Dr. Kenneth Oravetz, University College
Name:
Dr. Kenneth Oravetz
Title:
Lecturer of Critical Text Analysis
Department:
Academic Communities, University College
Describe your research in about 200 words.
My research interests are twofold. I am interested in both literary approaches to experimental graphic novels and in innovative reading and writing pedagogy. My literary research turns to formal experimentations in contemporary independent comics to develop new frameworks for comics analysis and media studies. I also seek to provide a cultural account of the contemporary independent comics scene, and the cultural resonance of independent comics. Part of my research practice in this area includes bookmaking and zinemaking through means like letterpress and risograph printing. My pedagogical work is invested in new ways to ensure equitable student success and motivation. Through means like role-play, multimodal creativity, and open-ended student projects, I explore means of keeping students engaged while foregrounding the value of their individual perspectives. I am deeply interested in ongoing conversations regarding creating more effective, equitable, and applicable reading and writing classrooms, and I place such conversations as central to my role coordinating Critical Text Analysis at UNM.
What’s the most interesting thing you have learned from a student?
It is important to draw a link between the classroom material and how we experience life around us.