About
Johana is a first-year PhD student in the Joint Program in English and Education (JPEE). Before moving to Michigan to continue her studies, she lived in Eastern Kentucky and worked as an admissions counselor, recruiting students from central Kentucky, experiences that would later shape her research interests. Her background also includes digital marketing and social media management within higher education and a tech startup accelerator, where she focused on creating campaigns and strategies to boost engagement and enhance brand recognition.
Her research interests are grounded in rhetoric and writing studies, focusing on institutional and cultural rhetorics, with a broader interest in higher education policy and organizational studies. Her research examines how universities construct strategic narratives about their student body, with a focus on first-generation students, and how these narratives shape institutional practices and student experiences. During her time at Michigan State, she conducted a case study examining the university's presidential strategic initiative through an intersectional lens of cultural rhetorics, critical race theory, and organizational theory. In addition to her interest in higher education policy, Johana studies transnational political and digital rhetoric.
