Jeremy Ricketts

Biography

Dr. Jeremy Ricketts is a lecturer at Utah State University. His research focuses on how popular culture shapes people’s perceptions of religious and multicultural identities in wide ranging works such as the films of Robert Rodriguez, the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the graphic novel series Barefoot Gen, and the Book of Mormon musical. Numerous presentations highlight the intersection of popular culture and faith in works by Edgar Allan Poe, Zane Grey, and other producers of popular literature, film, and television, and how they shape people’s perceptions of the Latter-day Saints. Blending both religious and multicultural identity, his work on tourism to sacred spaces in the Southwest has been widely recognized in several publications, and his work has appeared in the Journal of the Southwest, Post Script, and Quarterly Horse. He usually teaches first-year composition courses (ENGL 1010 and 2010). He also teaches the USU Connections course and deeply values the mentoring opportunities for students it provides. Jeremy loves working with students and building a classroom community where dynamic learning takes place, students are co-creators of knowledge, and a bit of fun is had as well. He lives in Layton with his wife, two dogs, and a cat.