Faculty Remarks:
I am so proud of Jay Arora! We were first introduced in the summer of 2017, technically before my first semester working at Duke. Jay had been awarded a prize for an essay he wrote in his first-year composition course and was offered an independent study the following year to turn his short piece into something longer. He immediately presented himself as a sincere andcurious student interested in making the most of his studies, of making his intellectual work mean and contribute something to the world he inhabits. Since that time, Jay has been working with me in one capacity or another–most recently in a year-long independent study resulting in the completion of his thesis, “Protein Binds: Decoding Factory-Farmed Meat in the American South” (which was, incidentally, given the mark of “Highest Distinction” by the English faculty, a rare honor in itself!). I have really loved watching Jay grow up into a young scholar with a bright future ahead of him. His thesis is incisive, creative, well-written and just downright smart. Of course, all the same is true of Jay, but more important than any of these is his spirit, which is convivial, warm and attuned to the human experience. He has a runic ability to see–and to help others see–those invisible things that hold us all together. If you read Jay’s thesis, you will see exactly what I mean. I can’t wait to follow his career and think that the English Department at Rice University is very lucky to receive Jay into its fold this fall.
– Taylor Black
