Ms. Melissa Hilary

Melissa Hilary is Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of English and Media Studies at St. Xavier’s College, Thumba, bringing over nine years of teaching experience to her role. Her scholarship sits at the intersection of graphic narratives, gender studies, cultural studies, and innovative language pedagogy, an interdisciplinary focus reflected in a substantial body of published research, including work in UGC-CARE listed journals. She is currently pursuing her doctoral research at the University of Kerala, further deepening her contributions to the field.

Beyond the classroom, Ms Hilary has been recognised internationally for her expertise in language teaching, serving as a trainer for the U.S. Department of State’s English Access Microscholarship Program from 2018 to 2020 and completing extensive professional development through the U.S. Embassy’s Regional English Language Office and the Global English Language Teacher Training Course. Her active participation in national and international conferences, coupled with her sustained engagement in faculty development programmes, reflects a career defined by intellectual curiosity, pedagogical innovation, and a firm commitment to academic excellence.

Research and Publications

• 1. "Good Girls and Bad Wolves?” - A Reading of Blurred Gender Roles and Parenthood in the Graphic Narratives of the Red Riding Hood" ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, Volume 5, Issue 3, March 2024 Edition (UGC CARE)
• 2. “ELT in Graphic Guise – Graphic Narratives and Adult Learners”, Teaching English in the Post Method Era: Challenges, Possibilities and Solutions, edited by Lal C A and Neeraja R, Bodhi Tree Books and Publications: 2021.
• 3. “You are quite Red and still so white: Presentation of Femininity in Bill Willingham’s Fables”, IJELLH, Vol. 7, Issue 1, January 2019, ISSN - 2321 - 7065
• 4. “Reimagining the Fairy Tale tradition in Bill Willingham’s Fables”, The Criterion, Vol. 9, Issue III (June 2018), ISSN 0976 - 8165
• 5. "Visual Representation of Relationships in Marc Ellerby’s and Dustin Harbin’s autobiographical webcomics." Edu -World, Volume XII, Number 7 April 2018 (Special Issue), ISSN 2319 - 7129

International / National / State-Level Seminars & Workshops Attended / Organized / Presented

• NEP Orientation and Sensitization Programme under Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme (MM-TTP) of University Grants Commission (UGC) organised by UGC - MMTTC, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram - 03.03.2025 to 13.03.2025
• Refresher Course in English Language and Literature conducted by UGC - Human Resource Development Centre, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Trivandrum - 13.09.2023 to 26.09.2023.
• Participated and presented a paper titled in the Three-Day Virtual International Conference on Gender Perspectives and Representations: Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges held at the VIT-AP School of Social Sciences & Humanities (VISH) - 20.06.2023 - 22.06.2023.
• Completed 150 hours of theory and practice in the Global English Language (GEL) Teacher Training Course, October 2020-May 2021 organized by Creighton University & Jesuit Worldwide Learning: Higher Education at the Margins.
• Three-part professional teacher training series on the topic Teaching Effectively Using Online Tools by American English Language Trainer Eileen Finn, Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi - December 2020.
• Three-part teacher training series on the topic Content and Language Integrated Learning in the Modern Classroom by English Language Specialist Dr. Sarah Sahr, Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi - September 2020.
• Three-part teacher training series on the topic Developing Critical Thinking Skills by English Language Specialist Amy Christensen, Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi - August 2020.
• Three-part professional teacher training series on the topic Using Canvas to Teach Online by American English Language Trainer Heather Mehrtens, Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi - August 2020.
• 4-week program by the Access Teachers Comics Institute, organised by The Office of English Language Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, July - August 2020.
• Three-part professional teacher training series on the topic Tools for Online Teaching by American English Language Trainer Toni Mclaughlan, Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi - June 2020.
• 3 month Global Online Course (GOC): The American English (AE) E-Teacher Program: by US Department of State and FHI360 and conducted by World Learning, SIT Graduate Institute: April - June 2020.
• 1 month Global Online Course (GOC): Spring 2020 Orientation Program by US Department of State and FHI360 and conducted by World Learning, SIT Graduate Institute - March 2020.