Christian Aguiar, an academic leader at the University of the District of Columbia, combines his expertise in curriculum development, first-generation student support, and multimodal assessment to create inclusive and effective writing programs, while contributing to the broader field through research on student success, technology integration in instruction, and U.S. multi-ethnic literatures.
Experience
Education
Doctor of Education, Northeastern University Master of Arts in English Literature, Georgetown University Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Brown University
Roles
Program Chair Two-Year College English Association – Northeast, 2023-24 Academic Director, Summer College Prep, Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies, 2019-23 Curriculum Developer, Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies, 2016-23 Program Reviewer, NASPA First-Gen Student Success Conference, 2023
Courses Taught
IGED270 - Discovery Ethics IGED210 - Discovery Expository Writing IGED111 - Foundation Writing II IGED110 - Foundation Writing I ENG015 - English Fundamentals
Expertise
Curriculum development Online course development Learning technology
Research Focus / Works in Progress
Support for first-generation and low-income students enrolled in first-year writing; sense of belonging and academic efficacy among first-generation and low-income college students; development and use of multimodal assessments in first-year writing; use of technology in writing instruction; U.S. multi-ethnic literatures
Qualitative research
Leadership
Board Member, Global Tassels, 2024-Present Program Chair, Two-Year College English Association Northeast, 2023-24 Advisory Board Member, DC State Title III Advisory Committee, 2021-22 Advisory Board Member, Georgetown University Summer College Immersion Program, 2018-20
Aguiar, C. (2019). Review of Genesea M. Carter and William H. Thelin’s Class in the Composition Classroom. Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges, 22(2). Retrieved from https://commons.vccs.edu/inquiry/vol22/iss2/7
Aguiar, C. (2018). What work is: Writing about work in first-year composition. Teaching English in the Two-Year College, 46(2), 147-152. https://doi.org/10.58680/tetyc201829950
Selected Presentations
Aguiar, C., Wright, A., & Howard, A. (2024). A note by any other name: Engaging student readers and writers with social annotations. National Organization for Student Success (NOSS) Annual Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Aguiar, C. (2024). Transforming a video research assignment: A user’s guide. College English Association Mid-Atlantic Group Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.
Aguiar, C. (2022). Linguistic Justice in developmental writing. Northeast MLA Convention, Baltimore, Maryland.
Recognitions
University Teaching Award, UDC, 2024 John and Suanne Rouche Teaching Excellence Award Winner, League for Innovation in the Community College, 2020
Invited Participations
Aguiar, C., Wright, A., & Howard, A. (2025). A note by any other name: Engaging student readers and writers with social annotations. National Organization for Student Success AI Pre-Conference Summit, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Aguiar, C. (2022). Social & linguistic justice in first-year writing. English Summit, SUNY-Westchester Community College, Virtual.
Aguiar, C. (2021). Faculty perspectives: Open textbooks in the classroom [series].Washington Research Libraries Consortium (WRLC), Textbook Affordability Working Group, Virtual.
Aguiar, C. (2021). Course design two-step: Incorporating asynchronous activities in your remote class. Georgetown University School for Continuing Education, Virtual.
Aguiar, C., Wright, A., & Howard, A. (2020). Collaborative assessment. Montgomery College Germantown English Department, Germantown, Maryland.
