RICHARD A. GRIJALVA
Rhetorical Scholar, Content Analyst, And Discourse Strategist
Austin,TX
Summary
Content professional with comprehensive experience in analyzing and refining content to maximize impact and engagement. Proven ability to collaborate seamlessly with teams, adapting to evolving project requirements while maintaining strong focus on delivering high-quality results. Recognized for strong analytical skills and strategic thinking.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
20
20
years of post-secondary education
3
3
Languages
Work History
AI Trainer and Content Writer
Independent Contractor - Self Employed
08.2024 - Current
- Reviewing, analyzing, and rating prompts, responses, and conversations for chatbots, LLMs, and Agentic AI models in various use cases (advice, brainstorming, business writing, classification, creative writing, rewriting, summarization, and closed and open question answering).
- Composing rubrics and answer keys to train LLMs and Agentic AI models to produce clearer, more accurate, and more consistent outputs.
- Producing specific, concrete, atomic, clear, and self-contained criteria needed for judging responses to meet model requirements for instruction following/retention, form and content constraints, jailbreak, citation failures, verbose responses, topic switching failiures, and source misattributions.
- Generating complex Ph.D.- level research-based prompts on humanities and social science topics reliant on textual and image data; reviewed and rated outputs from multiple models.
- Researching, fact-checking, and revising any
- Tagging AI prompts and responses for language quality and issues such as response quality, language quality, content sensitivity, or personal identification information.
ACLS Emerging Voices Postdoctoral Fellow
Center for Mexican American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin
01.2022 - Current
- Conducted primary source research at the Benson Latin American Collection
- Published scholarly research and reviews in Mexican Studies and Latinx Studies
- Founder and host, New Books in Mexican Studies Channel, New Books Network podcast
- Prepared and taught upper division course on Spirituality and Latinx History for the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies
- Organized scholarly presentation for Latino Studies in Fall 2023
Lecturer
Department of Rhetoric, University of California, Berkeley
01.2021 - 01.2022
- Created, prepared, and taught courses in the undergraduate Reading and Composition sequence
- Employed online, hybrid, and flipped classroom models for teaching courses
- Timely grading and submission of final grades to the University
- Consulted with students for office hours and advice on course assignments
- Wrote recommendations for students competing for scholarship and employment opportunities
Graduate Student Instructor
University of California, Berkeley
01.2012 - 01.2020
- Discussion section instructor for upper-division courses in Rhetoric
- Lead or partner instructor for lower-division courses in the departments of
- Recognized by the University as an Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor in 2019
Visiting Researcher
Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
01.2016 - 01.2018
- Conducted archival research at the Archivo General de la Nación (AGN) in Mexico City on the history, politics, and culture of late 18th and early 19th century Mexico
- Transcribed, translated, and incorporated data from primary documents in dissertation research
University Advancement
Tufts University
01.2006 - 01.2010
- July 2007- July 2010: Campaign Project Coordinator, Central Development Programs
- Planned and executed special events for Campaign and University Leadership
- Composed and distributed literature for major campaign leadership meetings and updates for Board of Trustees meetings
- Collaborated with colleagues in major gifts and annual giving to identify prospects and event attendees.
- Provided administrative support to Director of Central Development Programs
- January 2006 - July 2007: Administrative Assistant, Advancement Communications and Central Development Programs
- Supported two senior leadership directors in the advancement division, including scheduling, budget management, travel, and communications
Administrative Assistant
Long-Term Strategy Project
01.2005 - 12.2005
- Carried out administrative support duties for Chief-of-Staff of private interdisciplinary think tank, including travel planning and reimbursements, and budget support
- Edited, formatted, and managed the production of proprietary scholarship, including the delivery of product to national policymakers
Education
Ph.D. - Rhetoric
01.2012 - 01.2020
Dissertation: Political Spirituality and the Idea of México: From the Bourbon Reforms in New Spain to Mexican Independence (1740-1821)
M.A. - Rhetoric
01.2010 - 01.2012
M.A. - Philosophy
01.1998 - 01.2003
B.A. - Philosophy
01.1996 - 01.1998
GPA: magna cum laude
A.A. - Liberal Arts
01.1992 - 01.1995
Skills
Academic instruction
Course planning
Syllabus Creation
Developmental Editing and Writing Feedback
Online and in-person instruction
Student grades and records management
Educational support and mentoring
Academic Research
Stakeholder partnerships
Working with University-level student populations
University and grant maker policy compliance
Awards
- Emerging Voices Fellowship, American Council of Learned Societies, 01/01/22, 12/31/24
- Finalist, American Council of Learned Societies Emerging Voices Fellowship, 01/01/21
- Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, UC Berkeley Graduate Student Instructor Resource Center, 01/01/19
- Dissertation Completion Fellowship, Graduate Division, University of California, Berkeley, 01/01/16, 12/31/17
- UC MEXUS Dissertation Research Grant, University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States, 01/01/16, 12/31/18
- Mentored Research Award, UC Berkeley Graduate Division, 01/01/15, 12/31/16
- Chancellor's Opportunity Fellowship, UC Berkeley, 01/01/10, 12/31/14
- Bernard Lonergan, SJ Master's Degree Scholarship Recipient, Boston College, 01/01/98, 12/31/00
Activities
- Editorial Board Member, Qui Parle: Critical Humanities and Social Sciences, 01/01/11, 12/31/14
- Graduate Intern, Chicano-Latino Student Development, UC Berkeley, 01/01/10, 12/31/14
- CalDream Graduate Intern and Project Coordinator, Chicano-Latino Student Development, UC Berkeley, 01/01/12, 12/31/13
Timeline
AI Trainer and Content Writer - Independent Contractor - Self Employed
08.2024 - Current
ACLS Emerging Voices Postdoctoral Fellow - Center for Mexican American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin
01.2022 - Current
Lecturer - Department of Rhetoric, University of California, Berkeley
01.2021 - 01.2022
Visiting Researcher - Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
01.2016 - 01.2018
Graduate Student Instructor - University of California, Berkeley
01.2012 - 01.2020
University of California, Berkeley - Ph.D., Rhetoric
01.2012 - 01.2020
University of California, Berkeley - M.A., Rhetoric
01.2010 - 01.2012
University Advancement - Tufts University
01.2006 - 01.2010
Administrative Assistant - Long-Term Strategy Project
01.2005 - 12.2005
Boston College - M.A., Philosophy
01.1998 - 01.2003
Loyola Marymount University - B.A., Philosophy
01.1996 - 01.1998
Los Angeles Pierce College - A.A., Liberal Arts
01.1992 - 01.1995