Writing and Rhetoric Major Alexandra Stepanov continues her research, “The Rhetoric of Inmates: Identification Within Prison Settings,” for the Honors in the Major (HIM) program. Stepanov is working with her thesis chair Dr. Stephanie Wheeler, along with committee members Dr. Marcy Galbreath and Dr. Anthony Grajeda, to examine how inmates use rhetorical strategies to inform and change the conversation of their identities. Specifically, Stepanov is exploring the writing in the prison newspaper San Quentin News, a publication staffed by incarcerated men. Alexandra Stepanov’s projected thesis defense date is in April 2017.
The Department of Writing and Rhetoric is excited that Alexandra Stepanov is the second HIM student in DWR conducting significant research. The works of Alexandra Stepanov and Ali Valerio (our first Honors in the Major student) are great examples of how undergraduate students can pursue their own research interests in meaningful ways through an HIM project. More information about Valerio and her work can be found here.
Alexandra Stepanov is a Mentor Writing Consultant in the University Writing Center and is planning to complete her Writing and Rhetoric BA in the spring.