Rachael W. Shah

Associate Professor

Rshah@unl.edu
337B Andrews Hall
rachaelwshah.com

Personal Teaching Statement

My pedagogy is fueled by a vision of education as a public good and grounded in experiential learning. I invite students to take a stance of inquiry as they seek out missing voices and work toward collaborative problem-solving in complex and conflicted spaces. Community partnerships with schools, non-profits, and state legislators provide a context to explore the ethical complexities of local engagement and teach rhetoric as creative action—nearly all of my courses challenge students to write for or with audiences beyond the classroom.

Book

Rewriting Partnerships: Community Perspectives on Community-Based Learning. Utah State University Press, 2020.

Winner of the 2021 International Association of Research in Service Learning and Community Engagement Publication of the Year Award. Winner of the 2021 Conference on Community Writing Outstanding Book Award.

Selected Publications

“What is It That’s Going on Here?: Community Partner Frames for Engagement.” Community Literacy Journal, vol 14, no 2, 2020, pp. 72-92.

“The Courage of Community Members: Community Perspectives of Engaged Pedagogies.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 70, no 1, 2018, pp. 82-110.

“Fostering eABCD: Asset-Based Community Development in Digital Service-Learning.” Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement vol. 22, no. 2, 2018, pp 189-221. (Co-author with UNL English Education research team).

“Positionality and Possibility: Tactics and Strategies for Graduate Student Community Engagement.” Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, vol. 24, no. 1, 2017, pp. 93-103 (Co-author with UNL graduate students Katie McWain, Marcus Meade, & Adam Hubrig).

“Reciprocity with Power Dynamics: Community Members Grading Students.” Reflections: A Journal of Public Writing, Civic Rhetoric, and Service-Learning. vol 17, no. 2, 2017, pp. 5-42 (Co-author with Jess Shumake).

“Silent Partners: Developing a Critical Understanding of Community Partners in Technical Communication Service-Learning Pedagogies.” Technical Communication Quarterly. vol 25, no 1, 2016, pp. 48-66. (co-author with Amy C. Kimme Hea).