The English Department Welcomes New Faculty
The English Department is thrilled to welcome our newest faculty members: Sophia Martinez Abbud, Charles McMartin, Taylor Rose-Dougherty, and Xiao Tan. We are so excited to have these excellent faculty members join the department!
Sophia Martinez-Abbud
Assistant Professor Sophia Martinez-Abbud (she/ella) is a scholar of and from the US-Mexico border. Her research examines Chicanx and Latinx cultural productions from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, especially those which propose queer, or non-normative narratives. Her first book project is tentatively titled Borderpunk: Literatures of Refusal in the Post-Sixties. It identifies narrative cultural productions where the border and its technologies of surveillance are reclaimed and repurposed in punk ways — DIY, ugly, underproductive; thus, the name, borderpunk. Ultimately, she argues that borderpunk narratives encourage us to speculate worlds where social, political, and economic borders are broken down, giving us guidelines for how to create spaces based on inclusive, horizontal participation.
“What I most enjoy about USU is my students’ willingness to take on the challenges of critical thinking,” says Sophia. “Learning can (and should) be uncomfortable sometimes, but they do such a great job at remaining curious, respectful, and active participants in class. I look forward to keeping these conversations alive, both inside and outside the classroom.”
Charles McMartin
Charles McMartin (he/him/his) is currently teaching state-wide students and serves on the USU’s Statewide Campuses Research Committee. Charlie is an Assistant Professor of English specializing in Composition at the Tooele campus. He earned his PhD in Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English from the University of Arizona in May 2024. His research focuses on culturally sustaining pedagogies, community writing, student activism, and NextGen faculty and staff leaders. His work has been published in College English, Rhetoric Review, Composition Studies, Reflections, and Peitho. His forthcoming coedited collection with Utah State University Press is titled Next-Gen Perspectives: Stories, Lessons, and Critiques of Leadership in Higher Education. As a former high school English teacher, he advocates for turning the focus of universities toward their local schools and empowering students to become leaders in their communities and professions.
Of his classroom practices, Charlie says: “I aim to foster a learning environment where students can critically engage with and challenge dominant narratives, cultivate coalitional capacities, and connect their academic work to real-world issues facing them and their communities. I also hope to integrate community writing practices and establish reciprocal partnerships with local businesses, non-profits, and advocacy organizations. I am also excited about my research on Next-Gen faculty and student leaders.”
Taylor Rose-Dougherty
Assistant Professor Taylor Rose-Dougherty (she/her/hers) teaches courses in English education, including English Language Arts (ELA) teaching methods, teaching literature, and teaching young adult literature. Her scholarship explores how teacher candidates communicate with one another about central topics in their reading and teaching experiences. Within this work, she focuses on critical literacy, critical pedagogy, and cultural sustainability. She is passionate about fostering learning spaces where questions, criticality, and challenges are essential to her own growth and that of her students. She has published in venues such as Whiteness and Education, The Teacher Educator, and the Journal of Curriculum & Pedagogy. Taylor works with teacher candidates to consider K-12 students’ voices and shift power dynamics in the classroom to ensure topics and texts are relevant to the students and their multidimensional identities.
“I came to USU,” Taylor says, “because I was inspired by the breadth and depth of expertise of the faculty in the English department. Their mentorship shows up in the knowledge and experiences of the teacher candidates in my courses, and I feel honored and excited to continue learning alongside such talented, engaged, and agile training teachers! They make my job endlessly fun.”
Xiao Tan
Xiao Tan (she/her) is an Assistant Professor who teaches classes focused on the topic of generative AI and either how it can be used, or how it can be perceived and confronted. She received her Ph.D. in Writing, Rhetorics, and Literacies from Arizona State University. Her research focuses on multimodal writing, second language/multilingual writing, digital writing, and writing with Artificial Intelligence. As a writing teacher, she has been exploring innovative ways of teaching writing that prepares students for critical reading and writing in digital environments. She has served as the chair of the Second Language Writing Standing Group at CCCC. She is also an editorial board member of Computers and Composition, and her research is published in Computers and Composition, Journal of Second Language Writing, and Journal of English for Academic Purposes.
“I came to USU,” Xiao reflects, “because I value the intellectual community here and the support provided by the English Department. During my campus visit, I met with colleagues whose research varies, but all of them showed interest in my research and teaching. I believe this is the place where I could thrive as a teacher and scholar. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues who share similar research interests and sharing my research insights and passion about writing with my students. Outside of work, I’m also excited about experiencing all kinds of outdoor sports and activities, especially skiing in winter!”