Paul A. Crutcher, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Director of English Education

Office: Stabler Hall 501-H
Phone: 501-916-3161
Email: pacrutcher@ualr.edu

Educational Background

Ph.D., Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy, Michigan State University, 2013
M.A., English Composition and Graduate Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Missouri, 2005
B.A. in Philosophy and Certificate in Writing, University of Missouri, 2002

Areas of Focus

Dr. Crutcher researches and teaches about empathy in K-12 and higher education, religious and secular ethics, East Asian history and culture, and popular culture (including comics/manga, movies, video games, YA literature).

Selected Conference Participation

Chaired and presented “When pop goes wrong in our classrooms” at the Popular Culture Association & American Culture Association Annual Conference in Seattle WA USA (March 2016).

Chaired, presented, and won the “Best ArkPSA 2016 Faculty Paper Award” with Greg Shufeldt with “The ‘Nativ’ citizen: Political attitudes, outcomes, and state pride” at the Arkansas Political Science Association Annual Conference in Monticello AR USA (February 2016).

Chaired and presented “Visual literatures: Comics, illustrated novels, graphic novels, & miscellany” and presented “Lana Del Rey’s American grotesque” at the Popular Culture Association & American Culture Association Annual Conference in New Orleans LA USA (April 2015).

Presented, with Dr Autumn M Dodge, “Using ‘linked text sets’ examples to integrate LGBTQ perspectives in inclusive literacy classrooms” at the International Reading Association/International Literacy Association Annual Conference in St Louis MO USA (July 2015).

Selected Publications

Crutcher, P. A. (2020). Toward an empathic model of online education. Distance Learning Journal.

Crutcher, P. A. (2019). Lana Del Rey’s American grotesque. Rock Music Studies 6(3).

Crutcher, P. A. (2019). “This is not how they are”: On contemporary education, political correctness, and inattention to craft. Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry 11(2), 78-89.

Ito, K. & Crutcher, P. A. (2018). An oral history of a young Ainu mother: Tomoyo Fujiwara talks about her experiences in contemporary Japan. Japan Studies Review 22, 137-154.

Crutcher, P. A. & Dodge, A. M. (2018). Literature and literacy practices in an era of transmedia pop culture. SIGNAL Journal 43(2), 36-45.

Crutcher, P. A. & Dodge, A. M. (2018). Examining the literacy practices in the game Magic: The Gathering. American Journal of Play 10(2), 168-192.

Crutcher, P. A. & Dodge, A. M. (2017). “But I don’t want to read a graphic novel: Truth and nuance about pop culture in education.” In E. A. Janak and L. A. Sourdot (Eds.) Educating through popular culture: You’re not cool just because you teach with comics. Washington DC: Lexington Books. [Book chapter]

Crutcher, P. A. (2017). Magic: The Gathering, a literary text. Americana 16(1). Available at www.americanpopularculture.com/journal/articles/spring_2017/crutcher.htm