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Contact Information
Email: tespina@eou.eduPhone: 541-962-3337Office: Ackerman 204C
About Dr. Espina
Born and raised on the island of Guåhan, I am passionate about where I come from. I spent much of my life performing as Guåhan’s youngest recording artist with my family of musicians. I love immersing myself in the energy of creative endeavors–in music, scholarship, and even lesson planning. As a Government of Guam Merit Scholar, I received both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Guam. I then taught adult English education at Guam Community College and composition, literature, and Women and Gender Studies courses at the University of Guam. Eventually I left the warm Pacific waters for the Pacific Northwest to pursue a Ph.D. in English Rhetoric and Composition from Washington State University as a RADS Scholar. While at WSU, I taught composition, facilitated professional development for composition faculty, worked as outreach coordinator for the Critical Literacies Achievement and Success Program, and supervised undergraduate and graduate tutors in Multicultural Student Services programs. I am invigorated by work in the humanities that engages with communities and have served as a National Endowment for the Humanities Publicly Engaged Fellow and Humanities Washington Graduate Fellow.
My research interests include Cultural Rhetorics, Asian Pacific American experiences, Island Feminisms, Decolonial Theory and Pedagogies, Public Humanities, and how these relate to learning, research, teaching, service, and advocacy. I enjoy the opportunity to learn and collaborate with others and have presented my work throughout the continental US and in eight countries. I find thrill in exploring new places and learning about different cultures, having traveled to over thirty countries.
Professional Credentials
What Writing is to Me
I have always believed in the power of words—to imagine, to discover, to connect, to heal, and to enact positive, productive change. I am passionate about helping people use language to articulate their ways of knowing and being in ways that are meaningful to them, and to do so in ways that communicate their value.