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ALEXANDRA HIDALGO
Curriculum VitaPurdue University
Department of English
500 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907
alexandra.hidalgo@gmail.com
EDUCATION
Ph.d. in EnglishPurdue University, expected May 2013
West Lafayette, Indiana
Primary Area: Rhetoric and Composition
Secondary Areas: Multimedia Writing - Film and Video Concentration, Public Rhetorics
M.F.A. in Creative Writing, Fiction
Naropa University, May 2004
Boulder Colorado
B.A. in Philosophy
Ohio University Honors Tutorial College, June 2000
Athens, Ohio
Magna Cum Laude
Minors: History, French and Russian
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Forthcoming in McFarland & Company anthology, Hermione Granger Saves the World edited by Christopher Bell: “Unstoppable Force: Maternal Power and Feminism in the Harry Potter Series and its Film Adaptations.”
Forthcoming in Ashgate anthology Genre, Reception, and Adaptation in the Twilight Series edited by Anne Morey: “Bare Life, Bridges and Notes: Race in the Twilight Saga and its Film Adaptations.”
Review of 37 Stories about Leaving Home, dir. Shelly Silver, Between: Living in the Hyphen, dir. Anne Marie Nakagawa, and Same Same, but Different, dir. Rosylyn Rhee. Films for the Feminist Classroom, 2.1 (Spring 2010). Web.
“Group Work and Autonomy: Empowering the Working-Class Student.” Open Words: Access and English Studies 2.2 (Fall 2008): 3-23. Print.
FICTION PUBLICATIONS
“The Upstairs Belongs to the Women.” One Less: Art on the Range: Collection(s) 2.2 (Fall 2008): 3-23. Print.
“Rosemary Queen of England.” One Less: Art on the Range: Home 1 (Spring 2005): 75-77. Print.
“Just A Lot of Empty Space.” The West Wind Review 23 (2004): 60-64. Print.
“A True Lady.” Bombay Gin 30 (2004): 149-154. Print.
DOCUMENTARIES
Lift the Lamp, work in progress about the lives of four immigrant women living in New York City.
Perfect: A Conversation with the Venezuelan Middle Class about Female Beauty and Breast Implants
Making Writing Public: Introductory Composition at Purdue 2009 Showcase (2009).
DIGITAL PROJECTS
Cofounder and Editor-in-Chief, agnès films: a site for female filmmakers.
Founding Editor and Multimedia Editor, Present Tense: A Journal of Rhetoric in Society.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
“National Pride, Equilibrium and Freedom: The Rhetoric of Breast Implants in Venezuela.” Conference on College Communication and Composition, Atlanta, 2011.
Respondent. “Writing and Working for Change: Working Class Politics in CCCC” Panel. Conference on College Communication and Composition, Atlanta, 2011. “
"Crafting agnesfilms.com: a Born Digital Archive for Female Filmmakers.” Thomas R. Watson Conference, Louisville, 2010.
“Bare Life, Bridges and Nodes: Race in the Twilight Saga and its Film Adaptations.” Midwestern Pop Culture Association Conference, Minneapolis, 2010.
“Convincing Filmmakers to Write About their Work: The Ups and Downs of Creating agnesfilms.com.” Midwestern Pop Culture Association Conference, Minneapolis, 2010.
“Making Writing Public: Introductory Composition at Purdue 2009 Showcase.” Computers and Writing, West Lafayette, 2010.
“‘Is what you want for yourself to become someone very different than me?’: Film Representations of Immigrant Daughters and Their Mothers.” Conference on College Communication and Composition, Louisville, 2010.
“Online Fan Discourse: The Democratization of Knowledge and its Wondrous Demons.” Midwestern Pop Culture Association Conference, Detroit, 2009.
Perfect: A Conversation with the Venezuelan Middle Class about Female Beauty and Breast Implants. Feminisms and Rhetorics Conference, Lansing, 2009.
“Student Autonomy and Collaboration: Successfully Desegregating the Writing Classroom.”Conference on College Communication and Composition, San Francisco, 2009.
PRESENTATIONS
Presenter at Latino Caucus workshop entitled “Teaching Writing with Latino/a Students in the South.” Conference on College Communication and Composition, Atlanta, 2011.
Presenter at Rhetoricians for Peace workshop entitled “Encountering Propaganda in Teaching, Scholarship and Activism.” Conference on College Communication and Composition, San Francisco, 2009.
Member of panel discussion about Suzan-Lori Parks’ play, Venus. Cleveland State University, 2005.
Diversity Panel, chair. Summer Writing Program, Naropa University, 2003.
Interview with author Bhanu Kapil. Summer Writing Program, Naropa University, 2003.
Diversity Panel, member. Summer Writing Program, Naropa University, 2002.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Corecipient. Dean’s Choice for Best Instructor Project, Introductory Composition at Purdue Showcase. Purdue University, 2011.
College of Liberal Arts Diversity Action Committee Award, Honorable Mention for “Bridges, Nodes, and Bare Life: Race in the Twilight Saga and its Film Adaptations.” Purdue University, 2011.
Quintilian Award (for instructors in the top ten percent of student evaluations). Purdue University, 2009.
Purdue Doctoral Fellowship. Purdue University, 2008-2011.
Pushcart Prize Nominee, 2004.
Zora Neale Hurston Award. Summer Writing Program, Naropa University, 2003.
Pearl H. Gamertsfelder Philosophy Prize. Ohio University, 1997.
Philosophy Book Award. Ohio University, 1996 and 1997.
Honors Tutorial College Scholarship. Ohio University, 1997-2000.
Dean’s Scholarship. Ohio University, 1997-1999.
READINGS
Sankofa Fine Arts Plus Fundraiser, featured reader. Cleveland, Ohio, 2004.
Espíritu Latino. Naropa University, 2004.
Spring Student Reading. Naropa University, 2004.
Scholarship Winners Reading. Summer Writing Program, Naropa University, 2003.
Spring Student Reading. Naropa University, 2003.
Student Reading. Summer Writing Program, Naropa University, 2002
Flying Solo: A Reading of New Monologue Plays. Ohio University, 1995.
TEACHING
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana
Department of English
English 108: First-Year Composition—Service Learning
Spring 2011, Fall 2011
This course provides students with the opportunity to gain an understanding of rhetorical thinking and composing while engaging with members of the community. The students work with residents of Westminster Village, a local retirement home, in order to tell their stories in two formats: documentary films and websites. Students get to know the residents they will be working with, develop interview questions, research the topics the residents want to discuss and apply that knowledge to their two projects. The resulting work is presented to the residents, so they can share it with their family, friends and the Westminster Village community.
Class Theme: Memoirs
English 106: First-Year Composition
Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Summer 2011, Fall 2011
This course introduces students to key rhetorical concepts like ethos, pathos, logos and audience awareness. Students also become familiar with visual rhetoric, new media writing and the basics of filmic storytelling, such as screenwriting and storyboarding while developing critical thinking skills about pop culture texts, like novels, comic books, documentaries and narrative films. I aim to broaden their understanding of writing by having them produce academic papers, short documentaries or movie previews, and websites throughout the semester. The course emphasizes group work and collaboration in and outside the classroom. Our readings and projects revolve around a central topic. I have taught three different versions of the course, exploring otherness, utopias/dystopias and heroes, superheroes and antiheroes. Through the particular theme of the course, students learn to apply abstract concepts to different composing genres and modes of thinking.
Class Theme: Otherness
Class Theme: Utopias and Dystopias
Class Theme: Heroes, Superheroes and Antiheroes
English 286: The Movies
Fall 2009
This course introduces students to the art of film analysis. We watch scenes in class and have detailed discussions about their structure and visual power, making the students aware of how the basic concepts of film grammar, such as cinematography, mise-en-scène and editing, contribute to the impact of the cinematic experience. Students are also exposed to scholarship about the history and elements of film, as well as analyses of each of the works we watch as a class.
The Movies
The University of Akron
Akron, Ohio
Department of English
English Composition 112: Honors
Spring 2008
Designed for students with advanced English skills, this course sought to teach writing by having students exercise critical thinking around one topic, in this case, love. We read Plato, Truman Capote and Toni Morrison and watched a film by Stanley Donen. By researching, discussing and questioning the varied definitions and portrayals of love provided by our class texts, students engaged with writing from an analytical perspective.
English Composition 112
Fall 2007, Spring 2008
The main focus of this course was to help students strengthen their skills in research and argumentation. We discussed classic and contemporary argumentative texts in terms of their usage of ethos, pathos and logos. Students were encouraged to explore the balance between supporting their side of the argument and fairly presenting the opposition. All assignments required both print and internet research and together we examined the benefits and drawbacks of both types of sources.
English Composition 111
Fall 2007, Spring 2008
Seeking to introduce students to college writing, this course emphasized audience awareness and encouraged them to find their own voice. By requiring group work both in and outside the classroom as well as peer editing, I tried to stimulate students to discover the academic discourse together and engage in critical thinking without the authority of a teacher before them.
Naropa University
Boulder, Colorado
Summer Writing Program
B.A. Discussion Leader
Summer 2003
Undergraduate students engaged in theoretical discussions about the craft of writing and the new concepts and ideas they encountered during their workshops at the Summer Writing Program. We did generative writing exercises for both fiction and poetry and students critiqued the results in a supportive and constructive environment.
Family Learning Center
Boulder, Colorado
Project Outreach
Spring 2003
I taught low-income, high-school female students of Latin American, Southeast Asian and African origin the basics of writing and editing their own and each other’s work. In order to interest my initially skeptical students in writing, I encouraged them to write about topics that directly affected them, such as gender issues and immigration. By the end of the course, the students were eager to share their writing and we compiled an anthology they took home to share with their families.
Athens High Schoolr
Athens, Ohio
After-School Creative Writing Workshop
Fall 1999, Spring 2000
Students interested in fiction, poetry and playwriting came together for weekly meetings modeled after college-level writing workshops. Students flourished in an atmosphere that took their writing and maturity levels seriously.
Alexander Middle School
Athens, Ohio
Creative Writing Tag Tutoring
Spring 1999
This course introduced seventh and eighth graders to the basics of short story writing, from character development and point of view to plot and voice. Class time was divided between discussions about craft and workshops of the students’ writing. Each meeting, one student read his or her work out loud for the class to critique. The main aim of the course was to make writing exciting and gratifying, and most students were enthusiastic about their work and its reception.
Jean Moulin and Lyautay Elementary Schools
La Roche-sur-Yon and Le Mans, France
English as a Second Language
Fall 2005 to Spring 2007
I taught English to seven to eleven year-olds in low-income French public schools. By teaching grammar and vocabulary primarily through songs and plays, my approach helped students relate to English as a game, which turned them into eager learners. We performed a Christmas concert and an end-of-the-year play and concert in English and French, helping to validate for both students and parents the work we had done during the year.
Indian Trails and Highland Elementary Schools
Stow, Ohio
Spanish as a Second Language
Fall 2004 to Spring 2005
Designed for five to eight year-old children, this course introduced students to Spanish vocabulary and basic grammar by using games, songs and physical activities. Parents were welcome to participate in the class and bond with their children through language learning. The class ended with a Spanish concert for the students’ families.
SERVICE, COMMITTEE AND PROFESSIONAL WORK
Film and Video Production Area Chair, Midwest Popular Culture and Midwest American Culture Association Conference, Minneapolis, 2010 and Milwaukee, 2011.
Conference Proposal Reviewer, Computers and Writing Conference, West Lafayette, 2010, and Ann Arbor, 2011.
New Media and Scholarship Editor, Capirotada: The NCTE Latina/o Caucus Website and Newsletter. March 2009 – present
Cancer, Culture, and Community Planning Committee, Purdue University, Spring 2011.Stage 1 Conference Proposal Reviewer, Conference on College Communication and Composition, 2011.
Composing with Popular Culture Approach Leader, Introductory Composition at Purdue, Fall 2010 – Spring 2011.
Fundraising and Local Arrangements Committees, Computers and Writing Conference, West Lafayette, 2010.
Graduate Research Network Purdue Liason, Computers and Writing Conference, West Lafayette, 2010.
On-Site Host and Speaker, New Member and Constituency Liaison, Computers and Writing Conference, Purdue University, 2010.
English/French/Spanish Translator, En route vers le monde International Film Festival, La Roche-sur-Yon, France, 2006.
English/Spanish Translator for artist Spencer Tunick, Museum of Contemporary Art, Caracas, Venezuela, 2006.
Foreign Language Reading Organizer, Summer Writing Program, Naropa University, 2004.
Prose and Poetry Chats Monitor, Summer Writing Program, Naropa University, 2004.
Student Readings Host and Organizer, Summer Writing Program, Naropa University, 2003.
RELEVANT COURSEWORK
Rhetoric and Composition
Issues in Composition Studies: Postmodern
English 622, Thomas Rickert, Spring 2010
Issues in Composition Studies: Classical
English 622, Richard Johnson-Sheehan, Fall 2009
Introduction to Composition Theory
English 591, Shirley Rose, Fall 2008
Issues in Composition Studies: Modern
English 624, Patricia Sullivan, Fall 2008
Multimedia Writing - Film and Video Concentration
Video Production and E Learning
English 590, Patricia Sullivan, Summer 2011
Introduction to Semiotics
Foreign Languages and Literature 570, Floyd Merrell, Fall 2010
Digital Video Production
Foreign Languages and Literature 590, Patricia Hart, Spring 2010
Film Theory and Criticism
English 590, William J. Palmer, Spring 2010
New Media: Beyond (Re)Mediation
English 680N, Jennifer Bay, Fall 2009
Documentary Film and Photography
English 668, Lance Duerfahrd, Fall 2009
Public Rhetorics
Public Rhetorics
English 680, Thomas Rickert, Spring 2011
Feminist Theory and Methods
Women Studies 689, Patricia Boling, Fall 2010
Archives & Digital Humanities
English 680, Patricia Sullivan and Jennifer Bay, Spring 2010
Minority Rhetorics
English 680, Samantha Blackmon, Spring 2009
Trends in Contemporary Literature: Introduction to Feminist Criticism
Writing 535, Steven Taylor, Naropa University, Spring 2003
Practica and Research Methods
Film Practicum
English 502, Lance Duerfahrd, Fall 2009, Fall 2010
Seminar on Empirical Research on Writing
English 625, Patricia Sullivan, Spring 2009
First-Year Composition Practicum
English 505A and 505B, Shirley Rose, Fall 2008, Spring 2009
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Midwest Popular Culture Association/Midwest American Culture Association
National Association of Latino Independent Producers
National Council of Teachers of English
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Study Abroad in Moscow
Bonn University, Germany, 1998
Four-week study of the origins and future of the European Union and its impact on Europe’s economic, social and political welfare.
Transatlantic Summer Academy
Moscow State University, Russia, 2000
Intensive study of Russian language, literature, art, history and culture.
Study Abroad in Tours
Institut de Touraine, France, 1998
Intensive study of French language, literature, art, history and culture.
Secretary of the Media Team Coordinator of the United Nations
First Conference for Ministers Responsible for Youth, Lisbon, Portugal, 1998
I supervised 12 secretaries working for the United Nations Media Team. I organized media conferences and developed written material summarizing the issues discussed.
Assistant Coordinator of Cultural Events
Panamanian Pavilion Expo ’98, Lisbon, Portugal, 1998
I organized a visit of a Panamanian children’s theater group for three performances at the Expo ’98. I also planned and directed a visit by a Portuguese orphanage sponsored by the pavilion. I helped greet and entertain guests of honor.
LANGUAGES
Fluency: Spanish, French
Reading Proficiency: Russian, Portuguese, Italian