baumgal6 2020 New Faculty, 2020 Newsletter

Annmarie Sheahan

Where did you live/work before coming to Western? 

Prior to coming to Western, I taught language arts, history, and service learning at a high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I also was an instructor in the College of Education at the University of New Mexico, primarily teaching critical methods-based literacy courses to pre-service and practicing language arts teachers.

What is your area of specialty?

My areas of specialty are English education, young adult literature, and critical pedagogy. Much of my work focuses on the interplay between canonical works, nontraditional texts, young adult literature, and multimodality in diverse classrooms, and looks to examine the daily pedagogical choices practicing teachers make regarding the teaching of literature in the face of neoliberal reforms. My research also explores Critical Praxis Research (CPR) and Participatory Action Research (PAR) as critically conscious research methodologies that bridge the divide between practitioner and scholar.

It’s been an odd year (to say the least!) for teaching, but what do you like so far about being at Western?

This definitely has not been how I imagined my first year as an assistant professor at Western going! That being said, there have been so many bright spots in my first year here. Through advising and teaching methods courses, I have met a passionate group of students who are going to be intelligent, critical, and deeply caring future teachers. In my young adult literature courses, I have had the privilege to work with some of the most creative readers, authors, and artists I have ever met, students who understand the value of diverse, raw, and beautiful texts for adolescents (and adults!). I have had such a strong support group of faculty within our English department and am thankful for them every single day.

What stirs joy within you outside of your work?

I am a firm believer in the necessity of cultivating a life outside of work. Each and every day, I try to make time for the things in my life that bring me joy: dancing, yoga, spending time with friends and family, hiking, and hunting for authentic New Mexican food in the PNW. I always have a book on hand that I am reading simply for the pleasure of reading…and I never feel guilty about it.

What is your secret “super power”?  Tell us something that others may not know about you. 

I’m a rhythm tap dancer, choreographer, and performer. I’ve been dancing since I was five years old and it is one of my life’s passions. On long weekends and vacations, I’m typically back in Albuquerque performing with the New Mexico-based Alley Kats Tap Company or teaching choreography for the amazing middle and high school students that make up the Rio Rancho Youth Choir.

baumgal6 2020 New Faculty, 2020 Newsletter

Justin Lewis

Where did you live/work before coming to Western?

Most recently I lived in a small town called Floyd, VA. while working as an Assistant Professor of Technical Communication & Rhetoric at Virginia Tech. Before VA, I taught at universities in Nevada, Oregon and New York. I was born in southeastern Kentucky and grew up just south of the Tennessee border in Ringgold, GA.

What is your area of specialty?

My recently work considers the ways that technical/professional communication intersects with User Experience Design (UXD). I’m specifically interested in exploring and developing mixed-method research methodologies for tracing digital tool design and development vis-a-vis interfaces, interactions, navigational structures and database architectures. My research is heavily influenced by Activity Theory and Rhetorical Genre Studies. I also have an abiding interest in digital intellectual property, copyleft discourses, and digital piracy.

It’s been an odd year (to say the least!) for teaching, but what do you like so far about being at Western?

I’ve very much enjoyed the warmth and easy-going nature of many of the Western students. I’ve also very much appreciated the kindness shown to me by the faculty and English Department leadership. I’ve taught in English Departments at a few different institutions, and this one exhibits a high degree of collegiality, collaboration, and goodwill. That’s wonderful!

What stirs joy within you outside of your work?

I love rural places. The farther away from the hustle and bustle, the better. I also love working with my hands—plumbing is my favorite trade but I also enjoy carpentry and woodcarving. At present my family and I live on Orcas Island, but we’re looking for a spot east of Bellingham where we can purchase a home, raise our son, repair or build a house, and raise some plants & animals. Ideally, we’ll find a fixer-upper that needs a lot of love—we’re naturally homebodies that enjoy renovating, gardening and farming. Securing a “fixer-upper” in the country would certainly stir joy in my heart. Also: the Cascades stir joy in my very being. I want to be there all the time.

What is your secret “super power”? Tell us something that others may not know about you. 

Super Power: If you can’t find a digital copy of some piece of media (book, movie, etc.), I can probably find one for you.

Something People Don’t Know: In my other life away from Western, I’m the Facilities and Maintenance Manager at Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island. I manage a team of workers, plan lots of really interesting construction projects, and build things like yurts, domes, cob ovens, and outdoor hot tubs.

baumgal6 2020 New Faculty, 2020 Newsletter

Jean Lee

Where did you live/work before coming to Western? 

I worked at a small liberal arts college, The College of Wooster, in Wooster, OH for two years before starting at WWU. Wooster is one of the top schools for undergraduate research and taught me a lot about mentoring students’ research and academic journeys. At Wooster, I taught courses on Caribbean literature, Asian American literature, multicultural literature, and gender and sexuality studies.

What is your area of specialty?

My areas of specialty are Caribbean and Asian American literature, with a focus on diaspora and gender, women, and sexuality studies. I’m on expert on Indo-Caribbean literature and feminism which helps me think about Afro-Asian solidarities, identity-based and coalition feminisms, and how people of color engage critically with national and supranational discourses that are celebrated as inclusive but actually maintain a problematic status quo.

It’s been an odd year (to say the least!) for teaching, but what do you like so far about being at Western?

WWU’s students are the most incredible I’ve worked with. They are open-minded, hard-working, and care deeply about social justice. I’ve had to teach about race, ethnicity, and queerness for years, and it’s such a relief to be able to say “white supremacy” or “white heteropatriarchy” to a large class without having to be afraid that someone will misinterpret my critique of racism as a direct attack on them as a white person! Rather, my students seem to be willing to take on difficult topics with a refreshing desire for profound and incisive engagement and transformation. I’ve also noticed that a large number of them also work while studying, and I find their discipline admirable. Student organization on campus, like Shred the Contract and WWU’s SUPER, is also really heartening. In terms of my colleagues, I’m blown away by the hospitality and teamwork of the faculty and staff. And lastly, I feel really confident as a junior faculty knowing that the incredible Faculty Union has got my back.

What stirs joy within you outside of your work?

Life is made up of little joys, and mine is full of them. I love the night sky in Bellingham! I also love watching hummingbirds, and I’m quite devoted to minimizing my harm to them by cleaning their feeders regularly. As a result, my duty of care sometimes veers into a burden, but they are so cute! I also am grateful for lovely walks nearby for my dogs, my wee wildflower garden coming up, and as always, cooking and eating delicious food.

What is your secret “super power”?  Tell us something that others may not know about you. 

My secret power is being able to become invisible. When I’m not teaching, and I’m on campus just to research or do yoga, I tend to blend into the crowd. It’s a superpower because I disrupt assumptions about professorial authority (yes, I love wearing tweed, but I’m not white nor male) and can be accessible to students while also having the means to aid them in my role as faculty.