Meet our MA Graduate Instructors

Our graduate students come to us from four continents: Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Representing almost 15 countries (such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, China, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Sudan, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Germany and Italy), our students create a diverse community of emerging scholars, committed to learning, collegiality, cultural exchange, world citizenship, civility, and social outreach. 

We currently have 37 graduate students enrolled in our programs, 22 for the MA in English and 15 for the PhD in Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture. While the majority of our students are financially supported through departmental teaching assistantships, two carry research assistantships outside of the department and one is funded through a dissertation fellowship. Five of our PhD students are self-funded and hold teaching, academic, or administrative appointments outside of the department or the university.

 

Nasih Alam

MA Student

Office: Minard 318E34

Email: nasih.alam@ndsu.edu

Recent Research Publications (all single-authored, 2018- 22):

Scholarly Articles Under Press (2022):

  1. “The Anthropocene R.K.Narayan: A Reading of My Days: A Memoir”, University of Jammu, India
  2. “Searching for an Alternative World from Ben Okri’s The Famished Road”, Dialog, University of the Punjab, Gujrat, India.

Book Review (to be published in 2023):

  • "Approaches to Lifespan Writing Research: Generating an Actionable Coherence, edited by Ryan J. Dippre and Talinn Phillips, UP of Colorado, 2020. 265 pp." University of Cincinnati, 2023. Book review.

 

Mike Huynh

Education: MA, English; BA, English; Minor in Arts and Design.  

Email:  minh.k.huynh@ndsu.edu  

Biographical Sketch: Mike is an international student from Vietnam. A Concordia College Class of 2020 graduate, Mike currently focuses his research on the evolution of eldritch/cosmic horror design in modern mainstream media, with an emphasis on video game narrative design. A student of the arts, Mike also has an affinity to all things aesthetics and is skilled in many areas outside of English such as web design, graphic design, and UI/UX design. He is currently serving as a Graduate Research Assistant for NDSU Press.  

Mafruha Shifat

Pronoun: She/Her/Hers 

Email: Mafruha.shifat@ndsu.edu 

Office: Minard 318E2

Biographical Sketch: Mafruha is a graduate student (master’s) and teaching assistant (first-year writing instructor) in the English department of North Dakota State University. She is also the president (master’s) for the English Graduate Organization (EGO) during the 2023-2024 academic year. Mafruha was a writing consultant and teaching assistant (English Language and Classroom Skills for International GTAs) at the Center for Writers (Spring 2023). Her research interests are rhetorics of health and medicine, technical and professional writing, rhetorics, and composition. In addition, as an international and multilingual student from Bangladesh, Mafruha works in postcolonial studies and intercultural communication. 

Kehinde Soetan

Education: MA, English

Email: kehinde.soetan@ndsu.edu

Biographical Sketch:  Kehinde holds a B.A. (Honors) in English from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Her research interests include the traumatic experiences of disabled characters in contemporary African literature. She is currently serving as the vice-president of the English Graduate Organization for M.A. students at NDSU (2023-2024). 

Zakeya Sultana

Education: BA in English (ASA University Bangladesh, 2012); MA in Applied Linguistics and ELT (ASA University Bangladesh, 2013)

Office: Minard 318E30  zakeya.sultana@ndsu.edu

Biographical sketch: Zakeya Sultana is a first-year student of MA in English Language and Literature program and a first-year writing instructor in the department of English. She completed her BA (Honors) in English and MA in Applied Linguistics and ELT from Bangladesh. She has been a lecturer in the department of English at ASA University Bangladesh for five years and nine months. Feminism, psychoanalysis and creative writing are her areas of interest.

Research Publications:

  • Sultana, Zakeya (2016): “Bangladeshi University Students' Perceptions on Developing English Writing Skill at the Tertiary Level”, ASA University Review, Vol.10, No.1(18th Issue), January-June 2016: 263-276.
  • Sultana, Zakeya (2018): “EFL Classroom, an Ordeal or an Escape?: An Introspective Study on the Impact of Depression upon Bangladeshi Teachers at the Tertiary Level”, Asian Journal of Law, Humanities and Philosophy, Vol.1, Issue 1, January 2018: 45-67.
  • Sultana, Zakeya (2018): “The Role of Anxiety in Learning and Performing English in the Cadet College Classes: Bangladesh Perspective”, Advances in Language and Literary Studies, Vol. 9, Issue 5, October 31, 2018: 111-120.
  • Sultana, Zakeya(2020): “The Sanctuary of Female Vulnerability: The Degrading Thought Process - A Rumination on The Grass is Singing”, International Journal of Linguistics and Literature, Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2020: 1-8.

Susmita Davi Trisha

Email: susmita.trisha@ndsu.edu

Biographical Sketch: Susmita Davi Trisha is pursuing a master’s degree in English at North Dakota State University and is a graduate teaching instructor, teaching College Composition II to undergraduate freshmen. Her academic journey started in Bangladesh, where she successfully completed an undergraduate program in English Language and Literature. During this phase of her education, her fascination with Early American literature flourished, igniting a strong motivation to pursue advanced studies in this field. Susmita has additionally developed a profound interest in women and gender studies and is working to align her research interests in women and gender studies with her interest in American literature to contribute to the existing knowledge in these fields. Her aim is to shed light on unexplored avenues, broaden perspectives, and foster a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between literature, society, and gender dynamics. She is thankful to her family and her professors for supporting her journey. 

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