Jo (they/them) is an assistant professor of Rhetoric and Writing, core faculty for the Center for Asian American Studies, and a faculty affiliate of the LGBTQ Studies Program. They hold a PhD in Rhetoric and Composition and an MFA in Creative Writing. Broadly speaking, Jo’s research examines how stories shape our shared worlds— both how narratives are used to constrain institutional access and social imagination, and also how those structurally marginalized wield stories to critique and revise the conditions of their lives. Most of their work uses narrative to bridge gender studies, disability studies, and critical race studies, examining how expectations around racialized, gendered bodily norms affect the life chances and opportunities of those excluded by normative social scripts. The questions driving their work are: What can the field(s) of rhetoric do to foster connection and care across difference? And, what stories must we tell to dismantle and remake worlds conducive to one another’s thriving?
Jo’s work can be found in major disciplinary journals such as the Quarterly Journal of Speech, Women’s Studies in Communication, and College Composition and Communication. Their creative writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and can be found in Kartika Review and Color Bloq. They’re currently finishing up a book project, tentatively titled Homing: Constellating Trans and Queer Asian American Rhetorics. Most of their publications can be found on their academia.edu page or via their personal webpage.