l hadn't posted in a while because I wanted to wait for the entire process to play itself out. As many of you know, I was in the process of completing my dissertation and applying for jobs. Now that that process is complete, let me offer a final post briefly reflecting on the process:
I defended my dissertation April 1, 2010 and passed with distinction. The revisions are complete, and I am now ready to deposit at the graduate school. The dissertation is DONE!
I now have a job! I will be Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Writing Studies, and Director of First-Year Writing at Western Michigan University starting Fall 2010.
Mr. C and I are expecting our first child--a little girl! We've know about this for quite some time obviously since I'm 7 1/2 months preggo! I'm due in July, so I'll be starting the new job shortly after she is born. Crazy, I know. But I've never followed any path in life conventionally. Pictures of her 21st week ultrasound are posted below. In some of the shots, you can see her flexibility--she must have been practicing her yoga along with Mama! LOL!
Obviously the above events indicate why readers haven't heard from me much. As any academic knows, going on the job market is a very stressful and grueling process. My process was especially unique with its own set of challenges because I found out that I was pregnant early on in the job market season. I had to go to the MLA Convention shortly after a serious battle with morning sickness that left me hospitalized because I couldn't keep clear liquids down. As if MLA interviews aren't nauseating enough! I also had to hide my pregnancy while interviewing and going on campus visits (which I was able to do until the third trimester--I think!). I especially thank my Mom for letting me borrow all those tunic tops! Hiding the pregnancy was also challenging because I was small and petite pre-pregnancy, so any subtle change in weight tended to show up quickly. It didn't help that I am carry a baby that measures larger than weeks gestation. As you'll notice in the ultrasound pics, her femurs are long: the doctor told us that she'll probably have dad's height (he's 6"2), which means she might be taller than me by the time she turns 10 (I'm 5"1)! LOL!
That is all; I thought I'd end this blog with a happy post. I'm closing it because I basically don't have time to keep it up, in addition to the fact that I originally started the blog to get me through my dissertation. And I've fulfilled that goal.
Haven't posted in about a month (many of you know why!), so I thought I'd post an OSF today. I chose Diana Ross's "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" as the song that inspires me in part because it does inspire me, and in part because I don't think I've ever posted a Diana Ross song before. Enjoy!
I gotta pay homage to two artists we lost too soon. Both had hits during my freshman year of high school. The first is Aaliyah's "If Your Girl Only Knew," and the second is Tupac's "I Ain't Mad At Cha." Both singles came out at the beginning of my freshman year. I devote this space to remember them both.
Oh, this one is my favorite category! Each week at our church we have a segment called, "Praisercise," where we exercise to praise songs for roughly three to five minutes during morning worship. I lead these exercises weekly and usually do a few grapevines to warm up, and then some boxing and plyometrics for a minute or so to take it up a notch. We're trying to promote more health and wellness projects and initiatives at our church, and those of you who know me, know I'm all about that!
So, I picked a song that we've used during praisercise. It's Kirk Franklin's "Look at Me Now." Enjoy!
This space will serve as my teaching and research blog. My tentative dissertation topic will be a Teacher-Research study on two TIER I (First-Year Writing) courses at Michigan State University. This blog will consist of reflections about the course and research conducted from Fall 2008 - Spring 2009. Students from my WRA 125: Writing the Ethnic and Racial Experience course will also blog about course readings and class discussions.
I'm a PhD student in Rhetoric and Writing at Michigan State University. My research focuses on African American literate, rhetorical, and linguistic practices, Afrafeminist rhetorics, and Writing Program Administration. I'm in the middle of taking my second qualifying exam and will be blogging about that process and the dissertation process. This blog will help me get through my PhD (I hope!)
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