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EDUCATION
PhD Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English
University of Arizona, May 2013
Minor in Gender and Women’s Studies
Research and Teaching Interests: Visual Rhetoric, Reproductive Justice, Feminist Theory and
Pedagogy, Motherhood Studies, Embodied Rhetoric, Professional Writing, Action-Oriented
Research and Service Learning
ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENT
Present Associate Professor of English
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Vinson, Jenna, and Clare Daniel. “‘Power to Decide’ Who Should Get Pregnant: Neoliberal
Visions of Reproductive Justice,” Present Tense: A Journal of Rhetoric in Society, vol 8,
no. 2, 2020, http://www.presenttensejournal.org/volume-8/power-to-decide-who-should-
get-pregnant-a-feminist-rhetorical-analysis-of-neoliberal-visions-of-reproductive-justice/
Vinson, Jenna, and Urmitapa Dutta. “Participatory Curation: Who Has the Power to Exhibit in a
Collaborative Community-Based Project?” Curation. Special Issue of Journal of
Multimodal Rhetorics, vol. 4, no. 1, 2020, http://journalofmultimodalrhetorics.com/4-1-
issue-vinson-dutta.
Vinson, Jenna, and Sally Stevens. “Preventing Pregnancy OR Supporting Students? Learning
from the Stories of Young Mothers.” Sexuality Research and Social Policy, vol. 11, no. 4,
Dec. 2014, pp. 322-36, doi: 10.1007/s13178-014-0157-6.
Stevens, Sally, Elisabeth Morgan-Thompson, Jenna Vinson, Alison Greene, Claudia Powell,
Adela Licona, and Stephen Russell. “Informing Sexuality Education through Youth-
Generated Anonymous Questions.” Sex Education: Sexuality, Society, and Learning,
vol. 13, no. 1, Aug. 2013, pp. S84-S90.
Vinson, Jenna. “Covering National Concerns about Teenage Pregnancy: A Visual Rhetorical
Analysis of Images of the Pregnant Teenage Body.” Feminist Formations, vol. 24, no. 2,
2012, pp. 140-62.
Vinson, Jenna. “Spatial Shock: Space, Place, and the Politics of Representation.” Spatial Praxis.
Special issue of Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy, vol. 16, no.
3, 2012, http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/16.3/praxis/hea-et-al/vinson/index.html.
Book Chapters
Vinson, Jenna, and Sally Stevens. “I Was the One Who Opened My Legs: The Tropes and
Consequences of Blaming Pregnant and Mothering Teens.” Mother-Blame Game, edited
by Vanessa Reimer and Sarah Sahagian, Demeter Press, 2015, pp. 82-104.
Vinson, Jenna. “Mothers & More: Fighting ‘Invisimomibility’ to Make Mothering Count.” 21st
Century Motherhood Movement, edited by Andrea O’Reilly, Demeter Press, 2011, pp.
362-472.
Reviews
Vinson, Jenna. Review of Zines in Third Space: Radical Cooperation and Borderlands Rhetoric
by Adela C. Licona. Community Literacy Journal, vol. 9, no. 1, 2014, pp. 92-5.
Vinson, Jenna. Review of Respect Yourself, Protect Yourself: Latina Girls and Sexual Identity by
Lorena Garcia. Community Literacy Journal, vol. 8, no.1, 2013, pp.127-30.
Research Briefs
Stevens, Sally, Leah S. Stauber, Jenna Vinson, and the Crossroads Collaborative. “Sexuality
Education: Innovating in Sexual Health Education.” Crossroads Connections, vol. 2, no.
2, 2013, https://mcclellandinstitute.arizona.edu/publications.
Vinson, Jenna. “Busting Myths: Confronting Assumptions about Teenage Pregnancy and
Motherhood.” Crossroads Connections vol. 2, no.1, 2013,
https://mcclellandinstitute.arizona.edu/publications.
Under Review
Vinson, Jenna. “Helping Everyday Rhetors to Challenge Reproductive Injustice(s) in Public.”
Rhetorics of Reproductive Justice in Civic and Public Contexts. Special Issue of
Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric, vol. 20, no. 2,
Publication anticipated 2020.
ACADEMIC AWARDS
Lumina Foundation Stipend for Family Friendly Campus Toolkit Initiative, 2019 ($1000)
UMass Lowell’s Chancellor’s 2020 Community Impact Grant, 2018 ($3,000),
co-recipient with Dr. Urmitapa Dutta (Psychology Dept)
Centennial Achievement Award for Doctoral Student, 2012 ($500)
Tilly Warnock Fellowship, 2012 ($3,000)
Graduate College Fellowship, 2006 ($3,000)
Richard A. Harvill Fellowship, 2006 ($12,000)
TRAVEL GRANTS
Ford Foundation Funding for Sexuality Research Grantee Convening, 2012 ($1,060)
Crossroads Collaborative Travel Grant, 2012 ($440)
Women’s Studies Advisory Council Travel Grant, 2012 ($100)
Graduate Professional Student Council Travel Grant, 2012 ($500)
Crossroads Collaborative Travel Grant, 2011 ($690)
Women’s Studies Advisory Council Travel Grant, 2009 ($400)
Graduate Professional Student Council Travel Grant, 2010 ($450)
“Subverting ‘Teen Pregnancy’: New Action and Research on the Politics of Young Pregnancy
and Parenthood” (Roundtable). National Women’s Studies Association Conference.
Atlanta, GA. Nov. 2018.
“Confronting the Stranger on the Street: Exploring Everyday Public Spaces as Rhetorical
Arenas for Marginalized Teen Mothers.” International Society for the History of Rhetoric
Conference. United Kingdom. July 2017.
“Cultivating a Collection of Journalistic Photographs for Analysis: The Nitty-Gritty of Visual
Rhetorical Research in Composition Studies.” Conference on College Composition and
Communication. Portland, OR. Mar. 2017.
“Changing Rhetorics of Teen Parenthood: The Transformational Tactics of the #NoTeenShame
Campaign.” Rhetoric Society of America Conference. Atlanta, GA. May 2016.
“Portraying Precarious Bodies: A Visual Rhetorical Analysis of Journalistic Photographs of the
Teenage Pregnancy ‘Crisis.’” National Women’s Studies Association Conference.
Milwaukee, WI. Nov. 2015.
“Mamas Making Waves: Rhetorics of Resistance in the #NoTeenShame Social Media
Campaign.” Feminism(s) and Rhetoric(s) Conference. Phoenix, AZ. Oct. 2015.
“‘I Was the One Who Opened My Legs’: Lessons Women Learn from the Cultural Discourse of
Teen Pregnancy Prevention” (Panel Presentation) and “Community Action Research
Collaboration at the Crossroads of Literacies and Sexualities” (Roundtable). International
Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society Conference. Dublin, Ireland.
June 2015.
“The Risks and Rewards of Public Writing, Pedagogy, and Activism for Junior Faculty in
Rhetoric and Composition.” Conference on College Composition and Communication.
Tampa, FL. Mar. 2015.
“Building a Border between Children and Adults: The Social Construction and Rhetorical
Function of Adolescence.” Rhetoric Society of American Conference. San Antonio, TX.
May 2014.
“(Teen) Mama Knows Best?: The Role of Experts, Editors, and Experimental Knowledge in
Testimonies about Teenage Pregnancy.” Feminism(s) and Rhetoric(s) Conference. Palo
Alto, CA. Sept. 2013.
“Defining Our Successes Means Defining Our Obstacles.” Keynote Presentation at Summit for Teen
Empowerment and Parenting Success. Northeastern University. Boston, MA. July 2015.
Guest Lectures
“Facilitating Focus Groups with Pregnant/Parenting Students: What to Know Before the
Interview.” Invited presentation for Dr. Aaron Smith-Walter’s Masters of Public
Administration graduate course. UMass Lowell. 24 Feb 2020.
Discussion of Embodying the Problem: The Persuasive Power of the Teen Mother. Invited Lecture
for Dr. Rebecca Richards’ Feminist Rhetoric(s) undergraduate course. St. Olaf University.
Jan. 2020.
Discussion of Embodying the Problem: The Persuasive Power of the Teen Mother. Invited Lecture
for Dr. Lori Beth De Hertogh’s Rhetorics of Reproductive Justice in Health and Medicine
graduate course. James Madison University. Oct. 2019.
“Rhetorical Analysis in Embodying the Problem: The Persuasive Power of the Teen Mother.”
Invited Presentation for Dr. Marika Siegel’s Rhetorical Analysis graduate course. Michigan
Technological University. Mar. 2019.
Discussion of Embodying the Problem: The Persuasive Power of the Teen Mother. Invited
Presentation for Dr. Thomas Piñeros Shields’ Youth and Society undergraduate course.
UMass Lowell. Sept. 2018.
“Activist Scholarship.” Invited Participant in Interdisciplinary Roundtable Panel Discussion for Dr.
Urmitapa Dutta’s Community Psychology Graduate Course. UMass Lowell. Oct. 2017.
“Re-Producing Pathologies: The Problems with the Stories We Tell about Teen Moms in
Pregnancy Prevention Campaigns.” Invited Presentation for Baruch College Public
Affairs Faculty Research Seminar. New York, NY. Apr. 2014.
“Busting Myths about Teenage Pregnancy.” Special Presentation for Dr. Maureen Kelly’s
Adolescent Development Course in Family Studies. University of Arizona. Mar. 2011.
“Teen Moms in the Media: Gender, Race, and Class Stereotypes.” Special Presentation for Dr.
Marissa Juarez’s Freshman Composition Course. University of Arizona. June 2010.
“How to be an Effective Teen Parent Ally.” Workshop for nonprofit and youth-organization
representatives attending STEPS. Simmons College. June 2017.
“‘Aren’t You Too Young to Be a Parent?’ Dealing with Confrontational Strangers and the Myths
of Teenage Pregnancy.” Workshop for young parents at STEPS, with young parent
ambassador Louisha Laguerre. Northeastern University. July 2015.
“How to Write the College Application Essay.” Writing workshop for Lowell High School
students in the Gear Up Program, with Dr. Matthew Hurwitz. July 2014 and July 2015.
“How to Write a Resume.” Workshop at Teen Outreach Pregnancy Services. Tucson, AZ. Jan.
2012.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Visual Rhetoric (5 sections)
Upper-division course that introduces English majors to the theory and practice of visual
communication. Students learn to critically read images as arguments, exploring whether
and how visual representations persuade audiences and communicate culturally specific
meanings about race, gender, class, sexuality, age, nationality, and difference.
Writing about Women (2 sections)
Upper-division course that prepares students to write about women with a critical
understanding of how sexist oppression has limited women as writers, how cultural
representations of women may perpetuate gendered stereotypes, and how women have
used language to creatively challenge gendered norms and inequalities. Students practice
critical reflection, textual analysis, and writing for target audiences beyond the classroom.
In spring 2017, the course included a special focus on (re)writing women into history for
an audience of Lowell High School students.
Rhetoric(s) of Social Movements: Writing for Social Change (2 sections)
Upper-division course that examines the communication strategies used to build social
movements and agitate for social change. Students are introduced to social movement
studies and analyze primary documents from movements in the 1960s in order to
ultimately evaluate the persuasive tactics of contemporary social movements. Special
attention is paid to the role journalists and other writers play in promoting or rejecting
social change.
Theories of Rhetoric and Composition (3 sections)
Upper-division course that introduces English majors to the history, theories, and
discourse conventions of the field of rhetoric and composition. In this discussion-based
course, students write analytical papers, facilitate class discussion, share research from
the field, and write a final research paper on a topic of their choice.
University of Arizona
Business Writing (2 sections)
Students studied workplace practices, business communications, and writing on behalf of
an organization through client-based projects and case studies. Assignments included
memos, emails, job search materials, proposals, reports, and promotional documents.
Advanced Composition (4 sections)
Upper-division, writing-intensive course focused on how language shapes personal
experience and community beliefs. Assignments included reflective portfolios, rhetorical
analyses, creative non-fiction essays, public arguments, and blogs. Students participated
in a student-based university writing contest and public reading event.
SERVICE
National
2019-Present External Reviewer, review journal article manuscripts for Rhetoric Review
2021 Grant Assessor, reviewed grant application for Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council
2019 Expert Interviewer, podcast Conversation with Dr. Clare Daniel for the Society
for the History of Children and Youth, Jan. 2019, published here:
https://tinyurl.com/y63nn2rt
2013 External Reviewer, Feminist Formations. Reviewed journal article manuscript for
publication.
2013 External Reviewer, Ashgate Publishing. Reviewed book manuscript and wrote
endorsement for book jacket.
2017-Present Faculty co-advisor, UML (Student) Parents Club, with Susan Thomson Tripathy
2020-Present Mentor and Invited speaker, delivered a “lightening talk” at the September New
Faculty Launch Event. Mentor a new tenure-track Assistant Professor.
2019 Invited Panelist, Women in Conversation Dinner sponsored by the Center for
Women and Work and Student Affairs. October 3, 2019.
2015 Volunteer, Ally Space Program “You Can Play” Tsongas Center athletic event
encouraging pledged support of LGBTQ student athletes
English Department
2020-Present Coordinator, English Department Internship Program
2014-Present Academic Advisor, serve as a faculty advisor for 19-23 students each academic
year.
2019-2020 Chair, Journalism and Professional Writing Search Committee. Successfully hired
two new faculty members.
University of Arizona
2013 Member, Rhetoric Composition and Teaching of English (RCTE) Graduate
Admissions Committee.
2008-2013 Founding member, Family Advocacy Coalition for English Students (FACES)
English Graduate Union subcommittee that developed supports for parenting
students on campus.
2009 Event Facilitator for Dr. Vivyan Adair and “The Missing Story of Ourselves”
Responded to campus-community tragedy by facilitating this scholar’s visit to the
University of Arizona with her critically relevant photo-narrative exhibition.
Nominated for a Student Excellence Award for these efforts.
2011 Writing Coach, YWCA’s Nuestra Voz Youth Manifesto Writing Jam, May 15th
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Coalition of Feminist Scholars in History of Rhetoric and Composition
Conference on College Composition and Communication
National Council for Teachers of English
National Women’s Studies Association