Travis Lars Gosa Curriculum Vitae

Updated October 2011 Travis Lars Gosa Curriculum Vitae

Africana Studies & Research Center

310 Triphammer Road Ithaca, NY 14850 USA Voice: 607-254-3342 Fax: 607-255-0784 Email: [email protected] Web: http://asrc.cornell.edu/gosa.html

Ph.D., Sociology, Johns Hopkins University, May 2008 Dissertation: Oppositional Culture, Hip-Hop, and the Schooling of Black Youth Substantive Fields: Sociology of Education, Race/Ethnicity, Social Inequality Committee: Karl Alexander, Katrina Bell McDonald, Pamela Bennett

M.A., Sociology, Johns Hopkins University, May 2005 Certificate for concentration in Social Inequality French Reading and Research Proficiency Exam

B.S., Sociology; B.S., Political Science, Shepherd College, May 2002 Summa Cum Laude, Honors Program

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

2009- Cornell University, Assistant Professor of Social Science, Africana Studies & Research Center -Appointments: (1) Graduate Field of Africana, (2) Graduate Field of Education, (3) Cornell University Center for the Study of Inequality

2008-2009 Williams College, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies & Sociology

2007-2008 Johns Hopkins University, Instructor, Africana Studies & Sociology

AREAS OF INTEREST

Sociology of Education Sociology of the Family Race and Ethnicity

Popular/Youth Culture Qualitative Research Methods Digital Inequality

SCHOLARSHIP

1) Publications Peer Reviewed Articles

Gosa, Travis L. 2011. “Counterknowledge, Racial Paranoia, and the Cultic Milieu: Decoding Hip Hop Conspiracy Theory.” Poetics: The Journal of Empirical Research on Culture, the Media and the Arts. 39(3). Available in June.

Gosa, Travis L. 2010. “Not Another Remix: How Obama Became the First Hip-Hop President.” Journal of Popular Music Studies, 22(4), p. 389-415.

Travis Lars Gosa Curriculum Vitae Page 1 Gosa, Travis L. and Karl Alexander. 2007. “Family (Dis)Advantage and The Educational Prospects of Better-Off African American Youth: How Race Still Matters,” Teachers College Record, 109 (2), p. 285- 321.

Book Chapters

Gosa, Travis L. and Tristan Fields. 2012. “Is Hip Hop Education Another Hustle? The (Ir)Responsible Use of Hip Hop as Pedagogy.” Hip-Hop(e): The Cultural Practice and Critical Pedagogy of International Hip-Hop. Brad J. Porfilio & Michael Viola (Eds.). Peter Lang. (Publication available mid-2012.)

Gosa, Travis L. 2011. “Black Youth, Social Media, and the 2008 Presidential Election.” Social Media: Impact & Usage, H. Al-Deen & J. Hendricks (Eds.). Lexington Books. (Publication available late 2011).

Gosa, Travis L. 2011. “Crank Dat Barack Obama!: Social Media and Race in the 2008 Presidential Election.” Race/Gender/Media: Considering Diversity Across Audience, Content, and Producers,3rd Edition. Rebecca Ann Lind (Ed.) Allyn & Bacon Press. (Publication available late 2011.)

Gosa, Travis L. 2011. “Mama Tried: Narratives of Good and Bad Mothering in Rap Music.” Mothering & Hip Hop Culture, J. Motapanya & Shana Calixte (Eds.). Demeter Press. (Publication available late 2011.)

Gosa, Travis L. 2011. “The Audacity of Dope: Rap Music, Race, and the Obama Presidency.” Obama- Mania: Critical Essays on Representations, Discussions and Meditations in Popular Culture of President Barack Obama. Nicholas Yanes & Derrais Carter (Eds.). McFarland &Company. (Publication available late 2011.)

Essays and Book Reviews

Gosa, Travis L. 2009. “Hip-Hop Politics, Activism, & The Future of Hip-Hop.” Journal of Popular Music Studies. 22 (2). p. 240-246.

Gosa, Travis L. 2009. “All About the Beat: Why Hip-Hop Can’t Save Black America.” Journal of Popular Music and Society. 32 (5). p. 567-569.

Gosa, Travis L. 2009. “The 21st Century Hip-Hop Minstrel Show: Are We Continuing the Blackface Tradition?” Journal of American Culture. 32, (4). p. 356.

2) Unpublished Work To Be Resubmitted

Gosa, Travis L. “It’s Bigger Than Rap: The Political Economy of Hip Hop Studies, Culture, & Intelligentsia.” (Revised Article for Resubmission)

Gosa, Travis L. “Hip Hop Studies, Underground: Rethinking Hip Hop Knowledge and Culture.” (Revised Article for Resubmission)

Travis Lars Gosa Curriculum Vitae Page 2 In Progress

Gosa, Travis L. The School of Hard Knocks: A Hip Hop Theory of Black Schooling and Education Reform. (Book Proposal and Manuscript )

Gosa, Travis L. “Conspiracy Theory and Racial Paranoia in Obamerica.” (Article)

Gosa, Travis L. “Why Do Students Resist Hip Hop Studies?” The Medium is the Lesson: Using Literature, Film, and New Media to Teach Politics. Robert W. Glover & Daniel Tagliarina (Eds.). (Book Chapter)

3) Invited Talks, Lectures, Conference Presentations, and Press

2011 Invited Speaker: “Conspiracy Theory and Racial Paranoia in Obamerica.” American Identity in the Age of Obama Conference. John D. O'Bryant African American Institute, Northeastern University. Boston, MA, March 2011.

Discussant/Chair: “Community Development and the African Diaspora.” National Council for Black Studies, Cincinnati, OH, March 2011.

Panelist: “Committed to Serve: Africana Studies at Predominantly White.” National Council for Black Studies, Cincinnati, OH, March 2011.

Invited Speaker: Latino Studies Program, Fridays With Faculty Luncheon Seminar. Cornell University. March 2011

2010

Invited Speaker: “The Question of Hip Hop Politics: From Afrika Bambaataa to Barack Obama.” The Johns Hopkins University Black Graduate Student Association’s Annual Lecture, Baltimore, MD, November, 2010.

University-Wide Lecture: “Culture and Opportunity: Understanding the Racial Achievement Gaps in Schooling.” Focus on Faculty: Leading Edge Research, Teaching and Pedagogy. Cornell University Board of Trustees Meetings, October, 2010.

Discussant/Chair: “Black Sacrifice and Commitment at the Turn of the Century.” Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Raleigh, NC, October 2010.

“Hustle and Grind”: The Promise and Peril of the Hip Hop Work Ethic and Entrepreneurial Spirit.” Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Raleigh, NC, October 2010.

“Conspiracy Theory and Racial Paranoia in Obamerica: An Early Assessment.” Association of Black Sociologists Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, August, 2010.

“Counterknowledge, Racial Paranoia, and the Cultic Milieu: Decoding Hip Hop Conspiracy Theory.” International Association for the Study of Popular Music Conference, New Orleans, April 2010.

Moderator: “The New Africana Studies: Moving Forward Roundtable.” Cornell University 40th

Travis Lars Gosa Curriculum Vitae Page 3 Anniversary Conference “Looking Back/Moving Forward:” The Future of Africana/Black Studies, Ithaca, NY, April 2010. Article on panel appeared in Cornell Chronicle, April 19, 2010. http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/April10/Africana40Cover.html.

University-Wide Lecture: “Educational Attainment, Families, & African American Youth.” Department of Education 2010 Colloquium Series on Understanding the Achievement Gap in Education: Practical Realities and Insights from Research. March 2010. Article on lecture appeared in Cornell Chronicle, March 10, 2010. http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/March10/AchievementGap.html.

2009

“Yes, We Can? The Construction of Post-Racial Rhetoric in Obama-Hop.” George Mason University Department of African and African American Studies Conference on African Identities in the Age of Obama, Fairfax, VA, October 2009.

“Hip Hop, Obama, and the Question of A Post-Racial America.” Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Cincinnati, OH, October 2009.

Discussant/Chair: “Black Arts, Philosophy, and Consciousness.” Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Cincinnati, OH, October 2009.

Hip-Hop & The Obama Presidency. Association of Black Sociologists Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, June, 2009.

Discussant: “The Professionalization of Educators.” Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, March, 2009.

“Graduating From The Streets": Alternative Status Attainment Models and Knowledge Systems in Hip- Hop.” Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, March, 2009.

Invited Speaker: “Hip-Hop Politics and the Obama Presidency.” Africana Studies and Research Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. March 2009.

2008

Invited Panelist: “What Happens When Hip Hop is Archived?: Keeping the Study of Hip Hop Real and Relevant.” Born in the Bronx: A Conference Celebrating Hip Hop at Cornell. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. October 2008.

Invited Speaker: "Graduating From the Streets": Alternative Status Attainment Models and Knowledge Systems in Hip Hop.” Harvard University Race, Culture, and Inequality Workshop: "Popular Culture & Disadvantaged African-American Youth." Department of Sociology, Harvard University. Cambridge, MA. October 2008.

Invited Panelist: "Social Science and Humanities Insights into Teaching Africana Studies," Temple University AYA Conference, Philadelphia, PA. April 2008.

2007

Invited Speaker: “Messages in the Music: How Rap Lyrics Both Encourage and Discourage School Engagement”, The Achievement Gap Initiative: Structures, Cultures, and Achievement Gaps Conference, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, June. 2007.

Travis Lars Gosa Curriculum Vitae Page 4 “Oppositional Culture Remixed: How Hip-Hop Promotes School Resistance and Academic Failure,” Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, February, 2007.

2006

“Educated Thugs and Philosophical Gangstas: The Construction of Black Academic Identities in Hip- Hop”, Popular Culture/American Culture Association Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. October, 2006.

“The Construction of Oppositional Culture in Hip-Hop Music”, Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March, 2006.

“Beyond Micro-Level School Processes: Collective Identity, Oppositional Culture, and the Burden of Acting White in Hip-Hop Music,” Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, February, 2006. 2004

“Family (Dis)Advantage and The Educational Prospects of Better-Off African American Youth: How Race Still Matters”, Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, July, 2004.

“Makin’ it in the ‘Hood: Rethinking What it Means to be Black, Male, AND Successful”, 11th Annual “Eyes on the Mosaic” Conference on the Social Construction & Transformation of Racial Identity, University of Chicago, IL, April, 2004.

2003

Invited Speaker: “Family (Dis)Advantage and The Educational Prospects of Better-Off African American Youth”, with Karl Alexander, Department of Sociology Race and Education Seminar, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, November. 2003.

“Ruminations on Gamoran’s ‘Virtuous Cycle’: Family Advantage and the Educational Prospects of African American Youth”, with Karl Alexander, Race, Inequality, & American Education Conference, University of Notre Dame, IN, April, 2003.

TEACHING AND ADVISING

1) Teaching Experience

2009-Present Cornell University • Black Families and the Socialization of Black Children (ASRC 1600/HD 1710) • US Education: Oppression & Resistance (ASRC 3604) • The Politics of the Hip-Hop Generation (ASRC 6606) • Hip Hop Culture and Youth Identity (Freshman Writing Seminar, ASRC 1820)

2008-2009 Williams College • Introduction to Africana Studies (AFR 200) • The African-American Family (AFR/SOC/WGS 329) • The Hip-Hop Generation: Power, Identity, & Social Change (AFR/SOC/WGS 305) • Race, Ethnicity, & Education in the United States (AFR/SOC/LAT 229) • Sankofa: Stepping Outside the Box (AFR 498)

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2004-2008 The Johns Hopkins University • The Hip-Hop Generation: Power, Identity, & Social Change (SOC 230.201) • Introduction to Africana Studies (AFR 362.101) • Introduction to African American Studies (AFR 362.111) • Introduction to Sociology (230.101), Spring, with Prof.’s Beverly Silver & Andrew Cherlin. • Race, Ethnicity, & Education in the United States (230.212), Fall, with Prof. Pamela Bennett.

2) Undergraduate Advising

Faculty Advisor: Wren Albertson-Rogers, Senior Thesis for Arts & Science College Scholars Program. Spring 2010, entitled “Community and Equity in our Schools: An Ethnography of Beverly J. Martin Elementary.”

Faculty Advisor: Carleen S. Carey, BA 2008. “Phat = Friction: Language and Identity Construction in the Global Classroom.” Senior Honors Thesis. Williams College.

3) Graduate Advising

Chair, Master’s Thesis: Robert Giles, M.P.A. Africana Studies. 2011. “The Politics of Sexuality In Hip Hop: Black Masculinity And Same Sex Desire. Committee includes Dr. Margo Crawford, Department of English.

Chair, Master’s Thesis: Tristan G. Fields, M.S. Education. 2011. “Hip-Hop Centrality and Educational Aspirations of Black Adolescent Males.” Committee includes Dr. John Sipple, Department of Education.

2nd Reader, Dissertation Committee: Sabia McCoy-Torres, Ph.D., Anthropology. Tentative title, “Dancing identity: race, belonging, and expressive culture among Afro-Costa Ricans.” Committee includes Dr. Viranjini P Munasinghe, Department of Antropology and Dr, Vilma Santiago-Irizarry, Department of Anthropology and Latino Studies.

AWARDS AND HONORS Cornell Society for the Humanities and Humanities Council Research Grant, 2010-2011, $1,500, For Research. Project: “‘Lights…Cameras…Gangsta!’ A Study of Race, Gender, and Authenticity in Urban Documentaries” Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, 2008- Johns Hopkins Africana Studies Center Prize Teaching Fellowship, 2007 American Institutes For Research Pre-Doctoral Fellowship In Education, Two Year Award, 2005 Johns Hopkins Dean’s Graduate Research Fellowship, Three Year Award, 2002 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, 2001- Pi Sigma Alpha International Honor Society in Political Science, 2001- Alpha Kappa Delta International Honor Society in Sociology, 2000-

Travis Lars Gosa Curriculum Vitae Page 6 SERVICE

Cornell Faculty Committee on Music, 2011- (4 year term) The Cornell Hip Hop Collection Advisory Board, 2010- Co-Organizer/Moderator/Panelist: Born in the Bronx: Afrika Bambaataa, Hip Hop & Radical Peace, A Musical Symposium.” Two-day event of academic panels, concerts, and community outreach at Southside Community Center; supported by the American Studies Atkinson Forum. Cornell University. March 2011. Cornell Cast Video, April 18, 20011: http://www.library.cornell.edu/africana/lecture/hiphop_2011.html Cornell Sun, April 20, 2011: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/April11/HipHopCover.html Cornell Sun, April 20, 2011: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/April11/HipHopArchive.html Ithaca Times, April 6, 2011: http://www.ithaca.com/main.asp?SubSectionID=56&ArticleID=14099&SectionID=16

Lecture Series Committee, Africana Studies Research and Studies Center, Fall 2010-2011. Cornell University College Admissions Selection Committee, Fall 2011- Occasional Reviewer, Social Science Quarterly, The Journal of Women and Language, Journal of Popular Music Studies Participant, Williams College’s Oakley Center for Humanities and Social Science Seminar on K-12 Education, two-semester project

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

American Sociological Association, Sociology of Education and Race/Ethnicity sections, 2002- Southern Sociological Society, 2002- Eastern Sociological Society, 2002- Association of Black Sociologists, 2008- National Council For Black Studies 2011- Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 2010-

REFERENCES Karl L. Alexander Katrina Bell McDonald Pamela R. Bennett Professor and Chair Associate Professor Assistant Professor John Dewey Professor of Sociology Department of Sociology Department of Sociology Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University 3400 N. Charles St. 3400 N. Charles St. 3400 N. Charles St. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 410.516.7624 410.516.7637 410.516.7001

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