Dr. Jessica Smart Gullion, associate dean of research for the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas Woman’s University, and communication studies professor Laura Jacobi, have been elected to the TAA Council, the association’s governing board. This will be Jacobi’s second term. Council Members serve three-year terms. Terms start July 1, 2022.

Smartt Gullion has published four academic texts (one of which is in its second edition), a novel, and three anthologies. She currently has contracts to write two additional books. Her book Diffractive Ethnography (Routledge 2018) was recognized by the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry as one of the best books of the year. Fracking the Neighborhood (MIT Press 2015) was a finalist for a book award in medical sociology with the American Sociological Association. In addition to writing books, she has published peer-reviewed journal articles, opinion pieces and editorials, and blogs.

Her position statement: “As a council member, I will work to support TAAs mission of building writing communities and supporting writers. Writing can feel like a solitary endeavor, but we can become better, more productive writers when we network with each other. I am also passionate about fair publishing practices. I want to help ensure that authors are properly compensated for the work they do. Many of us have had the experience of an exploitative offer from a publisher, and I want to push back against that. Part of that involves teaching authors how to negotiate fair contracts, and another part involves working directly with publishers. As an organization, I believe we have the social capital to work with the industry in a way that benefits both authors and publishers.”

Jacobi has worked in a variety of roles in higher education, including roles as a communication studies professor and director of a peer-facilitated academic support program. She is also an avid scholar who researches and writes about supporting students and helping them to succeed.

Her position statement: 
“TAA has been a vital resource in my scholarly journey, and I wish to give back to the organization that contributed to my own success and to the success of so many others. I have served one 3-year term as a TAA council board member and am happy to continue to serve.”

Thank you to all members who participated in the election process. As a member-driven organization, TAA relies on members’ willingness to get involved in governance and other activities of the association.