Dr. Buchanan Watson
Assistant Professor
FOB #13
Education
Ph.D. – English – British Literature – Auburn University – Auburn, AL
M.A. – English – British Literature – University of South Alabama – Mobile, AL
B.S. – English – Minor – Spanish – Troy University – Troy, AL
Biography
Buchanan Major Watson is a lifelong learner and college educator who teaches a variety of composition, World Literature, and British Literature courses. After earning his master’s degree at the University of South Alabama, Buchanan entered a doctorate program at Auburn University where he earned a Ph.D. in English. In terms of academic research, Buchanan specializes in Victorian, Edwardian, and Modern crime fiction, and his dissertation focuses on examining the ideological implications advanced by subversive detective figures appearing in British literature at the turn of the twentieth century. His other areas of interest include topics such as gender studies, British imperialist literature, and disabilities studies. Besides research and presenting papers at conferences, Buchanan spends just as much time in the classroom instructing students on how to write, read, think critically, and apply composition and literary skills in their personal and professional lives. When not working, Buchanan spends his time reading detective stories and watching films dedicated to the same genre.
Honors and Awards
· Auburn University: Summer Dissertation Fellowship – May 2023
· Auburn University: Graduate Student Teaching Award – August 2023
· University of South Alabama: Master’s Thesis of the Year Award – October 2019
· Auburn University: Hargis Fellowship – August 2018
Certifications
· QPR Gatekeeper Certification: QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Program – Certified September 2024
· Auburn University Student Counselling and Psychological Services: Safe Zone Training Certification – Certified August 2024
Selected Presentations
· “The Caseload of Max Carrados: A Blind Detective’s Examination and Subversion of British Disability Ideology.” Interdisciplinary Nineteenth Century Studies (INCS) Conference, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio – March 2024.
· “Investigating the Female Detective: An Analysis of Criminal and Gender Policing in Marie Belloc Lowndes’ The Lodger.” Southwest Popular/American Culture Association (SWPACA) 2024 Conference, Marriot, Albuquerque, New Mexico – February 2024.
· “The Divinations of Kala Persad: An Indian Detective’s Investigation and Critique of British Imperial Ideology.” Interdisciplinary Nineteenth Century Studies (INCS) Conference, Crowne Plaza, Knoxville, Tennessee – April 2023.
· “Disability and the Victorian Detective.” Southeastern Liberal Arts Research Conference (SELARC), Pebble Hill, Auburn, Alabama – April 2023.
· “How to Create an Active Classroom on a Budget.” Conference on Teaching and Learning, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama – May 2018.
· “The Reading Journal: Connecting Reading and Reflection to In-Class Activities.” Conference on Teaching and Learning, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama – May 2017.