Brent Allison

Address: 556 Student Resources Center Gainesville State College Watkinsville, GA 30677

Phone: (706) 310-6328

Email: ballison@gsc.edu

 

ACADEMIC TRAINING

 

Ph.D. Social Foundations of Education, August 2000 – December 2008

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

Dissertation: Authenticity from Cartoons: U.S. Japanese Animation Fandom as an Agency of Informal Cultural Education. Defended in November 2008.

 

  • Assistant Professor of Education, Gainesville State College (GSC), 2009 – Present
  • Academic Computing Advisory Committee of GSC, Chairman, 2010 – Present
  • Admissions Committee of GSC, Member, 2011 – Present
  • Diversity Council of GSC, Member, 2009 – Present
  • Diversity Committee of the Dept. of Education of GSC, Member, 2009 – Present
  • Student Technology Fee Committee of GSC, Ex officio member, 2010 – Present
  • Webmaster for the Education Department of GSC, 2011 – Present
  • Editorial Board Member, Mechademia Research Journal, 2004 – Present
  • Educational Studies Submission Reviewer, 2009 – Present
  • Staff Advisor of the GSC (Oconee Campus) Education Club, 2009 – Present
  • Staff Advisor of the UGAnime Japanese Animation Club, 2001 – 2004 & 2008 – Present

 

 

Qualitative Research Studies Certificate, August 2000 – December 2005

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

 

M.Ed. Secondary Education, August 2000

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

 

·         Student Teacher, U.S. History, Wade Hampton High School, 2000

·         Teaching Assistant, Western Civilization, Clemson University, 1998 – 1999

 

B.S. Financial Management, May 1998

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

 

B.A. History, December 1997

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

 

                                               

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Allison, B. (2009). Monstrous toys of capitalism: A review of Anne Allison’s Millennial monsters: Japanese toys and the global imagination. Mechademia, 4, 321-323. 

 

Allison, B. (2009) “The Magic Kingdom does not approve!”: Interviews with adolescent Japanese animation fans. In M. West (Ed.), The Japanification of children's culture: From Godzilla to Miyazaki (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press).

 

Allison, B. (2008) "Education in Japanese Detention Camps" & "Ethical Issues in Computing and Education". In E. Provenzo (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education. New York: Sage.

 

Allison, B. (2007) Anime: Comparing macro and micro analyses. Mechademia, 2, 287-289.

 

Allison, B. (2005). Fans, copyright, and subcultural change: A review of Sean Leonard’s 'Progress against the law', Synoptique, 10. Available at http://www.synoptique.ca/core/en/articles/allison_anime.

 

Allison, B. (2005). A Review of Will Brooker's Using the Force: Creativity, Community and Star Wars Fans," Graduate Journal of Social Science, 2(1), 170-174. Also available at http://www.gjss.org/documents/journal_issue_3/allison.pdf.

 

 

 

PAPER PRESENTATIONS

 

Anime Fandom in the Southeastern U.S.: Ethnographic Inquiry into Learning through Cartoons

Popular Culture Association Conference San Antonio, TX (April 2011)

 

Gender construction theories and their application to sequential art in Japan and the U.S.

Omnicon Conference at Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN (April 2010)

 

Japanese Animation Fandom and Media Education: A Response to Media Education Literature and Classroom Practice

Cultural Studies Association Conference at University of California, Berkeley, CA (March 2010)

Comics and Popular Arts Conference Atlanta, GA (September 2010)

 

Self-Concept and Other(ing)-Concept in U.S. Japanese Animation Fandom Pedagogy

Comics and Popular Arts Conference Atlanta, GA (September 2009)

 

An Ethnography of the Pedagogy of U.S. Japanese Animation Fandom

American Educational Studies Association Conference Savannah, GA (October 2008)

 

Playing With Fire (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education): Fear and Loathing in Teacher Education

American Educational Research Association Conference New York, NY (March 2008)

 

Orientalism, Japanism, Gender, and Japanese Animation: Pedagogical Perspectives on Transnational Popular Culture

American Educational Studies Association Conference Cleveland, OH (October 2007)

 

Race and Nationalism: Permeance in U.S. Media and the Japanese Animation Fandom Response

Theory, Culture, and Society Conference Tokyo, Japan (July 2007)

 

Japanese Animation Fandom and Media Education: A Response to Media Education Literature and Classroom Practice

Conference on Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies Athens, GA (January 2007)

 

Shouting "FIRE" in a Crowded Movement: Ideology Versus Diversity in Teacher Education (Co-Authored with Kathleen deMarrais)

American Educational Studies Association Conference Spokane, WA (November 2006)

University of Georgia Diversity Seminar Athens, GA (February 2010)

 

A Pedagogical Investigation of Japanese Animation Fans Using Inductive, Narrative, and Ethnodramatic Analysis

Couch-Stone Symposium on Symbolic Interaction Athens, GA (February 2006)

2nd International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry Urbana-Champaign, IL (May 2006)

 

Anime Fandom: Possible Explanations from the neo-Marxist, Postmodernist, and Birmingham Schools

Popular Culture Association Conference Atlanta, GA (April 2006)

 

Authentic Cartoons: Narratives on and from Japanese Animation Fandom

New Voices Conference in Language, Literature, and Discourse Studies Atlanta, GA (October 2005)

 

An Analysis of Eight Interviews of Manga Legend Rumiko Takahashi and their Implications for Gender and Deviance in Her Major Works

Schoolgirls and Mobilesuits Conference Minneapolis, MN (September 2005)

 

Authenticity from Cartoons: A Proposed Dissertation Study of North American Japanese Animation Fandom

Georgia Workshop on Culture and Institutions Athens, GA (March 2005)

 

Cross-cultural Theories of Adolescent Development: Implications for U.S. and Japanese Animation as Learning Tools

Popular Culture Association Conference San Diego, CA (March 2005)

 

Japanese Animation Fandom as Pedagogy: Interrogating Pragmaticism versus Critical Theory within the Context of Popular and Informal Education

Southeastern Association of Educational Studies Conference Chapel Hell, NC (February 2005)

 

An Explanation of the Compatibility of Narrative Analysis and Phenomenological Inquiry

Conference on Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies Athens, GA (January 2005)

 

World Culture Theory, Two Cultures Theory, Creolization, and Implications for Anime Fandom

Schoolgirls and Mobile Suits Conference Minneapolis, MN (September 2004)

 

Building MegaTokyo: Meaning and Resistance in U.S. Japanese Animation Fandom

American Educational Research Association Conference San Diego, CA (April 2004)

 

Ebichu the Housekeeping Hamster: Gendered Misadventures in Japanese Animation

Popular Culture Association Conference San Antonio, TX (April 2004)

SchoolGirls and Mobilesuits Conference Minneapolis, MN (September 2006)

 

“The Magic Kingdom Does Not Approve!”: Interviews with Adolescent Anime Fans

Southeastern Association of Educational Studies Athens, GA (February 2004)

Georgia Workshop on Culture and Institutions Athens, GA (May 2004)

 

Young Anime Fans’ Perceptions of Japanese Culture

American Anthropological Association Chicago, IL (November 2003)

 

The Pedagogical Practices of Japanese Animation Fandom

International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts Ft. Lauderdale, FL (March 2003)

 

An Ethnographic Study of a Fantasy Gaming Shop

Conference on Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies Athens, GA (January 2003)

Georgia Workshop on Culture and Institutions Athens, GA (May 2003)

 

Anime Fan Subculture in Scholarly Literature: A Critical Review

American Educational Studies Association Pittsburgh, PA (November 2002)

 

A Proposed Ethnography of an Anime Club

Animazement Conference Durham, NC (May 2001)

 

Hackers: Their Subculture and its Educational Considerations

PhreakNIC Conference Nashville, TN (November 2000)

 

 

 

ACADEMIC PANEL CHAIRINGS

 

Anime/Manga Fandom Studies

Comics and Popular Arts Conference Atlanta, GA (September 2010)

 

Anime and Transnationalism

Theory, Culture, and Society Conference Tokyo, Japan (July 2007)

 

Innovative Pedagogies

Qualitative Interest Group Conference Athens, GA (January 2007)

 

Japanese Identity in a Global Context

Congress of Qualitative Inquiry Urbana-Champaigne, IL (May 2006)

 

Popular Culture, Cultural Studies, and Education

Southeastern Association of Educational Studies Conference Chapel Hill, NC (February 2005)

 

Collaborative Pedagogy: Art and Performance

Qualitative Interest Group Conference Athens, GA (January 2005)

 

Collaborative Pedagogy: Phenomenology

Qualitative Interest Group Conference Athens, GA (January 2005)

 

Curriculum Issues: History

Southeastern Association of Educational Studies Conference Athens, GA (February 2004)

 

 

 

ACADEMIC PANEL DISCUSSANT

 

Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching an Undergraduate Foundations Course

Southeastern Association for Educational Studies Conference Chapel Hill, NC (February 2005)

 

Perspectives from Graduate Students Teaching Social Foundations of Education

American Educational Studies Association Conference Kansas City, MO (November 2004)

 

Japanese Animation Fandom in the Academe

Emory University Japanese Animation Atlanta, GA (February 2003)

 

Anime Fan Subculture and the Orientalist Paradigm

Graduate Student Association Interdisciplinary Conference Athens, GA (March 2002)

 

A Qualitative Research Proposal on Anime Fan Subculture

Middle Tennessee Anime Convention Nashville, TN (November 2001)

 

Hackers in Education

Electronic Frontiers Foundation Conference Atlanta, GA (August 2000 & 2001)

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRESENTATIONS

 

Detecting and Combating Student Plagiarism

Gainesville State College Oakwood, GA (August 2010)

 

The Basics of eLearning for Instructors

Gainesville State College Watkinsville, GA (November 2010)

 

The Potentials and Limitations of eLearning Tools

Gainesville State College Watkinsville, GA (November 2010)

 

How to Perform Academic Research on Japanese Animation and Comics

Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA (March 2011)

Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN (April 2011)

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

 

Chairman, Academic Computing Advisory Committee of GSC, 2010 – Present

Facilitated live dialogues between faculty and staff representatives of every GSC department with information technology staff to better identify and meet campus technology needs at least once every semester.

 

Member, Diversity Council of GSC, 2009 – Present

Sat on both the general Council as well as the Climate Assessment subcommittee. Engaged with faculty and staff representatives from other departments to discuss diversity-related concerns and formulate plans to more precisely assess campus diversity-related needs. Also helped to formulate the Council’s values statement and missions statement.

 

Ex officio member, Student Technology Fee Committee of GSC, 2010 – Present

Reviewed proposed budgets for the purchase of campus technology for student needs and offered feedback for revision and approval.

 

Member, Admissions Committee of GSC, 2011 – Present

Active involvement is scheduled to begin in August 2011.

 

Webmaster, Education Department of GSC, 2011 – Present

Placed pertinent information on the department’s website for professionals, students, and the general public.

 

Editorial Board Member, Mechademia Research Journal, 2004 – Present

Coordinated with other editors in founding a journal devoted to the study of animation, comic books, and video games from Japan as well as fan activities related to these topics. Reviewed, critiqued, and edited articles under consideration for publication. Checked articles for facts under additional duties as a member of a specialist sub-editorial board.

 

Educational Studies Submissions Reviewer, 2009 – Present

Reviewed submitted essays to the journal Educational Studies for publication, provided feedback

to submitters, and recommended publication, revise and resubmit, or rejection.

 

Staff Advisor, Gainesville State College (Oconee Campus) Education Club, 2009 – Present

Founded and guided a student-run service organization for preservice teachers that specializes in tutoring, mentoring, and outreach in P-12 settings with an emphasis on young children.

 

Staff Advisor, UGAnime, 2001 – 2004, 2009 - Present

Provided advice to UGAnime officers on campus policies related to student-run organizations. Assisted in governing a student organization devoted to the exploration of East Asian popular culture as well as in member recruitment and retention.

 

Creator and Lead Discussant, The Mikage Seminar for Critical Media Analysis, 2009 – Present

Reviewed the Japanese animation programming of UGAnime in a weekly academic seminar that examined the programs from literary, sociological, and globalization perspectives.

 

Creator and Coordinator, GSC-Oconee Small Electronics Recycling Program, 2010 – Present

Divert small discarded electronics from landfills and raise awareness about recycling and sustainability-related issues.

 

Co-Organizer for Qualitative Interest Group Conference, 2006-2007

Organized approved submissions to the 2007 QUIG Conference into thematic panels according to a strict timetable for presentations.

 

College of Education Faculty Senate Scholarship Committee Member, 2005-2006

Student member appointed by Director of Student Services to help select recipients for scholarships awarded to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the College.

 

AERA Proposal Reviewer, 2005

Reviewed submitted proposals to the American Educational Research Association 2005 Annual Conference, provided feedback to submitters, and recommended the proposals' inclusion in the conference schedule.

 

Webmaster, Southeastern Association of Educational Studies, 2004

Created and developed a comprehensive website to dispense information on a regional educational conference for both local and regional scholars. Coordinated website development with conference chair.

 

Workshop Co-Organizer, Georgia Workshop on Culture and Institutions, 2003 – 2004

Co-lead workshops for professional scholars to present works-in-progress in an open atmosphere of review and critique. Maintained website for workshop scheduling, philosophy, and as a venue for attendees to download papers in advance.

 

Co-Chair, Social Foundations Graduate Student Association 2002 – 2003

Assisted activities that voiced Social Foundations graduate student presence and concerns to the university community.

 

Committee Member, Educational Affairs Committee, 2001 – 2002

Recommended university policy changes towards religious observances on campus, with special attention directed towards the welfare of religious minorities.

 

Council Member, University Council, 2000 – 2002

Reviewed and voted on university-wide policy proposals related to department creation, plant and infrastructure, mission planning, and the academic calendar.

 

Vice-President, Graduate Student Association, 2001 - 2002

Advocated the interests of 7,000+ graduate students at UGA through organizing meetings and conferences and building and maintaining the GSA website. Special emphasis was made to meet the needs of international students who traditionally encounter diminished opportunities within the university system.

 

 

 

GRANTS

 

EDUC 2110 Course Development (Gainesville State College), 2011

Awarded a grant to develop an online-only version of EDUC 2110, Critical and Contemporary Issues in Education.

 

 

 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND OTHER EMPLOYMENT

 

Assistant Professor of Education, Gainesville State College, 2009 – Present

Assumed a tenure-track position wherein I taught a 4/4 load of core education classes, specifically foundations of education, diversity and education, and educational psychology. My course design included syllabi, course expectations, instruction, assignments, and evaluation, including for a “hybrid” online/face-to-face course. Directed student field experiences in diverse local K-12 schools, community centers, and tutoring facilities for ESOL students. Introduced education majors to concepts related to teacher professionalism, school governance, school finance, the sociology of schools, educational philosophy, and U.S. educational history. Developed an honors section of the foundations of education course and currently developing an online-only version of this course.

 

Discussed issues related to racism, sexism, heterosexism, political economy, special needs and education in a classroom composed primarily of European American middle class students through in-class and online discussions. The discussions related relevant materials including textbooks, studies, nonfiction essays on public schools, and current events to students’ field experiences and service learning. Presented techniques on effective and democratic pedagogy as well as on classroom management.

 

Served as an academic advisor for approximately 100 education majors, as well as an advisor for two different student organizations. Spent a significant amount of out-of-class and out-of-office time in extra advising sessions, group advising sessions of education majors, and welcoming activities for new GSC students of all majors. Judged student projects at social studies fairs at both the K-12 and postsecondary levels.

 

Served as chairman of the Academic Computing Advisory Committee to facilitate faculty dialogues with information technology staff on campus technology needs. Served on the Diversity Committee with a focus on recruitment and retention of diverse students. Served on the Admissions Committee, participated in faculty meetings to discuss departmental issues, and participated in professional development activities. Analyzed data on the Education Department’s performance and created charts and graphs from this analysis for PSC/NCATE review. Proofread and provided revisions to documents for review by PSC/NCATE accreditors. Regularly contributed feedback to committees such as the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) Committee on best teaching practices.

 

University Instructor, Exploring Sociocultural Perspectives on Diversity in Education, University of Georgia, 2008-2009

Designed and taught my own section of Sociocultural Perspectives on Diversity (EFND 2120) for two semesters, including syllabus, course expectations, instruction, assignments, and evaluation. Directed student field experiences in diverse local K-12 schools, community centers, and tutoring facilities for ESOL students. Discussed issues related to racism, sexism, heterosexism, political economy, special needs and education in a classroom composed primarily of European American middle class students. Remained in continual outside contact with students through email and instant messaging to discuss course expectations, grading, student uneasiness with diversity-related topics, and field experiences. Utilized WebCT to facilitate the course and to serve as a model for integration of instructional technology into the curriculum for preservice teachers. Met regularly with other instructors throughout the semester to plan course objectives and practices and discuss course problems and possible resolutions.

 

Graduate Assistant to the Associate Dean Kathleen deMarrais for NCATE and Research, UGA College of Education, 2004 – 2008

Authored reports, summarized data, and coordinated with academic program leaders to assist the Assoc. Dean in renewing its accreditation with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GPSC) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Co-authored and presented research with the Assoc. Dean. Assisted in improving College-level assessment procedures related to departmental self-assessment and consistency in assessment across departments.

 

Adjunct Professor, Foundations of Education, Gainesville College, 2003 – 2005

Designed and taught a section of Social Foundations of Education (EDUC 2000) for three semesters, including syllabus, course expectations, instruction, assignments, and evaluation in a community college environment. Directed student field experiences in local K-12 schools. Discussed public schooling in terms of its philosophical, historical, social, cultural, political, and economic foundations and their tenuous relationship to democratic pedagogy with students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Consistently addressed students’ academic concerns (e.g. grading, course expectations, help with field experiences, career advice) outside of the classroom.

 

University Instructor, The School in U.S. Society, University of Georgia, 2002 – 2004

Designed and taught my own section of The School in U.S. Society (EFND 2030) for five semesters, including syllabus, course expectations, instruction, assignments, and evaluation. Discussed public schooling in terms of its philosophical, historical, social, cultural, political, and economic foundations and their tenuous relationship to democratic pedagogy. Utilized WebCT to facilitate the course and to serve as a model for integration of instructional technology into the curriculum for preservice teachers. Consistently addressed students’ academic concerns (e.g. grading, course expectations, controversies in foundations of education, career advice) outside of the classroom.

 

Teaching Assistant, Social Foundations of Education, University of Georgia, 2000 – 2001

Graded student essays and exams and advised supervising instructor on course management. Facilitated discussions with two sections of 60 students of Social Foundations of Education (EFND 2030). Maintained office hours for direct and in-depth student contact.

 

Student Teacher, U.S. History, Wade Hampton High School, 2000

Instructed 50 high school students under the direction of a supervisory teacher. Designed and implemented unit and lesson plans. Designed and evaluated assignments, quizzes, tests and student projects. Performed approximately 90% of teaching responsibilities without the presence of a supervisory teacher.

 

Teaching Assistant, Western Civilization, Clemson University, 1998 – 1999

Graded student essays and exams and advised supervising instructor on course management in a 200+ student class. Consistently addressed students’ academic concerns outside of the classroom.

 

 

 

VOCATIONAL CERTIFICATES

 

Teaching Excellence Program Certificate, August 2009 – August 2010

Gainesville State College

Oakwood, GA

 

Social Studies Teaching Certificate in Secondary Education, May 1999 – May 2000

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

 

 

 

HONORS

 

Invited guest at 15 different anime conventions nationwide (2004 – 2011)

Anipike Interview - http://www.anipike.com/index.php?env=-innews/reviews:m3582-1-1-3-s:n-817-1-0&n_event= (2006)

Beta Gamma Sigma – Business Honor’s Society (1997)

Golden Key – Academic Honor’s Society (1997)

Kappa Delta Pi – Education Honor’s Society (2002)

Phi Alpha Theta – History Honor’s Society (1997)

Phi Kappa Phi – Honor’s Society (1998)

Pi Lambda Theta – Education Honor’s Society (2003)

Del Jones Memorial Scholarship (2003)

Tri-County Board of Realtor’s Award (1997)

B.S. and B.A., cum laude

Dean’s List (1993 – 1997)

President’s List (1996 – 1997)

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

American Educational Research Association

American Educational Studies Association

Anime and Manga Research Circle

Popular Culture Association

 

 

 

SCHOLARLY INTERESTS

Globalization and Transnationalism

Intersections of Race, Gender, and Nationalism

Pedagogy of Media Subcultures

Political and Civic Education

Qualitative Educational Research