Education
Graduate Student, Currently
M.A., English, California State University, Northridge
Ph.D, Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, March 2010
M.A., Geography, University of Washington, Seattle, June 2002
Teaching, Advising, and Administration
Writing Consultant, CSUN Writing Center 01/16-present
- Provided graduate students individual writing consultation on research papers, assignments, and thesis projects
- Conducted administrative research, public relations, and assessment for CSUN Health and Human Development grant associated with position
- Provided guidance and criticism on college writing assignments across disciplines
Public Relations Manager, Career Opportunities and Professional Development, CSUN English Department Spring 2016
Enrollment Manager, Career Opportunities and Professional Development, CSUN English Department Spring 2016
Content Coordinator, Career Opportunities and Professional Development, CSUN English Department Fall 2015
Supplemental Instruction Leader, CSUN Learning Resource Center 8/14-present
- Taught freshmen stretch composition courses with a developmental learning focus
- Promoted interest in literacy through peer discussions and designing engaging activities
- Provided instruction on appropriate writing and communications for the academic and professional setting
Writing Tutor, CSUN Learning Resource Center 8/14-11/14; 6/15-8/15
- Assisted students with pre-writing, organization, and revision strategies
- Helped students review and draft essays in line with instructor’s requisites
- Cultivated writing practices that foster originality and personal engagement in writing
Tutor 3/11-9/13
- Improved student writing and composition skills
- Provided individualized instruction in reading comprehension
- Proofread and edited essays with students
Teaching Fellow, UCLA Department of Geography 1/07-3/07, 1/09-3/09, 6/10-12/10
- Designed curriculum, created exams and lesson plans, and served as instructor for geography courses ranging from human-environment relations, cultural ecology, development and economic geography, and global studies
- Assisted students in the development of writing and critical thinking skills through tutorials
- Offered mentoring and counseling to college, high school and international students
- Provided evaluation, consultation, and editing services to students through feedback on assigned papers
Teaching Assistant Coordinator, UCLA Department of Geography 9/06-6/07
- Planned, instructed, and provided assessment for the Geography Department’s teacher training course to prepare teaching assistants for university level teaching
- Administered university policy and procedures on instruction, non-discrimination, grading, and conflict resolution
Research
Ph.D Student, UCLA Department of Geography 9/01-12/09
- Conducted research for dissertation project including fieldwork, qualitative methodology, archival study, collation, and literature review.
Research Assistant, UCLA Department of Geography 4/98-6/00
- Developed research skills using academic databases, university libraries, and the internet
- Performed office functions like copying, filing, answering phones, and data management
- Acquired familiarity with academic environment including the ability to communicate with persons of diverse intellectual and cultural backgrounds
Publications
Said, Manija. Reinforcing the “Sovereign” State ¾ a Requisite for Empire? : Interrogating the Geopolitics of US/NATO Intervention in Afghanistan. Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles, 2010.
Said, Manija. Cultivating the Forbidden Flower: War, Vulnerability, and the Geopolitics of Opium in Afghanistan. Seattle: University of Washington, 2002.
Organizational Affiliations
Secretary: Associated Graduate Students of English; California State University Northridge
Treasurer: 18th-Century Scriveners: Literary & Material Culture Group; California State University Northridge, English Department
Areas of Academic Interest:
Rhetorical and Composition Theory
Literature
Literary Ecology and Eco-criticism
Critical Geopolitics