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About Raina Juanita León

Professional Overview: 

English Education Associate Professor with over 10 years combined experience leading college level classroom instruction in English Education and middle/high school curriculum in English, Spanish and Journalism.

Recognized and respected as Subject Matter Expert in leadership and support of academic, community and professional development programs focused on building and strengthening English & creative skills.

Published author of 3 poetry collections, selected reviewer of 4 magazines, regular contributor and featured writer of fiction and non-fiction pieces to multiple periodicals, anthologies and publications since 2006.

Interactive and dedicated community member who actively serves on various community committees and leadership teams such as community outreach, writing competitions, writing workshops, professional development programs, etc.

Positions

2016 - Present Member, Diversity Taskforce, Saint Mary's College of California
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2015 - Present Associate Professor, English Education, Saint Mary's College of California ‐ Kalmanovitz School of Education
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2012 - Present Founder, Critical [Community] Group, Saint Mary's College of California
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Present Faculty Member, Saint Mary's College of California ‐ Single Subject Program
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2016 - 2018 Elected, Faculty Representative to the Alumni Board, Saint Mary's College of California
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2016 - 2018 Elected, Representative to the Committee on Teaching and Scholarship, Saint Mary's College of California
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2015 - 2016 Member, Academic Senate College Evaluation Taskforce, Saint Mary's College of California
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2014 - 2016 Member, Faculty Women’s Group Board, Saint Mary's College of California
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2013 - 2016 Member, Core Curriculum Community Engagement and Common Good Work Group, Saint Mary's College of California
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2013 - 2015 Member, Academic Administrators Evaluation Committee, Saint Mary's College of California
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2013 - 2015 Member, Resident Director Search Committee, Saint Mary's College of California
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2013 - 2015 Resident Director, Guerrieri West, Saint Mary's College of California
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2012 - 2015 Judge, Spectrum, Saint Mary's College of California
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2011 - 2015 Assistant Professor, English Education, Saint Mary's College of California ‐ Kalmanovitz School of Education
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2014 - 2014 Member, President’s Strategic Taskforce “From De La Salle to Lasallian”, Saint Mary's College of California
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2014 - 2014 Panelist, CILSA College for a Day, Saint Mary's College of California
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2013 - 2014 Member, Teachers, Teaching and Media Conference Committee, Saint Mary's College of California
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2012 - 2014 Advisory Council, Center for Environmental Literacy, Saint Mary's College of California
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2011 - 2014 Member, International Programs Coordinating Committee, Saint Mary's College of California
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2013 - 2013 Delegate to Sri Lanka, Vandu Paaru Program, Saint Mary's College of California
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2013 - 2013 Delegate, Symposium on Lasallian Research, Saint Mary's College of California
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2013 - 2013 Initial Participant, Presidential Symposium Seminar Conversation, Saint Mary's College of California
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2013 - 2013 Leader, Tech Camp Dducational Technology Session, Saint Mary's College of California
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2013 - 2013 Member, Resident Director Improvement Committee, Saint Mary's College of California
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2012 - 2013 Leader, CILSA College for a Day, Saint Mary's College of California
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2012 - 2013 Member, First Year Experience Committee, Saint Mary's College of California
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2012 - 2013 Member, Social Justice Coordinating Committee, Saint Mary's College of California
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2011 - 2013 Resident Director, Augustine Hall, Saint Mary's College of California
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2012 - 2012 Delegate, International Association of Lasallian Universities, Rome, Saint Mary's College of California
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2008 - 2011 Middle & High School Teacher, Department of Defense
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2007 - 2008 High School English Teacher, Clark County School District
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Curriculum Vitae

Disciplines

Research Interests

Grants

2011 - 2011 Faculty Technology Fund
Saint Mary's College of California
Grant for iPad 2 use in the classroom and in professional development
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Professional Service and Affiliations

2008 - 2011 Sponsor, Teacher Professional Development, Department of Defense
2008 - 2011 Co-Chair, Continuous Improvement Committee, Department of Defense
2008 - 2011 Program Leader, Department of Defense
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Honors and Awards

  • Honorable Mention in the Academy of American Poets University and College Poetry Prize, 2016
  • SMC Top 40 Under 40, Diablo Magazine, September 2014
  • Split this Rock semifinalist for “The Rising”, 2011
  • Top 10 Latino Writers to Watch List, Library Association, 2009
  • Nominated for Pushcart Prize, 2007
  • Finalist, Andres Montoya Prize for Poetry (Canticle of Idols, collection of poems), University of Notre Dame, 2006
  • Finalist in the Cave Canem First Book Prize, Canticle of Idols, 2005
  • Honorable Mention, New Works of Merit Playwriting Competition for Angelitos, a full length play, 2005
  • Macondo Fellow, 2016
  • CantoMundo Fellow, 2012,2015 & 2016
  • Ragdale Residency funded through National Endowment of the Arts, October 2010
  • Tyrone Guthrie Centre residency, July – August 2010
  • Vermont Studio Center Residency, July 2008
  • Kimmel Harding Nelson Center of the Arts Residency, June 2007
  • MacDowell Colony Residency, New Hampshire, May 2007
  • Montana Artists Refuge Residency, October Writers Fellow, October 2006
  • Cave Canem Fellow, 2003, 2005 & 2006
  • Bunton-Waller Fellow, full scholarship, 1999-2003

Courses

  • JAN 180 (2017): Empowered Writing: Writing with Kenyan Women and Nonprofits
  • JAN 180 (2018): Rebels in the Rebel City, A Sister City Exchange between Cork and San Francisco Bay Area Artists
  • MAIT 401: Introduction to Inquiry
  • MAIT 404: Project Capstone
  • SEM 001: Seminar
  • SEM 104: Seminar
  • SSTE 215: Foundations of Secondary Education
  • SSTE 225: Instructional Design
  • SSTE 254: Foundations of Adolescent Literacy
  • SSTE 346: Teaching and Learning I
  • SSTE 356: Teaching and Learning II
  • SSTE 350: Humanizing Education Methods
  • SSTE 380: Methods for Liberation

Education

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2016 MFA, Poetry, Saint Mary's College of California
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2014 MA, Educational Leadership, Framingham State University
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2010 PhD, Culture, Curriculum and Change (Education), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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2004 MA, Teaching of English, Columbia University ‐ Teachers College
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2003 BA, Journalism, Pennsylvania State University
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Links

Contact Information

Office: Filippi Academic Hall 233
Phone: (925) 631-4369

Email:

Honors, Awards, & Grants (18)

In the News (1)

Presentations (171)