Dr. Kendra Calhoun

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Kendra Calhoun is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Illinois University. As a linguistic anthropologist and sociocultural linguist, she employs a critical qualitative approach to the study of language as a social process. Her research focuses on the intersections of language, identity, race, gender, and power within digital discourse. Calhoun explores how digital technologies create opportunities for new forms of discourse that are intricately connected to 'offline' identities, cultures, and ideologies. Her current work investigates the Black TikTok digital community, highlighting the raciolinguistic construction and contestation within this space. Furthermore, her scholarship within U.S. higher education addresses the discourses surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion, examining how these concepts often obscure the limitations of institutional actions in the face of structural inequalities. Centering the voices of typically marginalized members of the academy, she critiques dominant DEI approaches to highlight their insufficiency in addressing the multifaceted nature of inequity embedded within institutional practices.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

— Present

University of Illinois • Urbana, IL

Teaching and researching in the Department of Anthropology, focusing on linguistic anthropology and digital discourse.

Awards

#

ACLS Fellow

Courses

Digital Cultures Communication (Undergraduate) Talking Politics (Undergraduate) Digital Qualitative Methods (Graduate) Discourse Transcription (Graduate)

Requirements for University of Illinois

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:17
Reading
Required:19
Writing
Required:21
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:103
GRE General
Prerequisites
Mathematical background Linear Algebra Calculus
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

GRE is optional for admission to all graduate programs in Statistics. Full status admission requires higher language scores than limited status.