Alumni Voices: Dr. Sharonah Esther Fredrick

Every semester, the CIE will highlight the current work of an early career CIE alumnus. In recognition of the 2015 Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, we are featuring Sharonah Esther Fredrick, PhD in Hispanic Languages and Literature (December 2014). Dr. Fredrick currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (ACMRS) at Arizona State University. We asked her a few questions about the journey leading up to her current position, as well as her hopes for the upcoming ACMRS Conference.

What factors influenced your decision to pursue a PhD in Hispanic Languages & Literature at Stony Brook?

At the age of 40, I embarked on my doctorate in Latin American literature after 17 years in international development and archaeology, in Argentina, Mexico and Israel. That pre-doctoral work took me to indigenous communities in Latin America, and to peace and reconciliation projects with Israeli and Palestinian professionals. Because I began (and finished) my doctorate at a later age, I wished it to have a genuine meaning in terms of my professional experience, and in terms of the daunting social reality faced by many Latino students in the US.

What do you remember most about your time as a Stony Brook PhD student?

In CIE, I was a Turner Fellow and participated constantly in research seminars and employment workshops. They were some of the most helpful experiences that I have had in all of academia, and in my professional life in general.

Can you share about your experience on the job market?

The irony of my time on the job market is that, while I did receive two other offers from searching in the conventional way, the one which interested me most by far was ACMRS. I heard about ACMRS by attending the annual conference, which really shows how important physical, “be there” networking is. Then, while I was in the finishing stages of my thesis, I applied for, and got, the position in which I am currently employed as the Assistant Director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, at Arizona State University.

What do you hope to accomplish in your current position as the Assistant Director of ACMRS?

Through my teaching and writing, I hope to diversify the idea of Renaissance history, which often concentrates on Europe to the detriment of the areas conquered by Europe during that period. In the academic world, anti-indigenous prejudice is still palpable, intellectually and politically.

What are your future career goals?

If I project into the next ten years, I would like to see my career continue and blossom in terms of what I am currently doing: incorporating Latin American, African and indigenous studies more firmly into the field of general Early Modern and Renaissance studies, and widening the intercultural conversation regarding Early Modern cultural contact/ conquest/ and the grey areas in between.

Tell us about the conference that ACMRS is planning.

The 22nd Annual Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies Interdisciplinary Conference will be held at the Embassy Suites in Scottsdale, AZ on February 4-6, 2016. ACMRS invites session and paper proposals that explore any topic related to the study and teaching of the Middle Ages and Renaissance and especially those that focus on the general theme of “Marginal Figures in the Global Middle Ages and Renaissance.” We encourage registration and proposal submissions from a wide variety of fields of study, as there are many disciplines whose investigative work addresses the topic of the conference.

I attended the ACMRS Conference prior to securing my current position as Assistant Director. In 2013, I was awarded a conference travel grant and delivered a paper on images of the dragon in Andean colonial chronicles and its relationship to pre-Colombian archaeology and iconography. I also presented as a panelist and featured lecturer at the ACMRS Conferences in 2012, 2013 and 2014, as well as the Fearless Females series in 2014. It was an excellent opportunity to connect with professionals in my field and to showcase my research and findings. I suggest that scholars research the conference travel grants available to them and to consider the networking opportunities that presenting at a conference can lead to. Here I am now working for ACMRS!

How can CIE Scholars submit their proposals for consideration to present at the upcoming ACMRS Conference?

Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis until midnight, MST on December 4, 2015. Responses will be given within a week of submission. Please submit an abstract of 250 words and a brief CV to ACMRSconference@asu.edu. Proposals must include audio/visual requirements and any other special requests; late requests may not be accommodated. Any additional questions can be directed to 480-965-5900 or email acmrs@acmrs.org.

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