Curriculum Vitae
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
Associate Professor of Multiethnic Rhetorics, English Department, Kutztown University, August 2015 to present, (Composition, Rhetoric, & Literacy Studies Program Faculty)
Assistant Professor of Multiethnic Rhetorics, English Department, Kutztown University, August 2010 to July 2015, (Composition, Rhetoric & Literacy Studies Program Faculty).
University Writing Center Director, Kutztown University, Fall 2011 to May 2014.
EDUCATION
Ph.D., English, Auburn University, August 2010. Dissertation: Conversations in Story(ality)
M.A., English, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, May 2006.
B.A., English, Magna cum Laude, Point Park University, May 1997
PUBLICATIONS
Scholarly Anthology (Invited Chapter Submission)
“Teasing the Funny: Native American Stand-Up Comedians in the 21st Century.” Standing Up, Speaking Out: Stand-Up Comedy and the Rhetoric of Social Change. Eds. Casey Schmitt and Matthew Meier. New York: Routledge, 2016.
Monographs (Published)
Conversations in Story(ality): A Contribution to the Field of Contemporary Indigenous Rhetorics. Saarbrücken, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing. 2012.
Journals (Published)
“21st Century Debt Collectors: Idle No More Participants Combat a 500-Year-Old Debt.” WSQ, 43.1-2 (2014): 242-258.
“Rhetorical Sovereignty in the Composition Classroom.” Epiphany: Journal of Transdisciplinary Studies, 6.1 (2013): 1-28.
“Native American Stand-Up Comedy: Epideictic Strategies in the Contact Zone.” Rhetoric Review, 30.1 (2011): 37-53.
Journals (Under consideration)
“Constructing cyberspace sovereignty: The rise of Indigenous feminist bloggers.” (under review)
Book Reviews (Published)
Review of Unsettling America: The Uses of Indianness in the 21st Century by C. Richard King (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2013). Appears in Journal of American Culture (June 2014)
Review of The Great Sioux Nation Sitting in Judgment on America: An Oral History of the Sioux Nation and Its Struggle for Sovereignty edited by Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz (University of Nebraska Press, 2013). Appears in Journal of American Culture (June 2014).
Review of Indigenous Women and Feminism: Politics, Activism,Culture edited by Cheryl Suzack, Shari M. Huhndorf, Jeanne Perreault, Jean Barman (University of British Columbia Press, 2011). Appears in Diffractions: Graduate Journal for the Study of Culture (September 2013).
Review of Reading American Novels and Multicultural Aesthetics: Romancing the Postmodern Novel by Lou Freitas Caton (Palgrave MacMillan, 2008). Appears in South Atlantic Review (Spring 2011).
Encyclopedia Entries (Published)
“Storyteller by Leslie Silko.” The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 3 July 2015. Web.
“Louise Erdrich”. The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 January 2014. Web.
“The Round House by Louise Erdrich.” The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 2 February 2014. Web.
Guest Blog Posts (Published)
“Why faculty unions matter in 2016.” APSCUF.org. Feb. 25, 2016. Web.
“Seven Native American Films for High School Teachers.” Teaching Tolerance. Nov. 30, 2015. Web.
“Teaching Thanksgiving in a Socially Responsible Way.” Teaching Tolerance. Nov. 10, 2105. Web.
“Reconsider Columbus Day.” Teaching Tolerance. October, 6, 2015. Web.
“Embracing Age.” Feministing. September 22, 2015. Feministing.com. Web.
“Seven Texts to Teach Instead of ‘Ceremony’.” Teaching Tolerance. August 19, 2015. Web.
“A Response to Capitalist Patriarchy.” Feministing. August 16, 2015. Feministing.com. Web.
“I Will Not Apologize.” Feministing. July 13, 2015. Feministing.com. Web.
“Planting Truthful Seeds About Native Americans.” Teaching Tolerance. July 9, 2015. Tolerance.org. Web.
“The terrible, inevitable subjectivity of rejection.” Writer’s Monthly Review. March 2015. Print and web.
“The Siren Song of Seeds.” Guest post. Garden Rant. January 29, 2015. Gardenrant.com. Web.
“The Success of Failure.” Guest post. Garden Rant. August 28, 2014. Gardenrant.com. Web.
“Learning My Place from Nature’s Graveyard.” Guest post. Garden Rant. March 27, 2014. Gardenrant.com. Web.
“The Artist’s Lesson.” Western PA Reflections: Stories from the Alleghenies to Lake Erie. Colleen Clemens and Rebecca Beardsall, eds. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2011.
Opinion/News Pieces (Published)
“Discrimination Intensifies Faculty Stress, Saps Productivity.” Noodle.com. Jan. 14, 2016. Web.
“Colleges Shouldn’t Have Access to Applicants’ Disciplinary Records.” Noodle.com. Jan. 5, 2016. Web.
“Why We Should All Be Thankful for the Rise of Native American Studies Programs.” Noodle.com. Nov. 23, 2015. Web.
“The Rise of ‘Quit Lit’: What It Is and Why It Matters.” Noodle.com. Oct. 20, 2015. Web.
Creative Nonfiction (Published)
“Funeral for a Childhood.” Scintilla. Issue 9. March 2016.
“Fishing for Truth.” Prairie Wolf Press Review. Issue VIIII, Fall 2015.
Creative Nonfiction (Under review)
“The truth is…” Writer’s Tribe Review. Upcoming 2016.
(Currently have six creative nonfiction pieces out for consideration in multiple venues.)
Movie Reviews (Published)
Staff Writer
“From Racist Stereotype to Fully Whitewashed: Tiger Lily Since 1904.” Btchflcks.com, October 2015.
“Complicating Indigenous Feminism: Shayla’s Story in Imprint.” Btchflcks.com, October 2015.
“Courage and Consequences in Rhymes for Young Ghouls.” Btchflcks.com, August 2015.
“Exposing Real Lies: Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian.” Btchflcks.com, September 2014.
“Turning Poison into Medicine: ‘On and Off the Res w/Charlie Hill.” Btchflcks.com, August 2014.
“Facing Down the Devil in The Lesser Blessed.” Btchflcks.com, July 2014.
“Our Spirits Don’t Speak English: Indian Boarding School.” Btchflcks.com, June 2014.
“‘Rabbit-Proof Fence’: Racism, Kidnapping, and Forced Education Down Under.” Btchflcks.com, June 2014.
“‘American Indian Comedy Slam’: “Fighting Hundreds of Years of Stereotypes.” Btchflcks.com, April 2014.
“‘How do we forgive our fathers?’: Forgiveness and Healing in ‘Smoke Signals’.” Btchflcks.com, April 2014.
“Survivance, Loss, and Family in ‘Four Sheets to the Wind’.” Btchflcks.com, March 2014.
“’The Cherokee Word for Water’: The Wilma Mankiller Story.” Btchflcks.com, February 2014.
“Miss Navajo: A Different Kind of Beauty Pageant.” Btchflcks.com, January 2014.
Guest Writer
“Fried Green Tomatoes: A Celebration of (Older) Women.” Btchflcks.com, September 2013.
“Edge of America – Indigenous Communitism on the Hardwood.” Btchflcks.com, August 2013.
“Sex and the City: The Movie We Hate to Love.” Btchflcks.com, June 2013.
GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS
Principal Investigator. “Pilot Study of the Impact of Directed Self Placement and ENG 022 on Student Success in General Education Courses and Retention at the University.” Kutztown University. 2013-14.
TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS
Advanced Grant Writing Workshop (January 2014)
Advanced Teaching Online (May 2013)
IRB (May 2013)
Social Equity Policies Training (July 2013)
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
“Talkback on Smoke Signals.” Frank Banko Alehouse Movie Theatre, Bethlehem PA. November 2014.
“Early Native American Writings.” Kutztown University, Early American Lit 1607-1800 (ENG 548), Sept. 2010.
INVITED WORKSHOPS
Faculty. “Creative Nonfiction.” Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway. Murphy Writing of Stockton University, Galloway NJ. January 2016.
Faculty. “Writing and Publishing Retreat.” Live Free and Write New Hampshire Getaway, Sunapee, NH, August 2015.
Faculty, “Advanced Memoir.” Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway, Galloway NJ. January 2015.
Faculty. “Creative Nonfiction.” Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway, Galloway NJ. January 17-20, 2014.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
International
“First-Year Writing Assessment Strategies for General Education and Accreditation Expectations.” Conference on College Composition and Communication. Houston, TX, April 2016.
“Creative resistance: Idle No More combats a 500-year-old debt.” Conference on College Composition and Communication. Indianapolis, IN, March 2014.
“Conversations in Story(ality): Native American Stand-Up Comedy.” Conference on College Composition & Communication. Atlanta, GA, April 2011.
National
“Publisher’s Roundtable – Standing Up, Speaking Out: Stand-Up Comedy and the Rhetoric of Social Change.” Rhetoric Society of America National Conference. Atlanta, GA, May 2016.
“Whitewashing Tiger Lily: The Erasure of Native American Presence in Pan.” Popular Culture/American Culture National Conference. Seattle, WA, March 2016.
“Developing and Sustaining First-Year Writing Assessment for Multiple Audiences.” Drexel University Assessment Conference. Philadelphia, PA, September 2015.
“Spiritual Spanking: Native American Stand-Up Comedy in the 21st Century .” Humanities Education and Research Association National Conference. Washington, DC, February 2014.
“Reclaiming Native American cultural identity: Julia Parker weaves new storyalities.” Popular Culture/American Culture National Conference. Washington, DC, March 2013.
“Pimping Pocahottie or, Rhetorical consequences of damaging “Indian” women stereotypes.” Popular Culture/American Culture Association National Conference. Boston, MA, April 2012.
Regional
“Encouraging Students to Speak for Social Justice Beyond the Classroom.” 6th Annual Diversity Conference. Kutztown University. Feb. 2016.
“Teaching Native American Rhetorics to Achieve Social Justice.” Pennsylvania Council Teachers of English and Language Arts. Harrisburg, PA, October 2015.
“Cultivating Female Leaders in the Classroom.” PASSHE Women’s Consortium Conference. Harrisburg, PA, September 2015.
“Voices of Change in the Classroom and Campus Community.” PASSHE Women’s Consortium Conference. Bloomsburg, PA, September 2014.
“Teaching Women Heroes in English Studies Courses.” PASSHE Women’s Consortium Conference. Mansfield, PA, September 2013.
“Teasing the Funny: Indigenous Stand-Up Story(alities) in 21st Century Comedy.” Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Conference. Philadelphia, PA, November 2011.
“Rhetorical Sovereignty in the Composition Classroom.” National Association for Multicultural Education, PA Chapter. Kutztown, PA, March 2011.
Attended/Non-presenter
Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties New Leadership Conference. Harrisburg, PA. October 27, 2015.
National College Teachers of English Conference. Washington, DC, November 2014.
Conference on College Composition and Communication. Las Vegas, NV, March 2013.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Contemporary Indigenous Rhetorics (Eng 511), Spring 2016
Native American Writing and Rhetoric (Eng 373), Fall 2015.
Contemporary Indigenous Rhetorics (Eng 470), Spring 2013.
Introduction to Contemporary Indigenous Rhetorics (Eng 370), Spring 2012.
Rhetoric of Literature (ENG/SPE 335), KU, Spring 2015 and Fall 2011.
Advanced Composition (ENG 230), KU, Fall 2010-Spring 2015.
College Composition (ENG 023), KU, Fall 2010-Fall 2015.
Introduction to College Composition (ENG 022), KU, Fall 2010 – Fall 2012.
Writing for the Workplace (WRI 207), Fall 2015, Spring 2015 and 2014.
ACADEMIC SERVICE
University
At-Large Senator, Kutztown University Faculty Senate, 2014-2016.
Member, PASSHE Women’s Consortium Conference Planning Committee, 2016.
Director, Kutztown University Composition Conference, 2014-2015.
Member, Cultural Affairs Committee, University Senate, KU, 2012-15.
College
Member, Technology Committee, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, KU, 2012-16.
Departmental
Chair, Recruitment Committee, KU 2015-16.
Department Representative, APSCUF Rep Council, KU 2015-2017.
Chair, Temporary Hiring Committee, KU 2012.
Reviewer, ENG 380 Senior Seminar, KU 2010-16.
Member, Composition Assessment Committee, KU, 2010-16.
Member, Composition Interest Group, KU, 2010-15.
Member, KU Composition Conference Committee, KU, 2010-16.
Member, Department Promotion Committee, KU, 2015-16.
Member, Temporary Evaluation Committee, KU, 2010-2015.
Member, Graduate Program Committee, KU, 2010-2016.
Official photographer, Web Site Committee, KU 2011-2014.
Participant, Friday Research Interest Group, KU, 2010-2011.
Participant, Composition Conversations, KU, 2010-2015.
OUTREACH & COMMUNITY SERVICE
Judge, Toni Brown Memorial Poetry & Prose Scholarship, Murphy Writing of Stockton University, Fall 2015.
Judge, Kutztown University ACE Spoken Word Competition, Spring 2014 and 2015.
Member, 2013 CCCC Tribal College Faculty Fellowship Selection Committee
Member, American Indian Caucus, Conference on College Composition & Communication, 2009-2016.
Judge, KU’s Got Talent, KU, Spring 2011.
Participant. KU Community Blitz, KU, Fall 2010
Editor & photographer, Wildlands Conservancy (Emmaus, PA), 2010-2013.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC), 2010-2016.
Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAIS), 2010-2013.
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), 2010-2016.
Rhetoric Society of America (RSA), 2011-2016.
Humanities Education and Research Association (HERA), 2013-14.
NON-ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Writing Coach, Consultant, & Workshop Facilitator, 2014-present.
Portrait & Landscape Photographer, 2007-present.
Freelance Journalist & News Photographer, 1993-2004.
Ad Agency Media Buyer/Planner, 1992-1996.
Amanda Morris, Ph.D. 
Amanda, It took me one very large mug of morning Joe, to get through your extremely impressive list of “Curriculum Vitae.” Quite honestly, I am not surprised by your academic achievements, published accomplishments and community outreach; I am in awe. Your workshop at the Winter Getaway was more than informative, it was empowering. I never could have imagined the impact your course might have had on my personal writing journey, had I not “stuck it out.” Up close, and in real time, is the only way to be moved by the “Amanda Morris Force.” Best regards now, for some well deserved down time. Melinda