Aaron Gozum
PhD Candidate in Communication at UC San Diego
Research
With a focus on the queer aesthetics of Filipinx art and media, I contend with the place of queerness in Filipino America and the theoretical and methodological implications of how media studies, queer studies, and ethnic studies approach imperialism and state violence. With an emphasis on sound, affect, and performance, I am crafting a methodological repertoire for feeling and listening to relationalities that can expand how we think of justice, diversity, and inclusion beyond the liberal notion of democratic representation as the primary means for struggling against the global rise of authoritarianism under capitalist modernity.
Teaching
With an emphasis on interpretative and critical approaches in media and cultural studies, I teach about issues related to art, aesthetics, representation, cultural production, and social categories of difference. Rather than framing learning as a linear transmission of individual knowledge accumulation, I approach learning as a social practice that is situated within a historically specific cultural context. A goal I often work toward is helping students develop a collective ethic and a sense of humility when it comes to studying, learning, and knowing ourselves, others, and the worlds in which we live.
Service
My approach to service is guided by the question: what is our responsibility to making the world more livable for others? I strive to meaningfully engage with my scholarly communities, both on and off campus, by attending department meetings, volunteering to participate in graduate student admission events, mentoring undergraduate students, organizing writing group sessions for mid-program graduate students, presenting at conferences, engaging with Filipino American cultural events, and more. I currently serve as the Junior TA for supporting fellow graduate students teaching for the first time.
Diversity
My approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is grounded in questions of collective ethics, justice, and power, especially as it pertains to race, gender, and colonialism. While all voices should matter equally, we live in a world where institutions, social norms, powerful leaders, and dominant cultural conventions have historically devalued and continue to devalue certain perspectives, especially those of women, queer and trans people, and people of color. For me, DEI is not about simply celebrating and including diversity. Instead, DEI is a shorthand for a collective project that is both mindful of histories of inequality and violence and imaginatively open to restructuring our political institutions, cultural practices, and economic distribution of labor and resources in more socially ethical ways.
What Instructors Say
“Aaron consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to guide students through a difficult process of learning media production skills while encouraging their creativity, expression and often ambitious goals. The quality of the student work in this course is a testament to Aaron’s skills as an instructor and as a person who creates a safe and inviting space for group learning. Aaron works incredibly well on an instruction team, contributing often to our pedagogical strategies and keeping me well informed about the progress of his sections and any issues that came up throughout the quarter. Students are incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to study with Aaron and I am fortunate for the opportunity to work with him this quarter.”
“Can’t say enough good things about Aaron as a TA. He provided excellent support to me in the classroom and support to students with assignments. I could count on him for thoughtful ideas and considered responses to issues in the class. Many times he swooped in and handled a student’s query to both of us that would have taken me a lot of mental bandwidth to deal with. And on grading, he was excellent excellent excellent. He made sure he had enough from me in order to start grading, which helped keep me on track with regard to devising rubrics and grading materials. Then he performed the grading in a timely fashion without skipping over the crucial comments students need to learn and improve. Very much a partner in the quarter-long endeavor of a lecture class with tons of media and moving parts. And lots of great thoughts and insights about course material when I remembered to ask him. Wished I’d asked more! Thank you, Aaron!”
“As an instructor, Aaron went above and beyond the usual TA duties to offer students in his sections an intellectually stimulating environment combined with a thoughtful and sympathetic ear. He was able to help students translate complex theories into accessible assignments or classroom practices without watering down or diminishing the larger critical implications of the readings or lectures. And on an interpersonal level, his geniality and openness make him a pleasure to work with. Both on his own and in collaboration with his fellow TAs, Aaron provided the infrastructure that made the course not only function but thrive.”
What Students Say
“Aaron was wonderful and one of the best TA’s I’ve ever had. Friends of mine have told me the same about Aaron, and I’m so glad I got to work with them in such a hectic quarter at UCSD.”
“Thank you for working so hard for our section! I really appreciated your passion and all the work you put into the class to support us.”
“He was incredibly passionate and caring. He also created a lot of resources for us, like having Quizlets and slides that really helped me with my understanding. He was also very easy to talk to and it always felt like he was there to support us. He was an incredibly great TA and awesome addition to this course. I would love to work with him again if there’s ever an opportunity for that.”
“Aaron created a welcoming, constructive, and communicative space for us comm 100c students. Aaron was by far the most well-prepared and helpful TA I’ve had in a comm course. Aaron went above and beyond with their study materials as the study guides and Quizlets were extremely helpful for my midterm studies and it was clear that Aaron wanted us to succeed despite the stressful year for us all.”
“Aaron’s ability to have students feel welcomed and ready to learn can not be overstated. He comes to class prepared and interacts with all students with a level of respect and integrity that makes you want to come to class and even during office hours just to talk about the class and how it going. On many occasions, I went to Aaron’s office hours with no questions and came out with answers and felt like I understood the material better.”
“Aaron is one of the best TAs I have ever had. He’s so kind and professional and knowledgable and sweet! Always come to class with complete preparation and greet us with a heartwarming smile 😉 I really enjoy coming to his discussion because he explain the concepts very an organized and patient way. He helped me a lot this quarter and I feel sincerely grateful that he is my TA for this class. Don’t know what to do without his help!”
aaron gozum 