Jessica Sierk

Dr. Jessica Sierk is an Associate Professor at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, whose teaching spans Anthropology, Education, Digital Media & Film, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and Public Health. Her courses explore how identity, power, media, and institutions shape everyday life, with a particular emphasis on sexuality, culture, surveillance, and education. Across her teaching, she prioritizes critical inquiry, student-centered pedagogy, and creative engagement, often inviting students to question what feels “normal,” inevitable, or common sense.

Her courses include Sexuality Education; Great (S)expectations; Critical Media Literacy; Censoring Education; Why Identity Matters in Higher Education; Critical Whiteness Studies; and Educational Ethnography. Jessica’s research is anchored in anthropological and critical traditions, with earlier work examining identity development, whiteness, and language ideologies in demographically transitioning schools. Her current projects focus on higher education pedagogy, educational surveillance and reproductive justice, critical media literacy, and the intersections of DEIB work and faculty well-being. She also serves as Communications Coordinator for the Council on Anthropology and Education. When she’s not teaching or writing, she’s likely watching Jeopardy!, solving a crossword, or dabbling in poetry and craft projects.