Nirmal Trivedi
Nirmal Trivedi, PhD (English)
Associate Professor Interdisciplinary Studies
p: 470-578-2499
e: ntrived2@kennesaw.edu
Teaching
I believe in the merits of challenging students to exceed self-imposed limitations, engaging students with opportunities beyond the classroom, and creating an accepting space for students to fail and learn while solving problems. I am relentlessly seeking to innovate, reflect, and improve, modeling the kind of reflective and scholarly practice I want to see from my students.
My passion for teaching stems from what I know is the capacity for higher edication to initiate lifelong transformative change in each learner. Since students often enter college with mixed experiences in secondary education, college faculty have a unique opportunity to engage students in the value of self-reflection and personal development as lifelong learners.
Research
As a researcher, I have a unique profile that integrates his work in the disciplines of English and American Studies with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL). As an American Studies scholar, I focus on race and American imperialism, World Literature, and narratives of trauma in wartime. My published works have appeared in the Journal of Transnational American Studies, borderlands, and Journal of Asian-American Studies.
As a SOTL scholar, I write about improving retention and graduation rates through high-impact practices, which require applied, hands-on learning experiences and have positive “compensatory” effects for students from historically underserved populations. I regularly present at First-Year Experience conferences and contribute to eSource for College Transitions and Improve with Metacognition.
Administration and Leadership
My leadership philosophy, which is to strive for commonality, lead with positivity, drive forward with a vision to reimagine with courage, and face challenges with an eye on new opportunities. I believe in taking a long view of institutional change, encouraging patience and flexibility in the midst of what is a very fluid industry of higher education. Finally, I identify myself as a persistent advocate for part-time and contingent faculty, having myself been contingent for many years and experiencing the burdensome financial and social pressures that it entails.
