A former Fulbright scholar to France, I hold a PhD in Sociology of Higher Education from University College London, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, an MPhil in English from the University of Oxford, and a BA in English and French from Texas A&M University, and I spent time at Fundación Valparaíso, Spain as a Fiction Fellow. I direct the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and teach in the Honors College at Oregon State University, and I am a Faculty Fellow in the Office of Graduate Education.

As a creative writer, I work across genres, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and translation. I have published in Harvard Review, Kenyon Review, The New York Review of Books, The Threepenny Review, and many other magazines and journals. My short stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize (four times) and several other prestigious awards.

As a scholar, I focus on the Sociology of Higher Education, particularly the experiences of underrepresented students in international contexts. My book, Firsts Abroad: Underrepresented Students’ Journeys Outward and Upward (forthcoming, Rutgers University Press), explores the forms of symbolic capital that first-generation college students invest in and gain from their international education experiences. I have published related articles in the Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Education and Slate magazine.

Personal Website: https://jttownley.com