and critical analysis.
  • The City as Text [Created]
    Created a course to teach students how to analyze an urban space using literary techniques. Incorporated digital humanities projects to teach students to write of global audiences and to correct the erasure of poor, Black neighborhoods in New Orleans.
  • The American Short Story [Created]
    Developed a curriculum to expose students to the evolution of this uniquely American form of literature. Taught students to analyze short literary texts through close reading and through a cultural/historical context.
  • The Graphic Novel & Social Justice [Created]
    Designed and co-taught an interdisciplinary course that investigates how comics can be used as a medium to address important issues of social injustice. Taught students methods for analyzing and interpreting comics through textual, visual, and socio-historical lenses.
  • The Postmodern American Novel [Created]
    Developed a curriculum to introduce students to the evolution of postmodern literature in America in the second half of the 20th century. Taught students methods for analyzing and interpreting significant texts within the genre.
  • Advanced Writing (Undergraduate)
    Helped upper-level students strengthen writing skills by focusing on questions of style and effectiveness. Encouraged students to better consider the purpose of any given writing task by giving them new and unique writing assignments.
  • Advanced Writing (Graduate)
    Helped beginning Education graduate students strengthen their writing skills by focusing on purpose and effectiveness. By asking students to write about their own attitudes and experiences with education, helped them become more comfortable with the writing process.
  • Modern English Grammars
    Built upon secondary school and common grammar to help students develop a stronger understanding of the fundamental aspects of English language and syntax.
  • Intensive Composition and Rhetoric
    Introduced students with weak writing skills to the essentials of college writing while also working to improve basic writing skills.
  • Freshman English/Composition and Rhetoric
    Introduced students to the process of college writing with an emphasis on thesis, development, and organization. Concentrated on increasing critical reading and critical writing skills.
  • Critical Reading and Writing/Composition and Literature
    Introducing students to argument and research, emphasizing audience and appeals. Introduced students to building logically sound cases and analyzing written arguments with a critical eye.
  • Introduction To Literature For Honors Students
    Introduced advanced first-year students to the process of college writing through the lens of literary analysis. Emphasized developing logical, insightful arguments with textual evidence.
  • American Literature / American Literature I and II
    Developed a curriculum focusing on the Individual and the Other as a means of introducing students to American Literature and to the study of literature in general.
  • World Literature
    Developed a curriculum to give students an overview of the development of literature within and across cultural borders showing how certain themes reappear throughout history.
  • Fiction Writing
    Introduced students to the fundamentals of story creation and development. Moderated peer workshops to allow students to form and explain their own theories of the short story.
  • Technical Writing
    Taught the essential forms of business writing by emphasizing the proper use of those tools during the job search process. Focused attention on audience and method of presentation.

Teaching and Research Interests

  • American Literature
  • Contemporary American and British Literature
  • Comic Books and Graphic Novels
  • Inverted Teaching
  • Classroom Technology
  • Fiction Writing
  • Literary Journalism

Service

Public

  • Merit Badge Counselor, Istrouma Area Council, Scouting BSA, 2019-present.
  • Assistant Scoutmaster, Scouting BSA Troop 111, Istrouma Area Council, 2019-present.
  • Member, St. Tammany BRIDJ (Building Respect, Inclusion, Democracy, and Justice in St. Tammany Parish), 2017-2019.
  • Cubmaster, Cub Scout Pack 113 — Istrouma Area Council, 2016-2019.
  • Den Leader, Cub Scout Pack 113 — Istrouma Area Council, 2015-2019.
  • Member, Christ Episcopal Church Habitat for Humanity Build Team, 2015-2018.
  • Chair, Big Read Grant Working Group, 2010-2012.
  • Member, LDRC Strategic Planning Group, City of Bogalusa, 2011-2012.

Professional

  • Assessment Co-Coordinator, Diversity Committee, POD Network, 2020-present.
  • Peer-Reviewer, POD Network Conference, 2019-present.
  • Peer-Reviewer, To Improve the Academy, 2020-present.
  • Contributing Editor, Xavier Review. 2019-present.
  • Chair, "Heroes from the Gutters: Comics as Activism." South Atlantic Modern Language Association Annual Conference. Nov 2018, Birmingham, AL. Conference Panel.
  • Chair, "Contextualizing Comics: Breaking the Frame of Low Art." South Atlantic Modern Language Association Annual Conference. Nov 2017, Atlanta, GA. Conference Panel.
  • Editor, Journal of College Writing, 2015-present.
  • Lead QEP Evaluator, SACS/COC On-Site Accreditation Review Committee for Covenant College, 2016-2017.
  • Session Chair, College Reading and Learning Association 2015 Conference.
  • Session Chair, Louisiana Association for College Composition 2015 Conference.
  • Session Chair, College Reading and Learning Association 2014 Conference.
  • Creative Editor, Journal of College Writing, 2009-2014.
  • Session Chair, College Reading and Learning Association 2013 Conference.

Xavier University of Louisiana

University

  • Member, Planning Council for Academic Affairs, 2022-present.
  • Member, Faculty Grievance Committee, 2022-present.
  • Chair, Coordinating Committee of the University Academic Assembly, 2019-2021.
  • Member, University Academic Council, 2018-2020.
  • Member, Graduate Council, 2018-2020.
  • Member, Learning Management System Review Team, 2017.
  • Member, SACS/COC 5-Year Report Working Group, 2010-2017.
  • Member, Assoc. Vice President for Institutional Advancement Search Committee, 2016.
  • Member, Grant Writer (Institutional Advancement) Search Committee, 2016.
  • Member, Student Ratings Review Team, 2015-2016.
  • Faculty Mentor, 2014-2015.
  • Co-coordinator, Books into Film Series, 2010-2015.
  • Chair, QEP Implementation Committee, 2010-2015.
  • Member, Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs Search Committee, 2015.
  • Member, Howard Hughes Medical Initiative Grant Working Group, 2010-2012.
  • Vice-chair, QEP Development Committee, 2009-2010.
  • Secretary, University Academic Assembly Coordinating Committee, 2008-2010.

College of Arts & Sciences

  • Chair, Core Governance Council, 2022-present.
  • Member, College of Arts & Sciences Planning Council, 2021-present.
  • Member, Core Governance Council, 2018-2022.
  • Chair, Advanced Rhetoric and Composition Faculty Area Committee, 2018-2019.
  • Member, Embedded Outcomes Faculty Area Committee, 2017-2018
  • Convener and Secretary, Core Curriculum Working Group, 2015-2017.
  • Member, Academic Assembly Coordinating Committee, 2015-2017.
  • Member ex officio, Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Working Group, 2015-2016.
  • Member, Division of Fine Arts & Humanitities Interdisciplinary Committee, 2014.
  • Member, Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Integrity, 2007-present.
  • Member, Academic Misconduct Hearing Committee, 2012-2015.
  • Chair, Core Curriculum Assessment Committee, 2011-2015.
  • Member, Core Curriculum Assessment Committee, 2010-2011.
  • Member, First-Year Experience Committee, 2010-2011.
  • Member, Freshman Seminar Ad Hoc Committee, 2010-2011.
  • Member, Student Success Academy Taskforce, 2009-2010.

Department of English

  • Chair, English Curriculum Committee, 2018-present.
  • Chair, English Program Review Committee, 2018-2020.
  • Chair, Senior Comprehensive Exam Review Committee, 2014-2016.
  • Writing Resource Center Liaison, 2015-present.
  • Chair, American Literature Committee, 2013-present.
  • Assessment Liaison, 2011-present.
  • Member, Composition Committee, 2007-present.
  • Member, Writing Center Instructor Hiring Committee, 2010-2011.
  • Member, Composition Instructor Hiring Committee, 2009-2010.
  • Member, Retention Committee, 2009-2010.

Professional Memberships

  • Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education
  • Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association
  • South Atlantic Modern Language Association
  • The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Jason S. Todd, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of English
Faculty Director of the Core Curriculum
Director of the Digital Humanities Program
Xavier University of Louisiana

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Southern Mississippi, May 2006
    Major Field: Creative Writing, Fiction
    Minor Field: Mass Communications
  • M.A., University of Southern Mississippi, May 2003
    Major Field: Creative Writing, Fiction
  • B.A., Webster University, December 1996
    Major Field: Literature and Language, Creative Writing
    Minor Field: Religious Studies

Employment History

Current

  • Associate Professor of English, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2007-present.
  • Faculty Director of the Core Curriculum, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2022-present.
  • Director, Digital Humanities Program, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2021-present.

Previous

  • Associate Director, Center for the Advancement of Teaching & Faculty Development, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2015-2021.
  • Quality Enhancement Plan Director, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2010-2015.
  • Writing Center Director, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2007-2010.

Honors. Awards, & Certificates

  • Norman C. Francis Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, Xavier University of Louisiana, Spring 2023.
  • Faculty Fellowship, UNCF Teaching and Learning Center, Spring 2023.
  • Fellowship, Faculty Writing Retreat, A Studio in the Woods, 2022-2023.
  • Certificate, #LearnEverywhereXULA Advanced, Level 3, Oct 2022.
  • Certificate, Advanced Online Student Engagement, Strategic Education, Sep 2021.
  • Certificate, Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR), Quality Matters, May 2020.
  • Certificate, Teaching 21st-Century Skills in College, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Nov 2019.

Publications

Academic

  • "Disruption is the Norm: A Faculty Development Center’s Response to the Future." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer, Janice Florent, and Bart Everson. Onwards to Better: How Facing a Pandemic Will Improve Higher Education in the 21st Century, edited by Regan Gurung and Dwaine Plaza. Stylus, Forthcoming.
  • "#LearnEverywhereXULA (#LEX): An Asynchronous Course to Support Synchronous Remote Teaching." With Tiera Conston, Bart Everson, Janice Florent, and Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Proceedings of Innovate Learning Summit 2020, edited by Theo J. Bastiaens and Gary H. Marks, vol. 2020, 1, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), 2020, pp. 108–12. https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/218789/
  • "The A-Word: The Role of Faculty Developers in Assessment." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. Assessment: Individual, Institutional, and International Approaches. Eds. Susan Nola, Chris Hakala, and Eric Landru. APA Books, 2020.

Fiction

  • "Something Resembling Normal." Writing Raw Oct. 2015: n. pag. Web.
  • "Green." Red Savina Review 3.1 (Spring 2015): n. pag. Web.
  • "Goodbye, Mr. Wonderful." The Xavier Review 33.1 (2013): 31-40. Print.

In Circulation

  • Stupid, Stupid Men: Stories. Short story collection in circulation.
  • "Something Worth Nothing." Short story in circulation.
  • "Batman vs. the Victorians." Critical article in circulation.

In Progress

  • Get It All Back. Novel in progress.
  • "The Truth about Trolls." Short story in progress.
  • "Finding the Truth, Losing the Self: Spider Jerusalem, Hunter S. Thompson, and Herman Melville's Confidence-Man." Article in progress.
  • "'Under the Dominion of Mild Laws': The Politics of Gender in The Pioneers." Article in progress.

Presentations

Invited Talks

  • "Enhancing Writing Skills:
Transparency & Collaboration." Anwarul Uloom College, Hyderabad, India, 27 Mar 2021.
  • "Making Writing Meaningful in the Psych Classroom." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 26th Annual APS-STP Teaching Institute, Washington, DC. 22 May 2019.
  • "Making Writing Meaningful in the Psych Classroom." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 42nd Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, St. Pete Beach, FL. 03 Jan 2020.

Scholarship of Teaching

  • "#LearnEverywhereXULA: Shifting Our Mission Online." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 2021 SACSCOC Annual Meeting, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. 03 Dec 2021. Conference Presentation.
  • "When Fiction Becomes Reality: Teaching Dystopias during a Pandemic." 42nd Annual Association for Interdisciplinary Studies Virtual Mini-Conference, Association for Interdisciplinary Studies.
  • "High Touch Remote Teaching, Part I." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 3rd Annual Sparking Success Conference, The Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching at Tulane University.
  • "Making Writing Meaningful in the Psych Classroom." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 42 Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology.
  • "Making Writing Meaningful in Any Classroom." With Elizabeth Yost Hammer. 2nd Annual Sparking Success Conference, Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching.

Literary Scholarship

  • "A Straight Story: Narrative Imperfection in Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing." Narrative 2020 Conference. Mar 2020, New Orleans, LA. Conference Presentation.
  • "Changamire's Bookshelf: Intertextual Advocacy in Ta-Nehisi Coates's Black Panther." South Atlantic Modern Language Association Annual Conference. Nov 2018, Birmingham, AL. Conference Presentation.
  • "'Make It New': Reconsidering the Early Batman Stories as Modernist Literature. South Atlantic Modern Language Association Annual Conference. Nov 2017, Atlanta, GA. Conference Presentation.

Grants

Creating a Culture of Critical Reading

  • $330,000 Implementation Grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
  • To help fund the final two years of Read Today, Lead Tomorrow
  • January 2013 – December 2015

The Big Read New Orleans

  • $13,900 Big Read Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
  • To promote and enhance reading and discussion of Ernest Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying
  • February 2013 – March 2013

Planning Grant

  • $91,000 Planning Grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
  • To fund the first two years of faculty development for Read Today, Lead Tomorrow
  • September 2010 – May 2012

Teaching and Research Interests

  • American Literature
  • Contemporary American and British Literature
  • Comic Books and Graphic Novels
  • Inverted Teaching
  • Classroom Technology
  • Fiction Writing
  • Literary Journalism

Service

Public

  • Merit Badge Counselor, Istrouma Area Council, Scouting BSA, 2019-present.
  • Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 111, Istrouma Area Council, Scouting BSA, 2019-present.

Professional

  • Assessment Co-Coordinator, Diversity Committee, POD Network, 2020-present.
  • Peer-Reviewer, POD Network Conference, 2019-present.
  • Peer-Reviewer, To Improve the Academy, 2020-present.
  • Contributing Editor, Xavier Review. 2019-present.

Xavier University of Louisiana

University

  • Member, Planning Council for Academic Affairs, 2022-present.
  • Member, Faculty Grievance Committee, 2022-present.

College of Arts & Sciences

  • Chair, Core Governance Council, 2022-present.
  • Member, College of Arts & Sciences Planning Council, 2021-present.

Department of English

  • Chair, English Curriculum Committee, 2018-present.
  • Writing Resource Center Liaison, 2015-present.
  • Chair, American Literature Committee, 2013-present.
  • Assessment Liaison, 2011-present.
  • Member, Composition Committee, 2007-present.

Professional Memberships

  • Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education
  • Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association
  • South Atlantic Modern Language Association
  • The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Professional Development

When I started teaching as a graduate student, I received one week of training before the semester began. Obviously, I didn't learn much in that limited time. Since then, and whenever it is possible, I try to take advantage of every professional development I can, be it attending conferences (not so easy recently), watching webinars, enrolling in classes, or simply joining discussion groups. To be honest, I don't think I would have made it more than a few years without the kind of support these opportunities provide. They've made me a more mindful and authentic teacher, characteristics which I believe the students recognize and appreciate.

2022/2023

#LearnEverywhereXULA Advanced Certification, Level 3
Fall 2022. #LearnEverywhereXULA Advanced (#LEX Advanced) teaches Xavier faculty how to use the more complex tools available through our LMS, Brightspace, to teach in a more student-centric and mission-informed way. The #LEX Advanced program currently offers three levels of certification. Since leaving CAT+FD at the end of 2021, I've continued to challenge myself to learn through this unique development system. I have participated in other seminars and workshops about engaged online teaching, and none offer as much as #LEX and #LEX Advanced.
   ➤  Download my certificate.

AAC&U 2022 Conference on General Education, Pedagogy, and Assessment
Spring 2023. This conference is still taking place: after two days in person, the conference switches to online sessions that happen once a week for the next few weeks. Attending the AAC&U conferences in person, I find great opportunities to see the similarities between colleges and universities around the country. Most of the conversations I had with people at this particular conference focused on the successful core curriculum redesign and implementation.
   ➤  View a photo of me at the conference (Source: Jennifer Billman)

UNCF TLC Faculty Fellowship
Spring 2023. As I am currently enrolled in this program, I don't have much to say about it so far. I am looking forward to the opportunity to work one-on-one with professional instructional designers as I redesign my Digital Rhetoric & Composition class for online teaching. According to the UNCF TLC, "This fellows’ program is designed to support faculty in their online course development and aid them in intentionally developing culturally relevant courses with embedded industry skills to give students a competitive advantage in the job market." (Source: UNCF TLC)
   ➤ 

P-MAX Online
Spring 2023. Preparing Mentors at Xavier is a long-running initiative "designed to provide participating faculty with the knowledge and skills needed to mentor and advise undergraduate students" (Source: CAT+FD). For many years, I attended the monthly P-MAX workshops hosted through the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development at Xavier. Only since leaving my role at CAT+FD have I felt it appropriate to enroll in the actual program. Due to a teaching overload and new administrative responsibilities, I was not able to make much progress during Fall 2022, but I intend to complete my coursework by the end of Spring 2023.
   ➤ 

2021/2022

Advanced Online Student Engagement
Fall 2021. This four-week synchronous/online workshop taught faculty to enhance their effectiveness in online classrooms by focusing on strategies, techniques, and tools that help increase student engagement in online courses.
   ➤  Download my certificate.

46th Annual POD Network Conference: Evolving beyond Crisis — Connecting to the Future
Fall 2021. This online conference provided attendees with both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities about teaching faculty how to develop more inclusive practices, better engage students in the virtual modality, and other critical topics.
   ➤ 

Michelson 20MM Project
Spring 2022. Faculty members at Xavier were selected to learn how to develop and incorporate engaging learning opportunities to "empower entrepreneurial and creative students with a strong understanding of intellectual property". Following the provided training, I embedded several activities that gave students in my Dystopias, Real & Imagined class a stronger sense of the legal and ethical uses of media and other resources available online.
   ➤  View an EdPuzzle assignment I created.

1st Annual Innovative Flipped Learning Instruction Project Symposium
Spring 2022. This online conference provided faculty from around the world to reflect upon and share their experiences incorporating flipped learning (inverted pedagogy) in their classes. Sessions focused in particular on how flipped learning empowered more engaged learning during and after the COVID lockdown.
   ➤  Download my certificate.

2020/2021

How to Encourage Deep Reading Online
Spring 2021. Presented by Dr. Jenae Cohn, author of Skim, Dive, Surface: Teaching Digital Reading (2021, West Virginia University Press), this workshop taught faculty a digital reading framework for helping students think with and through the work of reading on-screen. The need to teach online or to be prepared at a moment's notice to teach online challenges us to think about how we deliver content to our students. Online texts are often less expensive (or even free), but reading them requires different skills than reading paper-based texts.
   ➤  Visit Dr. Janae Cohn's web site

Doing the Work: Me & White Supremacy
Spring 2021. This semester-long bookclub met virtually once a month as the group worked through Dr. Layla Saad's book Me and White Supremacy: A 28-Day Challenge to Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor, which helps readers reflect upon and better understand their white privilege and participation in white supremacy. Once we had explored the entire book, we continued our monthly meetings with other relevant readings for the rest of 2021.
   ➤  Visit Dr. Layla Saad's web site

2019/2020

Teaching 21st Century Skills
Fall 2019. As a part of Xavier's Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), I was awarded a UNCF Co-Curricular Engagement/Curricular Enhancement mini-grant "to implement coursework to improve student learning and career readiness outcomes". As a part of this award, I participated in this six-week through the University of Wisconsin–Madison to learn about specific and impactful methods for incorporating designated career-readiness skills in my classes, in particular, my class Dystopias, Real & Imagined. The experience challenged me to think about the assignments I had been using without a well-defined outcome of career readiness.
   ➤  Download my certificate.

POD 2019
Fall 2019. The annual conference of POD, the Professional and Organizational Developer Network, is the largest national gathering of people committed to faculty development and teaching excellence. At this conference, in addition to attending a variety of concurrent sessions and workshops, in particular some that focused on the use of Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT), I co-lead a session on the use of podcasts as a means of faculty development, a rather timely discussion given that only a month later, COVID–19 would begin infecting people in the city of Wuhan.
   ➤  Listen to the recording of our podcasting episode

Sparing Success 2020
Spring 2020. The Sparking Success Faculty Development Conference is hosted by Tulane University's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. The conference allows faculty from local colleges and universities to share successful methods for teaching and instruction.
   ➤ 

Quality Matters: Applying the QM Rubric
Summer 2020. Applying the QM Rubric is the essential training provided by Quality Matters for faculty developing online classes. By participating in this course, I learned not only how to effectively develop my own online classes buy also how to assess those of my colleagues seeking feedback. Since completing the course, I have found that the ideas essential to good online teaching are just as essential to good in-person teaching and have been applying the QM standards to all of my classes, regardless the modality.
   ➤  Download my certificate.

XULA-FLEX
Summer 2020. In response to the COVID pandemic lockdown and the need to dedensify the campus upon our return in Fall 2020, all Xavier faculty were asked to teach one class online, regardless their inexperience with this modality. To support this, CAT+FD developed self-paced training introduced faculty to better practices as they converted one existing class to be offered through Remote Instruction. The training combines the Quality Matters standards with the mission and culture of Xavier and the tools available through Brightspace, Xavier's Learning Management System.
   ➤  Download my certificate.

The content on this page was last modified on Sat 18 Feb 2023.