Jacob Jardel (he/him) is a CHamoru from Guåhan (Guam) living in Kansas City with roots in California and Oklahoma. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in English and Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, where he is also a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Editor of The Sosland Journal, an undergraduate research journal featuring work from students in UMKC’s first-year and writing-intensive courses. He is also a member of the Southern Regional Education Board’s Doctoral Scholars Program. When he’s not busy in class or talking in the third person, Jacob collects Magic: The Gathering cards, nerds out over pro wrestling and video games, and watches baseball or YouTube with his cat and his partner.
Research
My background in psychology and work in composition/rhetoric focus on identity performance and identity portrayal, especially when identity interacts with popular culture. I still pursue this line of research when I can, but my current work focuses on creating decolonized curricula for first-year composition (FYC) courses, focusing on authentic identity in texts across various media. I have also done research regarding polyamory, bisexuality, pornography, and sex education.
Writing
My creative work has appeared in Cameron University’s Gold Mine, The 580 Mixtapes Vol. 1, and No. One Magazine. I have also contributed a feature piece to Cameron Magazine, a guest column in The Gayly, and a poem as part of Fanachu’s Voices of the Diaspora zine. Much of my work examines concepts of identity, belonging, and relationship dynamics, with a present focus on the duality of home between my native Guåhan and the places and people I’ve grown up with on the mainland.
Jacob Jardel 