PhD, University of Waterloo
MA, University of Waterloo
B. Ed, Western University
BA, University of Waterloo
Email: jvandekemp@uwaterloo.ca
Biography
Dr. Jessica Van de Kemp (aka Dr. V) is an award-winning English teacher at the University of Waterloo known for her commitment to teaching excellence, leadership, and mentoring. She is also a celebrated poet and playwright. In 2015, her poem “Slant of the Girl” was shortlisted for the Montreal International Poetry Prize, and published in the Global Poetry Anthology (Véhicule Press). In 2017, her play Hatching in a Cage was a finalist at the National Play Festival. In 2020, she completed a professional development certificate in the Psychology of Leadership through Cornell University, focusing on effectively leading individuals, teams, and organizations. In 2021, she successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, ‘The Objectifying Gaze:’ The Role of Adaptation in Perceptions of Gender on Television, examining depictions of crime, gender, sexuality, and violence in drama TV series through the lens of intertextuality and adaptation studies to advocate for better on-screen representation of women as leaders and experts. To her great honour, UW students have twice-nominated Dr. V for the OUSA Award for Teaching Excellence (2025; 2026), which recognizes educators who demonstrate exceptional skill in helping Ontario’s young people realize their full potential.
Publications
“Queering Public Spaces: Spoken Word Performances as Acts of Resistance, Hope, and Community-Building.” (Un)Disturbed: A Journal of Feminist Voices, 2, 2025, pp. 69–74.
“‘The Snowball Effect’: Toxic Masculinity and Sexual Violence in Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why.” Comic and Tragic Films (Cinematic Codes Review 5.1), edited by Anna Faktorovich, Anaphora Literary Press, 2020, pp. 64–72.
“‘I Intend to Make My Own Way in the World’: Queer Female Artistry and the Noble Nature of Gerwig’s Little Women.” Comic and Tragic Films (Cinematic Codes Review 5.1), edited by Anna Faktorovich, Anaphora Literary Press, 2020, pp. 59–63.
Conference Presentations
“Courageous Compassion: Teaching with Kindness and Care in STEM Communication Classrooms.” Teaching and Learning Conference, University of Waterloo, 2025. Panel discussion with Allyson Conrad, Ashley Irwin, Jay Rawding, and Megan Selinger.
“Positive Disruptions: Sessionals and Creative Writing Teaching.” Teaching and Learning Conference, University of Waterloo, 2025. Panel discussion with Lamees Al Ethari, Claire Tacon, and Emily Urquhart.
Awards
- Nominee, OUSA Award for Teaching Excellence (2025; 2026).
- Independent Graduate Instructor Award for Excellence in Teaching (2018).
- President’s Graduate Scholarship (2016–2019).
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2016–2019).
- Teaching Assistant Award for Excellence in Teaching (2015; 2016).
Current Work
In the classroom, Dr. V uses active, student-centered pedagogies to teach first- and second-year courses. Her research spans 3 distinct fields: Creative Writing (specifically playwriting, poetry, and spoken word performance), Intertextuality (specifically adaptation studies), and Representation in Media (specifically depictions of crime, gender, sexuality, and violence). Bridging her scholarship with live performance, she is currently writing a new play and a full-length poetry manuscript, regularly performing spoken word at open mics to advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Research and Teaching Areas
- Creative Writing ‒ Playwriting, Poetry, and Spoken Word Performance.
- Intertextuality ‒ Adaptation Studies.
- Representation in Media ‒ Depictions of Crime, Gender, Sexuality, and Violence.
Courses Taught
ENGL 101B: Introduction to Rhetorical Studies
ENGL 108D: Digital Lives
ENGL 109: Introduction to Academic Writing
ENGL 119: Communications in Mathematics and Computer Science
ENGL 193: Communication in the Sciences
ENGL 200B: English Literatures II
ENGL 210C: Genres of Creative Writing
ENGL 210F: Genres of Business Communication