Dr. Joseph Emerson is a career educator. His research interests include the politics of education reform, adolescent political socialization, and the role of religious faith in cultivating personal leadership capacities. His previously published work includes a doctoral dissertation on educational interest groups, a policy paper on reframing school board governance, and a critical review of the literature on teachers’ unions. A portion of his dissertation has been used as a template by two lobby members of the United States Congress. His first novel, “Donald’s Cross” received the highest award from “Readers’ Favorite” and was profiled on Binding Ink, a national anti-bullying organization. His short story, “The Unlikely Hero,” about a teenage pacifist superhero, received third place from “Writer’s Digest” magazine, which he is currently adapting into a screenplay. For several years he was a co-host of podcast, which he wound up hating, however, his work has been featured on public radio stations across southeast Virginia. His commentary, “Sunday with Pete” has received almost 2000 views. In 2021, he was a panelist at New York Comic Con, the second-largest comic book convention in the nation, where he spoke on reclaiming personal narratives. When he’s not teaching Intro/AP Psychology in Newport News, Virginia he can be found reading, writing, doing a good binge, going to the movies, devouring college basketball and lacrosse, and creating mix-media portraits of comic book characters, superheroes, political figures, and pop cultural icons.