José Juan Gómez-Becerra is a PhD student in Spanish letters and cultures at ASU and an ardent advocate for Spanish as a heritage language in the United States. His dissertation research focuses on spatial in/justices in Chicana/o drama. His particular interests are topics of space and place, contact zones, intersectionality, and cultural negotiation through spatial practices within Spanish letters and cultures. José holds a BA in Chicana/o studies (minor in Spanish) and an MA in Spanish language and literature from California State University, Northridge. In addition to an outstanding academic and research record, José brings to the Connected Academics team a critical perspective and well-rounded professionalism.
José will work as part of a team that includes partners in graduate education, the Department of English, the School of International Letters and Cultures, and outside institutions that are part of the program’s network, at times taking leadership over a range of activities related to the MLA’s Mellon-funded Connected Academics grant. He will assist with a digital portfolio program; help fellow graduate students find meaningful and appropriate internships across a range of academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and businesses outside the academy; and develop hands-on professional workshops. Most important, José will foster conversation among his peers about the significance of the humanities in career preparation, the meaning of being a humanist in the twenty-first century, and the current job market.
Please join us in warmly welcoming José!
