Lisa Mendelman, Assistant Professor of English, Menlo College

Candidate statement

I’ve been a member of MSA since 2012 and have attended six MSA conferences since then. My research examines US modernist literature within transnational histories of science, affect, gender, and race. My cross-disciplinary approach to modernist studies combines traditional and quantitative research methods and has inspired additional mixed-methods collaborations with scholars in digital media studies and anthropology. My service at a liberal-arts-based business school has likewise prepared me for an organizational role that synthesizes quantitative and qualitative responsibilities. I’ve served as Menlo’s English assessment lead for the past 2.5 years. In this capacity, I devise annual evaluation plans in accordance with our departmental budget, develop and maintain records in Excel and Qualtrics, and prepare written and oral reports based on these analytics. I also oversee activities budgets and coordinate expenditures in my work as a Resident Fellow and in spearheading campus efforts related to mental health awareness. I believe that our research and teaching are enhanced by transparent and diverse modes of accounting for the work that we do. If elected, I will work to communicate MSA’s financial underpinnings to current and prospective members, as well as seek out creative ways to enhance our international, interdisciplinary, and institutional ties.