Welcome, Dr. Karen Tellez-Trujillo!

Meet Our New Assistant Professor

In August 2020, Dr. Tellez-Trujillo joined our department as an Assistant Professor in Rhetoric & Composition. She earned her Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Professional Communication at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, and her specialties include Border Rhetorics and Rhetorical Resilience. Her dissertation was on the “Enactments of Feminist Resilience: Rescripting Post-Adversity Encounters through Pause and Reflection.” Before doctoral work, Dr. Tellez-Trujillo earned her M.A. in the same subject, also at New Mexico State, and wrote her master’s essay on the rhetoric of emotion expressed on a southwest border oldies radio show.

With her educational background and scholarly interests, Dr. Tellez-Trujillo brings uniqueness, authenticity, and a rich heritage to the EML department. When asked what inspired her to begin her academic journey, she affirmed that it began around the time she first read the short story collection Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories by Sandra Cisneros, a world renowned writer of Chicana Literature.

Future Contributions to the Department

Dr. Tellez-Trujillo is currently working on a publication titled “Resilience in Writing Studies at the US–Mexico Border,” which has an anticipated publication date of December 2022. This is one of numerous examples of her work in academia and her passion for writing. Another exciting endeavor is her interest in starting a book club at CPP. Her goal is to help international students by creating a welcoming environment for them to come and talk about books, all the while supporting them as they get more experience speaking English with others.

We are so excited to welcome Dr. Karen Tellez-Trujillo to the department! We look forward to her valued support of CPP students and faculty.