Steven Alvarez

Steven Alvarez is an Assistant Professor of English at St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St. John's University, where he coordinates the first-year writing program. He holds a PhD and MPhil from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (2012, 2009) and a BA from the University of Arizona (2003). His research focuses on literacy studies, bilingual education, and the experiences of Mexican immigrant communities. He teaches courses in autobiographical writing, ethnographic methods, and 'taco literacy,' exploring Mexican immigrant foodways. His work emphasizes translanguaging practices and community-based literacy initiatives.

Alvarez is the author of two academic books: Brokering Tareas: Mexican Immigrant Families Translanguaging Homework Literacies (2017) and Community Literacies en Confianza (2017), as well as three poetry collections, including the award-winning The Codex Mojaodicus (2016). His research has been published in journals like Community Literacy Journal, Equity & Excellence in Education, and Language Arts.

Alvarez’s work bridges creative writing and academic scholarship, often centering marginalized voices. He collaborates with bilingual communities in Kentucky and New York, advocating for culturally responsive pedagogies. His recent work examines translingual literacies, emergent bilingual learners, and the role of libraries in immigrant integration.

Honors include the 2016 Fence Modern Poets Prize. He actively engages in public scholarship, such as his 'taco literacy' courses, which use food as a lens for cultural analysis.