

Dr. Tamisha J. Ponder, PhD
Welcome to #GRADUATION, the events celebrating the hooding ceremony of Dr. Tamisha J. Ponder. If you know Tamisha, and her story, you understand that it has been quite the journey to get here over the years. Thank you very much for sharing this special moment with her! Gratitude, always.
Tamisha Jackson Ponder, Ph.D.
Class of 2023
University of Maryland Baltimore, County
Language, Literacy and Culture Doctoral Program


#GRADUATION Schedule


On February 1, 2023 Tamisha Ponder of LLC Cohort 19 successfully defended her dissertation and earned the title of Doctor of Philosophy. Her degree will be conferred in May, 2023.
Her virtual defense went very smoothly and she gave a powerful presentation of her dissertation research, "'I Wasn't Going to do a Hunger Strike, but in the End my Body Paid the Price:' An Annotated Study of the Lived Experiences of Black Lives Matter Student Activists Between 2014 and 2016."
The program wishes to acknowledge the guidance and commitment of Tamisha's committee:
Dr. Beverly Bickel, Language, Literacy & Culture, Co-Chair
Dr. Michelle Scott, History, Co-Chair
Dr. Kimberly Moffitt, Language, Literacy & Culture
Dr. G. Derek Musgrove, History
Dr. Elizabeth Patton, Media & Communication Studies
View Tamisha's virtual presentation below:
The Language, Literacy and Culture (LLC) Doctoral Program falls under the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Founded in 1998, this interdisciplinary doctoral program investigates the concepts and processes of Language, Literacy, and Culture in relationship to social, historical, technological, and ideological formations. The program advocates for socio-cultural and linguistic diversity in research, practice, and policy, with special emphasis on social justice, change, equity, power, and identity.
To learn more about the Language, Literacy and Culture Doctoral Program, click here.

The Journey ...


In Loving Memory

To my father, Rickey Jackson,
whom I lost while completing this journey.
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watchin' the tide roll away
I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time
Thank you, mista.
March 4, 1956 - January 6, 2022


