When Jeffrey Caliedo began looking for graduate programs in English, he knew exactly what he wanted: a place where his interest in African American literature would be both encouraged and challenged. He found it at Rice University.
Caliedo, a Jackson, Mississippi native and Yale University graduate, is joining Rice’s doctoral program in English and Creative Writing this fall. He said the humanities faculty, particularly those working in African American literature, were a major factor in his decision.
“The thing that drew me to Rice was the faculty here,” Caliedo said. “The way they studied some of the writers I wanted to research really aligned.”
During a campus visit, Caliedo had the opportunity to meet faculty members whose work he had already studied, including Professor Eve Dunbar, an expert on late-19th-century and contemporary African American literature and culture.
“I had just read this article about Their Eyes Were Watching God, and then suddenly I’m having that conversation in person with Dr. Dunbar,” he said. “It was surreal and exciting.”
Caliedo said he also connected with other members of the English and Creative Writing department, including Assistant Professor Margarita Castromán Soto and Associate Professor Michael Dango, and appreciated the welcoming and intellectually rich environment.
“I just think they’re brilliant,” he said. “Being able to work with them and learn from them really solidified my decision.”
In addition to the strength of the faculty, Caliedo was drawn to Rice’s certificate program in African and African American Studies, which he plans to pursue alongside his Ph.D.
“It’s important to me personally and academically,” he said. “At a time when DEI and Black studies are under attack, I believe studying and sharing these ideas is essential.”
Before beginning his studies at Rice, Caliedo taught high school English back home in Mississippi, an experience he called transformative. He’s excited to continue developing as a teacher and researcher—and to settle into life in Houston.
“I’ve already got five concerts lined up,” he said with a smile. “And the food? Incredible.”
Caliedo moves to Houston in early August.