Stephanie Jean Alexander

Stephanie Jean Alexander is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Indiana State University's College of Arts & Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in English from Louisiana State University (2014) with emphasis in Women's and Gender Studies and has been teaching at ISU since 2014. She also serves as the Faculty Fellow for Instructional Tools and Program Coordinator for the Master Teacher program.

• Ph.D., English, Louisiana State University, 2014
• M.A., English, Indiana State University, 2008
• B.S., English, Indiana State University, 2006

Her research centers on contemporary Irish literature, particularly the works of Seamus Heaney and Paul Muldoon, and intersects with feminist, queer, and trauma theories. She explores themes of maternity, abjection, surveillance, and pastoral poetics in literary texts. Her scholarship also extends into composition, literacy pedagogy, and popular culture studies, where she investigates how media representations shape gender and identity.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on Irish literary modernism and postmodernism, with increasing attention to gendered narratives during the Troubles and feminist re-imaginings of motherhood. She frequently employs interdisciplinary lenses from psychoanalysis, cultural studies, and feminist theory.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Charlotte Zietlow Women Faculty Research Award (2023)
• Honors College Faculty of the Year (2023)
• Outstanding Supervisor Award (2018)
• Professing Excellence and Inspiring Instruction (2019)
• Nominated for Foundational Studies Excellence in Instruction Award (2025)
• Nominated for College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Professor Award (2025)
• Multiple nominations for Foundational Studies Teaching Award

Stephanie Alexander actively contributes to academic service and faculty development. She has chaired technology and curriculum committees, served on the Graduate Council and Foundational Studies Council, and led initiatives in instructional design and academic integrity. As Faculty Fellow for Instructional Tools and Master Teacher Coordinator, she mentors colleagues in pedagogical innovation. She has not received external grant funding as principal investigator, but has contributed to collaborative projects such as the sensory garden initiative. She regularly presents at national conferences including the American Conference for Irish Studies, Popular Culture Association, and National Women's Studies Association.

She is involved in developing academic programs and faculty support systems, particularly through her leadership in the Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence and the Learning Management System committees. Her work emphasizes inclusive, empathetic, and technology-enhanced teaching practices.