Jennifer Leigh Moffitt, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
My primary objective as a professor of literature and composition is to demonstrate how art and language shape our understanding of people and history. To that end, I employ a constructivist approach that encourages students to consider the complex ways the texts we encounter everyday affect how we perceive the world, each other, and ourselves. Ultimately, I strive to empower students by helping them to hone their skills as thoughtful consumers and producers of texts.
Biography
Dr. Moffitt received her B.A. in English from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC; her M.A. in Literature from Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA; and her Ph.D. in Literature from Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. Before joining the faculty at Florida Southern College in 2017, she taught for seven years at Florida State University, first as a graduate student and then as a Visiting Lecturer. Her research and teaching interests include U.S. literature, chiefly post-1865 U.S. literature; African American literature; Asian American literature; women’s literature; literary theory; and visual culture studies, including word and image theory and illustrated texts.
Education
- Ph.D., Literature, Florida State University
- M.A., Literature, Humboldt State University
- B.A., English, Appalachian State University
Awards
- Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Teacher of the Year, Florida Southern College, 2020
- J. Russell Reaver Award for Outstanding Dissertation in American Literature or Folklore, Florida State University, 2015
- Bryan Hall Award for Excellence in Teaching First-Year Composition, Florida State University, 2007