Randy Gonzales

Associate Professor of English

Dr. James Wilson/BORSF Eminent Scholar Endowed Professorship in Southern Studies

M.A., University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 1994
Ph.D., The University of Southern Mississippi, 2014

Office: Griffin 266
Phone: 337-482-5486 or 337-482-5504
E-mail: randy.gonzales@louisiana.edu

Recent Courses Taught

HUMN 300: Coming of Age in Japanese Literature and Film
HUMN 300: Asian American Literature and Film
ENGL 462: Special Projects in Professional Writing
ENGL 473: Professional Editing
ENGL 474: Document Design
ENGL 480/1: Professional Design Studio I and II

Noteworthy

Randy Gonzales coordinates the Professional Writing program and teaches courses in Professional Writing and Asian American Studies. Randy’s research, writing, and community work revolve around Filipinos in Louisiana. He has written scholarly articles, text for historical markers, guidebook and encyclopedia entries, narrative essays, and poetry to share this research to a broad audience.

• Settling St. Malo (2023), a history in verse of Filipino Louisiana that is being taught in Asian American, Filipino American, and Louisiana literature courses throughout the US.
• Filipinola.com, a website and online archive that shares the history of Filipinos in Louisiana.
• “Filipinos,” encyclopedia entry on 64 Parishes.
• "Stories Told About the Nineteenth Century Filipino Settlement at St. Malo, Louisiana," scholarly essay in Louisiana Folklore Miscellany.

Randy has been recognized for his work by academic and public audiences. He has been

• Awarded Summerlee Book Award--Creative (2024) for Settling St. Malo for enriching our understanding of the history of the Gulf Coast region.
• Named a research fellow (2024-25) at the Center for History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast for research on the foodways of Filipino Louisiana.
• Interviewed by national and international media, including CNN, BBC, HuffPost, and ABS-CBN in the Philippines, and recognized by Positively Filipino (2021) as a “Remarkable and Famous Fil-Am.” 
• Awarded documentation and creation grant (2024-25) by New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation to support the film adaption of Settling St. Malo.
• Invited to speak about his work by book festivals, conferences, art museums, historical societies, universities, and community organizations.

Randy was the lead writer on UL Lafayette’s University’s 2020 Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a substantial report written in support of the University’s accreditation that was selected by SACSCOC as a model for other organizations preparing QEPs.

You can find out more about Randy at randygonzales.com