Tara Hembrough

Dr. Tara Hembrough is an Associate Professor of English and the Associate Editor of the journal Writing & Pedagogy. Dr. Hembrough teaches composition and rhetoric courses. Her research involves pedagogical theories in composition and rhetoric involving diversity and inclusion, and social justice advocacy and education, including concepts concerning the persistence and retention of first-year, nontraditional and ethnic/racial minority students, as well as student veterans; community learning; environmental sustainability; and digital multimodal composition. Dr. Hembrough has recently published articles in Writing and Pedagogy, the Journal of Multimodal Rhetorics, the Oklahoma English Journal, Sage Open, the International Journal of Instruction, the Journal of Negro Education, the Journal of African American Studies, the Journal of Veteran Studies, the D. H. Lawrence Review and the Moravian Journal of Literature and Film. Additionally, Dr. Hembrough has a digital interview archive collection, By Land, by Air, and by Sea: Red River Narratives from Veterans and Their Family Members, housed by Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Henry G. Bennett Library. Previous to Dr. Hembrough's position at the University of the Incarnate Word, she taught undergraduate and graduate classes at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where she was an Associate Professor and served as the Area Head of Professional and Business Writing. Dr. Hembrough also acted as the Writing Program Administrator and taught undergraduate and graduate classes at Southern Illinois University.

• Ph.D. English, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
• M.F.A. Creative Writing, Texas State University, San Marcos
• M.A. English, Western Illinois University, Macomb
• B.A. Journalism and Spanish, Evangel University, Springfield, Missouri

Previous to this position, Dr. Hembrough taught undergraduate and graduate classes at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where she was an Associate Professor and served as the Area Head of Professional and Business Writing. Dr. Hembrough also acted as the Writing Program Administrator and taught undergraduate and graduate classes at Southern Illinois University.

Referred Composition, Rhetoric, and Writing Publications

“Engaging College Students Taking Analytical Writing as Teachers and Writers in Community-learning Relationships Involving Project Upward Bound.” Journal of Negro Education, [forthcoming winter 2023].

Hembrough, Tara, and Miri Jaffee. “Recognizing and Examining the Value of Professional Writing.” Writing and Pedagogy, [forthcoming 2023].

Hembrough, Tara, and Misty Cavanagh. “COVID-19, Stress Factors of Native American and Caucasian College Students, and Implementing Classroom Dialogues.” International Journal of Instruction, vol. 15, no. 4, 2022, pp. 515-534, doi: 10.29333/iji.2022.15428a.

“Utilizing Digital Storytelling in Composing Apocalyptic/Post-apocalyptic Fiction: A Case Study of Rural and Native American College Students.” Journal of Multimodal Rhetorics, vol. 5, issue 2, 2021, pp. 1-28, http://journalofmultimodalrhetorics.com/files/documents/dbbf042a-44a8-4f09-8074-da64dae44612.pdf.

“Building Writing-oriented, Teaching and Professional Career Skills through Creative Writing Workshops and Community Learning: A Case Study at the Boys and Girls Club.” Oklahoma English Journal (National Council of Teachers of English), vol. 33, no. 1, 2020, http://www.okcte.org/uploads/6/8/7/1/68714777/oej_fall_2020.pdf.

“Pairing Composition and Reading Courses for Provisionally Admitted First-Year Students: A Case Study.” International Journal of Instruction, vol. 13, no. 4, 2020, pp. 177-196, doi: 10.29333/iji.2020.13412a.

Hembrough, Tara, and Jerrica Jordan. “Creating the Digital Classroom: A Three-year Case Study about a Tablet Initiative in First-year Composition.” International Journal of Instruction, vol. 13, no. 2, 2020, pp. 1-20,  www.e-iji.net/dosyalar/iji_2020_2_39.pdf.

“A Study of Rural and Native-American College Students’ Military Identities, Military Family History, and Reading Interests.” Journal of Veteran Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, 2020, pp. 46-63, doi: 10.21061/jvs.v6i1.142.

“Becoming Involved in a University Curricular Initiative Concerning Sustainability: A Case Study of an Ecocomposition Course Model in First-semester Composition.” Writing & Pedagogy, vol. 11, iss. 2, 2019, pp. 223-252, doi: 10.1558/wap.34315.

“Creative Writing Workshops, Community Learning, and Civic Action: A Case Study Involving College Students at the Boys and Girls Club.” Oklahoma English Journal (National Council of Teachers of English), vol. 32, no. 1, 2019, pp. 5-13, www.okcte.org/uploads/6/8/7/1/68714777/oej_f19_dr2.pdf.

Hembrough, Tara, and Kameron Dunn. “Supporting Native American Student Veterans in the First-year Composition Classroom: Cohort Communities.” Journal of Veteran Studies, vol. 4, no. 2, 2019, pp. 203-228, doi: http://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v4i2.112.

“Revising Revising and Double Vision: A Focus on Revision and One Writing Program’s Strategies for Increasing Success in First-semester Composition.” Writing & Pedagogy, vol. 11, iss. 1, 2019, pp. 49-80, doi: 10.1558/wap.33671.

“Native American Students’ Utilization of Comic Strips in the Writing Classroom to Explore Their Identities through Digital Storytelling.” Journal of Multimodal Rhetorics, volume 3, no. 1, 2019, pp.115-160, http://journalofmultimodalrhetorics.com/files/documents/16e26397-0aff-43ae-b4a2-d37ee450137b.pdf.

“A Case Study: Focusing on Sustainability Themes and Ecocomposition through Student Blogs in a Professional and Technical Writing Course.” International Journal of Instruction, vol. 12, no. 1, 2019, pp. 895-914,
www.e-iji.net/dosyalar/iji_2019_1_58.pdf.

Hembrough, Tara, Amy Madewell, and Kameron Dunn. “Student Veterans’ Preference for Traditional Versus Online Course Formats: A Case Study at Two Midwestern Universities.” Journal of Veteran Studies, vol. 3, no. 2, 2018, pp. 57-93, doi: http://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v3i2.63.

“Offering a First-year Composition Classroom for Veterans and Cadets: A Learning-community Model Case Study.” Journal of Veteran Studies, vol. 2, no. 2, 2017, pp. 140-171, doi: http://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v2i2.21.

Referred Literature Publications

“Forging a Shared Heroic Identity? Jack Fergusson’s and Mabel Pervin’s Journey in D.H. Lawrence’s “The Horse-Dealer’s Daughter.” D.H. Lawrence Review, vol. 42, no. 1-2, 2017, pp. 51-70.

“Isolation and Inclusion: The Modulation of Limited and Plural Points of View in Jamaica Kincaid’s The Autobiography of My Mother.” Sage Open, vol. 7, no. 2, 2017, pp.1-12, doi: 10.1177/2158244017705168.

“From an Obscured Gaze to a Seeing Eye? Iris as a Victim, Villain, and Avenger in Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin.” Sage Open, vol. 7, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-12, doi: 10.1177/2158244016688933.

“Writing as an Act of Self-Embodiment: Zora Neale Hurston, Anne Moody, and Maya Angelou Combat Systemic Racial and Sexual Oppression.” Journal of African American Studies, vol. 20, no. 2, 2016, pp. 164-182, doi: 10.1007/s12111.

“Mary Lambert Adapts Kate Chopin’s The Awakening to Film: Edna Pontellier’s Representation as Venus in Grand Isle.” Moravian Journal of Literature and Film, vol. 6, no. 2, 2015, pp. 19-50,
https://moravianjournal.upol.cz/vol-6-no-2-fall-2015-2/.

Referred Conference Proceedings

Hembrough, Tara, and Misty Cavanagh. “Promoting and Shaping the Futures of Native College Students in a Time of Pandemic,” Fourteenth Native American Symposium Proceedings, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, 2021, pp. 28-49, https://www.se.edu/native-american/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2022/10/2021-Proceedings-of-Native-American-Symposium-.pdf.

Hembrough, Tara, and Amy Madewell. “Creating Change: Supporting Native-American Student Veterans in the First-Year Composition Classroom,” Thirteenth Native American Symposium Proceedings, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, 2019, pp. 1-10,
https://www.se.edu/native-american/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2020/06/6-creating-change.pdf.

“Addressing Shared Stereotypes of Native Americans and Veterans in a Composition Course’s Reading Sequence.” Twelfth Native American Symposium Proceedings, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, 2017, pp. 1-5, https://www.se.edu/native-american/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2019/09/A-NAS-2017-Proceedings-Hembrough.pdf.

Digital Interview Archive Collection and Oral History Website

By Land, by Air, and by Sea: Red River Narratives from Veterans and Their Family Members. Featuring 41 interviews housed by Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Henry G. Bennett Library at https://www.se.edu/library/veteran-oral-history-project/.

Pedagogical Publications

“A Review of David Feldman’s Water.” Imagining Geographies: Water. Carbondale: College of Mass Communications and Media Arts at Southern Illinois University, 2014.

The Mercury Reader, Natural Disaster: Southern Illinois University. A Composition I reader featuring solicited SIU faculty’s and administrators’ essays and interviews. Includes my “Interview with Bill Rectenwald, SIU Journalism Professor.” Pearson, 2014.

A Reader for Southern Illinois University. 2nd ed. A Composition II reader on race and class featuring solicited SIU faculty’s and administrators’ essays and interviews. Bedford, 2014.

“SIU Provides a Common Reader and Shared Curriculum Experience for First-Year Students Engaging the University Themes of Sustainability and Water.” Imagining Geographies: Water. Carbondale: College of Mass Communications and Media Arts at Southern Illinois University, 2013.

The Mercury Reader, Water: Southern Illinois University. A Composition I reader featuring solicited SIU faculty’s and administrators’ essays and interviews. Includes my “Interview with Dr. John Nicklow, SIU Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs: Environmental and Water Resources System Optimization.” Pearson, 2013.

A Reader for Southern Illinois University. A Composition II reader on university and career featuring solicited SIU faculty’s and administrators’ essays and interviews. Includes my “Debate concerning Credentialing Versus Educating: An Interview with Dr. James Allen: Associate Provost for Academic Affairs.” Bedford, 2013.

The Mercury Reader, Sustainability: Southern Illinois University. A Composition I reader featuring solicited SIU faculty’s and administrators’ essays and interviews. Includes my “Interview with Leslie Duram, SIU Geography Chair.” Pearson, 2012.

Presentations

“Reflecting on the COVID-19 Pandemic; Examining the Stress Factors of Rural, Low SES, Native American, African-American, Hispanic, and Caucasian Students; and Raising Classroom Dialogues,” speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Chicago, Illinois, Feb. 2023.

“A Website about Identity, Place, and COVID-19 Factors: A Case Study of Students Discussing COVID-19, Exploring Their Connected Experiences, and Writing about an Important Location,” speaker, at the International Society for Educational Biography Conference, San Antonio, Texas, Sept. 2022.

“Considering Positionality in Veteran Research,” speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Online, Mar. 2022. Standing Group Sponsored Panel.

“An Ecocomposition Blog and COVID-19 Factors: A Case Study of Students Discussing COVID-19, Identifying Their Personal Stressors, and Writing about an Important Place to Them,” speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Online, Mar. 2022. Standing Group Sponsored Panel.

“Promoting and Shaping the Futures of Native College Students in a Time of Pandemic,” panel organizer and speaker, at the Fourteenth Native American Symposium, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, Oklahoma, Oct. 2021.

“Writing Teachers Explore the Commonplace as Civic Duty: The Implication and Impact of Military Service on the Compositional Practices of Students and Others,” panel session organizer and speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Spokane, Washington, Mar. 2021. Standing Group Sponsored Panel.

“The Commonplace as Civic Duty: The Implication and Impact of Military Service on Compositional Practices,” panel session organizer and speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mar. 2020. Standing Group Sponsored Panel.

“Utilizing Digital Storytelling in Composing Apocalyptic and Post-apocalyptic Fiction for Digital Storybooks: A Case Study of Rural and Native American College Students,” panel speaker, at the Thirteen Native American Symposium, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, Nov. 2019.

“A Study of Rural and Native-American Students’ Military Identities, and Reading and Writing Interests in a Military-friendly, Military-themed Composition Course,” panel session organizer and speaker, at the Thirteen Native American Symposium, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, Nov. 2019.

“Performing as Military: How Military Identity Gets Taken Up in the Rhetoric and Composition of Veterans, Cadets, and Air Force Brats,” panel session organizer and speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mar. 2019.

“Addressing Depictions of Native Americans and Veterans in Sherman Alexie’s Story, ‘What You Pawn I Will Redeem,’ within a Composition I Course’s Reading Sequence,” panel speaker, at the Southcentral Modern Language Association Conference, San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 2018.

“Mobility and Englishes Across Transnational Contexts,” chair, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Kansas City, Missouri, Mar. 2018.

“Putting Policy into Practice: Teaching Writing across the Military-Civilian Divide,” roundtable speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Kansas City, Missouri, Mar. 2018.

“Creating a Learning Community to Enhance Retention and Engagement among Veteran Populations,” panel speaker, at the Southwestern Psychological Association, San Antonio, Texas, Apr. 2017.

“Creating Change: Supporting Native-American Student Veterans in the First-year Composition Classroom,” panel speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Portland, Oregon, Mar. 2017.

“The Dual Benefits of Volunteering with Children: How Volunteerism Promotes Undergraduate English Majors to Engage with and Educate Their Local Communities,” poster presentation with undergraduate student, Rebecca Gordon, at Oklahoma Research Day, Enid, Oklahoma, Mar. 2017.

“Native-American Student Veterans as an Underserved Population,” invited speaker at the Conference for Serving Military Connected Students in Higher Education, sponsored by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Feb. 2017.

“Addressing Shared Stereotypes of Native Americans and Veterans in a Composition Course’s Reading Sequence,” panel speaker, at the Twelve Native American Symposium, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, Nov. 2017.

“Native-American Veteran Literacy Narratives in the First-year Composition Classroom,” invited speaker, Veteran Special Interest Group Workshop, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Houston, Texas, Apr. 2016.

“Writing Strategies for Action: A Case Study about an Interdisciplinary Curriculum of Sustainability and Ecocomposition in First-semester Composition and Other First-year Courses,” panel session organizer and speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Houston, Texas, Apr. 2016.

“Engaging Veteran Students at the Comprehensive and Regional University,” invited speaker at the Conference for Serving Military Connected Students in Higher Education, sponsored by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Mar. 2016.

“Accommodating Veterans in the First-Year Composition Classroom,” panel speaker, at the Council of Writing Program Administrators Conference, Boise, Idaho, July 2015.

“Risk and Reward: Offering Sections of First-year Composition and Web-based Curriculum for Veterans,” panel speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Tampa, Florida, Mar. 2015.

“Access to a Brighter Future for At-risk Students: Writing Studies Program Strategies for Increasing Student Success in First-year Composition,” panel session organizer and speaker, at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Indianapolis, Indiana, Mar. 2014.

“Creating a Curriculum to Promote Ongoing Revision of Portfolio Materials for Students Retaking First-semester Composition: The Broader Implications of a Case Study,” panel session organizer and speaker, at the Council of Writing Program Administrators Conference, Savannah, Georgia, July 2013.

“Student Preparation Versus Teacher Expectation: Asking First-year Students and Teachers to Write and Share a Common Assignment—The Literacy Narrative,” panel speaker, at the Allerton Conference on Communication, Control, and Computing, sponsored by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in Monticello, Illinois, Apr. 2013.

"Approaches to Teaching and Conducting Research: The Possibilities for Student Research," panel chair at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Las Vegas, Nevada, Mar. 2013.

“Enhancing Critical Reading Strategies through Paired Reading and Writing Courses for First-year Students Identified as At-risk: Southern Illinois University’s Interdepartmental Initiative," presenter, at the Research Network Forum at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Las Vegas, Nevada, Mar. 2013.

“An Interdisciplinary Effort in English Composition, Speech Communications, and University College to Teach First-year Students the Practices of Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading, and Writing via the Implementation of a Common Reader and Adoption of the University Theme, Sustainability,” panel speaker, at the Council of Writing Program Administrators Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 2012.

“Providing Course-Specific Tutors for At-risk Students in First-Year Composition: The Results of a Pilot Program,” presenter, at the Research Network Forum at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, St. Louis, Missouri, Mar. 2012.

“Assigning the Persuasive Letter in First-year Composition and Investigating the Role of Audience: A Student Receives a Response from Her Senator,” panel speaker, at the Oklahoma City Community College 2007 Writing Symposium, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Apr. 2007.

• College Composition and Communication
• Association of Writers and Writing Programs
• National Council of Teachers of English
• Council for Writing Program Administrators
• Modern Language Association

Dr. Hembrough spends most of her time with her husband and children, and she enjoys rock climbing, horseback riding and hiking.

University of the Incarnate Word

• Interfaith Grant, Interfaith Care of Creation Series: Jewish Wisdom on Genesis Presentation, 2022.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

• Presidential Partners Grant for Military-veteran, Campus-tour Guide for Recruitment Initiative, Project Co-chair, 2019-2020.
• University Research Award, 2017-2018, 2019-2020.
• Presidential Partners Grant for High-school Senior Poetry Contest, Campus Reading, and Scholarships for
• Recruitment Initiative, Project Chair, 2015-2016.
• Sustainability Course Development Grant for Advanced Professional and Technical Writing, 2014-2015.

Southern Illinois University

• Service Learning Faculty Fellowship, Center for Service Learning and Volunteerism, 2013-2014.
• Distance Education New Online Program and Course Development Grants for Composition I, Composition I and II Veterans Sections, Intermediate Technical Writing, 2013-2014.
• U.S. Department of Education Grant for Project Upward Bound and College Writing Tutors, 2013.

University Service

Department Committees:

• Composition Committee
• Composition I and II Coursework Taskforce Committee
• Sustainability Advisory Board
• Women's and Gender Studies Advisory Board

University Committees:

• College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Council Secretary

Community Service

• Spanish interpreter for short-term, medical, humanitarian trips to Central America

• Pedagogical theories in composition and rhetoric involving diversity and inclusion, and social justice advocacy and education, including concepts concerning the persistence and retention of first-year, nontraditional and ethnic/racial minority students, as well as student veterans.
• Community learning
• Environmental sustainability
• Digital multimodal composition

• Composition I and II
• Visual Rhetoric
• Writing with the Web