Ja'La Wourman

Dr. Ja’La Wourman is an assistant professor of English at Howard University where she teaches and researches at the intersections of African American rhetoric, writing, digital media and emerging technologies. Born in Waukegan, IL, Dr. Wourman has used her military upbringing in Japan to offer a global perspective into the way writing and communication shifts from cultures and communities, informing the way we teach, think, and research. 

With these interests. Dr. Wourman has presented her work at numerous academic conferences and published in journals such as Kairos, Spark:4C4E, Technical Communication Quarterly, College Composition and Communication, and the Journal of African American Studies. She has served on several national committees and is an advocate for mentoring the next generation of scholars and leaders through higher education and the liberal arts. Dr. Wourman is also the recipient of many awards and honors such as the 2025 writing and creative works summer academy at Howard University, 2024 College of Arts and Letters Provost award at James Madison University, 2021 King- Chavez-Parks fellowship and 20220 Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scholarship for study abroad at Michigan State University. She received her PhD from Michigan State University’s Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures program.