Guide to Living in the Halls

Faculty-in-Residence

Paul Minifee

Howdy! My name is Paul Minifee and this will be my second year as FIR in Zura Hall. I recently moved from South Bend, IN where I worked for three years at the University of Notre Dame-training seminarians in the art of preaching and teaching writing to undergraduates. As an assistant professor in Rhetoric and Writing Studies here at SDSU, I teach undergraduate and graduate courses on nineteenth-century African American discourses (sermons, slave narratives, spiritual autobiographies, and speeches) and blaxploitation films, including Shaft, Superfly, Jackie Brown, and Undercover Brother.

I am a native of the great state of Texas, where I spent my childhood on Galveston Island and lived most of my adult life in Austin. And, yes, I am a loyal Longhorn and I bleed "burnt orange!" All of my degrees are from the University of Texas-two B.A.'s in English and Psychology and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric. Between undergraduate and graduate studies I took two years off to teach English in Seoul, Korea, where I explored my grandmother's heritage, learned to speak, read, and write the language, and fell in love with Korean BBQ. Some day I'd like to write a memoir about my amazing experiences in Seoul.

When I'm not doing nerdy things, I enjoy playing basketball and tennis (USTA league), dancing, and eating out. If you're ever interested in exploring Korean, Indian, Thai, or Vietnamese cuisine, I'm your man! Traveling is also a passion of mine. I've visited Taiwan, Vietnam, Spain, and Italy and I'm planning a trip to Thailand this year. I'm also a huge music fan and you'll hardly find me without my iPod attached to my hip. Playlists most often in "repeat" mode include Jazz, Hip-Hop, R&B, Classic Rock, and Gospel. Last concerts: Talib Kweli, Ramsey Lewis Jazz Quartet, Jamie Foxx, and Coldplay.

I'm excited to be here at SDSU, in the beautiful state of California, and I look forward to getting know everyone involved in the campus community.