About
Jesse Sopher is an award-winning scholar, educator, and consultant recognized for his expertise in queer theory and literature. With over a decade of teaching experience at institutions such as Ball State University and Indiana University Kokomo, Sopher currently teaches a variety of English courses at Ivy Tech Community College. In addition to his teaching, he consults with educational technology companies and institutions to develop resources aimed at improving literacy, literary comprehension, and analytical skills. His research spans queer literary narratives, sexology, and the formation of modern queer communities, making him a passionate academic committed to exploring the intersections of literature, education, and queer culture.
Sopher’s professional background reflects his broad expertise in English studies, with a focus on late 19th and 20th-century American literature. He holds a master’s degree in Liberal Studies from Indiana University Kokomo, where his thesis examined LGBTQ narratives in the so-called golden age of queer television. His undergraduate degree, also from IU Kokomo, focused on the feminist ideology of ‘girl power’ as depicted in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sopher completed his doctoral coursework at Ball State University, where he researched the influence of sexology on the development of modern queer communities, investigating how the rise of scientific discourse around queerness in the late 19th and early 20th centuries shaped contemporary queer identities and activism.
A proud first-generation college graduate, Sopher’s career has spanned various fields. Early in his professional life, he wrote for publications, web shows, and podcasts focused on technology and geek culture. Though his passion for technology remains, his academic career shifted towards literature and queer studies after completing his bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Today, Sopher continues to contribute to both academic and public understandings of queer culture, educational technology, and literary analysis.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy, English
*ABD Ball State University
Areas of study: Queer studies, modernist literature, and the theory and practice of teaching writing and literature in higher education.
Master of Arts, Liberal Studies
Indiana University Kokomo
Areas of study: Queer literature, literary and cultural theory, and pedagogical approaches to teaching in college-level classrooms.
Bachelor of Arts, English
Indiana University Kokomo
Areas of study: English and American literature, English studies, and media studies with an emphasis on critical analysis and interpretation.
Appointments
English Instructor
2019 - Current Ivy Tech Community College
Instructor of Record for multiple English courses each semester, including:
- ENGL 075: Integrated Reading & Writing (co-rec)
- ENGL 095: Integrated Reading & Writing (standalone)
- ENGL 111: English Composition
- ENGL 206: Introduction to Literature
- ENGL 215: Rhetoric & Argument
- ENGL 220: World Literature I
- ENGL 221: World Literature II
Experience with online, virtual, hyflex, dual credit, co-requisite, and ASAP instruction
Certificates in online teaching and virtual instruction.
Graduate Instructor
2014-2019 Ball State University
Instructor of Record for multiple English courses each semester, including:
- ENG 103: Rhetoric and Writing
- ENG 104: Composing Research
- ENG 230: Reading and Writing about Literature
Teaching Assistant experience includes
- ENG 217: Introduction to Queer Literature and Queer Theory
- ENG 260: British Literature I
- Teaching Assistant to Dr. Joyce Huff, Dr. Leo Huisman, Dr. Rai Peterson, and Dr. Vanessa Rapatz
Research Assistant to Dr. Molly Ferguson
Writing Center tutor
Graduate Teaching Assistant
2013 Indiana University Kokomo
Assisted lead instructor in administration of ENG-W132: Reading, Writing, and Inquiry II, including lecturing, student assessment, and identifying and working with at-risk students.
Testimonials
Jesse offers active, interactive, and collaborative learning strategies within the classroom to optimize learning and engagement. He responds to changes in students’ attentiveness and engages them in productive and engaging ways.
He’s wonderful. I haven’t been to school in 40+ yrs. He takes the time to teach me at my level of understanding. I’m 63yrs old, a disabled Veteran, and I’m learning the computer as we speak. It’s been a privilege to be in his class. He’s an exceptional Teacher.
Jesse is one of the nicest professors/teachers I’ve ever had. He’ll work with you if you don’t understand something or need extra time. He really cares. Classes are discussion based, so participation is important. Gives great feedback. He’s funny and goes off on tangents but connects everything back to the class. Take him if you get the chance!
This class was a joy to take, despite it being a semester long research class. He is a very entertaining and engaging professor. I would definitely take his class again.
Jesse is one of the most creative and dynamic instructors we have. Not only does he engage students in thoughtfully crafted activities within the classroom environment, he is also an asset to the department in his flexibility. He often takes on new classes and is one of the few faculty who teach with ease in the Learn Anywhere environment. Jesse is a great asset to the English department.