Marcia Nichols, Ph.D.

Education

B.A., English, Missouri State University

M.A., English, Missouri State University

Ph.D., English, University of South Carolina

Teaching at UMR
As a teacher, I strive to give students the tools to interrogate the images and words that surround them so they can become thinking agents. I hope to enrich students’ understanding of themselves and their worlds by locating literature and other media in larger historical and social frameworks. This can be highly disconcerting at times, but by practicing vulnerability in the classroom and by introducing a variety of voices and perspectives, I strive to make it a rewarding one. Moreover, I try to choose topics and texts that students can tie into their health sciences studies for an even richer experience.

Research
My research falls within two main areas: pedagogical inquiry into science communication and medical historical research. Using the tools of discursive analysis, I seek to examine both cross-disciplinary student learning and the concerns and crises swirling around scientific discourses more broadly. Additionally, I study the history of obstetrics and gynecology. In general, my research projects seek to better understand the ways in which identity, including gender and race, impacts the formation and dissemination of knowledge, and even what counts as knowledge.

What advice do you have for first year students?
Be curious about your world. In education, it is the journey that matters more than the final grade.

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