Roger Adkins

Executive Director, Center for Global Education

Pronouns: They/them/their

Bio. Roger Adkins is a scholar-administrator with a complex profile that includes extensive administrative work and expertise in global learning, ongoing interdisciplinary research and scholarship, and teaching in both domestic and international settings. They are a passionate educator who strives to make global learning accessible for every student, both in on-campus and off-campus settings.

Global Engagement. They studied abroad in Iceland and have led short, faculty-led programs in the UK (England, Wales, and Scotland). They have also visited or worked in: Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and Tunisia.

Areas of Expertise. They are also a dedicated educator who believes in helping today’s students prepare for a world of rapidly evolving circumstances and inevitable shifts in professional life. They have experience administering off-campus study programs; advising and mentoring international students and scholars; working in faculty development for global learning; advocating for and working in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion; fellowships advising and administration; and developing new programs, curricula, and approaches in global learning. Roger also has briefer experience in career education, internships programming, community engagement, and community and employer partnerships.

Portfolio.

Teaching. They have taught courses in: career education; comparative literature; creative writing; cultural studies; fellowships success; folklore; gender studies; literatures in English; queer studies; Scandinavian studies; and writing.

Courses Taught at Earlham

  • ENG/SOAN 212 Introduction to Folklore (*coming fall 2023)
  • ENG 382 Topics in Genre and Narrative: Alternative Realities
  • EPIC 271 Fellowship Foundations
  • EPIC 481 Internship

Ongoing Research Projects

  • Decolonizing and queering approaches in global learning
  • Queer/quare potential of ‘the monstrous Other’ | scifi, folklore, fantasy, future studies, and social justice
  • Critically engaged pedagogies: culturally sustaining pedagogies, universal design, antiracism theory and practice
  • Best practices in faculty-led and short-term, off-campus programs (study, internships, fieldwork, etc.)

Education

  • B.A. English and Creative Writing, Hiram College (Ohio), 1995
  • M.A. Gender Studies, and graduate teaching certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Oregon, 1999
  • A1-level certificate in Icelandic Language and Culture, Háskola Islands (University of Iceland), 2003
  • M.A. (2008) and Ph.D. (2010) Comparative Literature, University of Oregon

Identities. Roger identifies as queer, lives with a disability (not visible), and comes from a working-class background. They were also a first-generation college student. They are passionate about inclusiveness and are very happy to serve as a mentor or advocate for students from diverse backgrounds. They are gender nonbinary and use they/them/their pronouns.

All Posts

Can 1 question turn around a negative conversation?

My daughter recently traveled to North Carolina to try her hand at selling pest control. She had an interesting experience talking with people and experiencing rejection firsthand.

One day recently, my daughter knocked on a door and a man answered. …

By John R. Stoker
John R. Stoker
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Tips for Managing Gender Transition in the Workplace

Illustration by Marian Blair

No matter what aspect of your life you consider, the journey of gender transition can be nerve wracking, and one arena where you may feel even more trepidation about how to proceed is in the workplace. …

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4 Deeply Impressive Questions Stellar Interviewees Always Ask

When interviewing for a job it is important to remember it is just as much about you interviewing the company as it is you being interviewed. Finding a job that will satisfy and motivate you requires thoughtfulness, intention, and authenticity.

By Ivy Exec
Ivy Exec is your dedicated career development resource.
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How to make an online portfolio in time for a last-minute interview

Earning a last-minute interview is exciting, as it can mean that the hiring manager is eager to meet with you or wants to hire you for the position right away. Making it to the last-minute interview can also impress the …

By College Recruiter
College Recruiter believes that every student and recent grad deserves a great career.
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Global Topic: Hitchhiking Imperialism

By the 19th century, as the UK (and the “Pax Britannica”) helped introduce a more modern global economy, a country did not have to be a colonial power itself in order to benefit from the profits of global imperialism. Scandinavia …

By Roger Adkins
Roger Adkins Executive Director, Center for Global Education
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How the model minority myth holds Asian Americans back at work—and what companies should do

Original article by Jennifer Liu

In some ways, Quincy Surasmith says he didn’t feel like an outsider growing up. Surasmith, who is Thai American and Chinese American, was raised in a part of L.A. that had a large Asian American …

By Roger Adkins
Roger Adkins Executive Director, Center for Global Education
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2 Earlham College seniors to travel the world as Watson Fellows

For the second year in a row, two seniors from Earlham have been selected for the prestigious Watson Fellowship, continuing the College’s proud tradition of producing curious and confident global scholars.

Esther Mano, an African and African American studies and …

By Roger Adkins
Roger Adkins Executive Director, Center for Global Education
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Why foreign-language skills matter for the next-generation workforce

By: Kanoe Namahoe (SmartBrief)

Demand is growing for multilingual work talent. Organizations are increasingly seeking employees who can speak more than one language, according to a 2017 report from New American Economy. This is particularly true for companies and industries …

By Roger Adkins
Roger Adkins Executive Director, Center for Global Education
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U.S. News Publishes Job Rankings for 2021

Each year, U.S. News publishes top-100 job rankings, including an overall ranking that considers factors such as number of openings anticipated, median salary, and level of education required, and then targeted listings for professional areas, median salary levels, and other …

By Roger Adkins
Roger Adkins Executive Director, Center for Global Education
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Employer Recruitment Research

We need your input! Please fill out this survey and help the Employer Relations Team gather this important data to embark on an employer relations recruitment plan to bring more employers to campus, both virtually and in person. Your responses …

By Roger Adkins
Roger Adkins Executive Director, Center for Global Education
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