Erich G. Simmers

Contact:

Erich G. Simmers
University of Florida
English Department
4008 Turlington Hall
PO Box 117310
Gainesville, Florida 32607
esimmers@ufl.edu
(352) 392-6650

Interests:

Postcolonial literature and culture; cultural studies; military theory and discourse; the weaponization of technology.

Education:

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Florida, English Literature, 2011 (expected)
Concentration: Postcolonial Studies and Cultural Criticism
Dissertation: TBD

Master of Arts, New York University, English Literature, 2007
Concentration: Postcolonial Studies and Cultural Criticism
Masters Thesis: "Weaponized Culture: The Postcoloniality of Small Arms in Material, Visual, and Literary Culture"

Bachelor of Arts, John Carroll University, English Literature, 2003
Major: British and American Literature; Minors: East Asian Studies and History
Honors Thesis: "The History of the Future: How Open Source Software and Free Software Will Change the World"

Study Abroad, Sophia University (上智大学), 2002
Concentration: Japanese Language, History, and Ethnography

Experience:

Academic Advisor, New York University, College of Arts and Science, August 2005 – August 2006
Worked one-on-one with NYU undergraduates, assisting with a broad range of academic and personal issues. Served as an educator fostering undergraduates' academic growth and helping them navigate through numerous majors, minors, and requirements. Critically engaged the choices and motivations of students to encourage their success.

Honors:

Alumni Fellowship, University of Florida, 2007 – Present
The Freeman-Asia Award for Study in Asia, 2002
Outstanding Japanese Student, John Carroll University, 2001
Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, 2000 – 2003
Honors Scholar, John Carroll University, 1999 – 2003
The John Carroll Scholarship, John Carroll University, 1999 – 2003
The President’s Honor Award, John Carroll University, 1999 – 2003

Publications:

Simmers, Erich. 2006. "The Global War on Culture: The Occupation of Arab-American Cultural Citizenship in Randa Jarrar's Short Fiction." Anamesa 4(2): 5-20.

Simmers, Erich. 2006. "The Burning Towers: A Twenty-First-Century Re-Imagining of Leda's Terror." Anamesa 4(1): 78-92.

Additional Training:

Area Specializations: Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab Middle East, Japan, and Ireland
Languages (Spoken and Written): Spanish, Japanese, and Arabic
Web Design and Development
Advanced Unix, Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows Systems Administration
Specialization in Computer Security