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Rhetoric and Composition Faculty

Our faculty are leaders in the field and are renowned scholars in a range of specialty areas, yet they share common interests in community, diversity, collaboration, cooperation, and ethical interactions with and support of our graduate students. Click on the names to link to their faculty pages.

Elías Domínguez Barajas, Associate Professor, Director of the College Composition Program
Interests: Paremiology; Discursive Practices; Oral Traditions / Verbal Art; Literacy Practices; Intercultural and Intracultural Communication

Jaclyn Fiscus-Cannaday, Assistant Professor of English
Interests: Composition and rhetoric, sociolinguistics, and multimodal composition pedagogy

Kristie S. Fleckenstein, Professor of English
Interests: materiality, visual literacy, feminist theory, and composition pedagogy

Tarez Samra Graban, Associate Professor of English [link to ePortfolio]
Interests: histories of rhetoric and composition, feminist rhetorical theory, digital humanities, archival studies, transnational feminism, multilingual writing

Rhea Estelle Lathan, Associate Professor English
Interests: African American and women's literacies, literacy development, the teaching of writing, critical race theory, identity politics

Michael Neal, Associate Professor of English, Program Director [link to ePortfolio]
Interests: writing assessment, digital technologies and composition, multi-media authorship and ownership

Kathleen Blake Yancey, Kellogg Hunt Professor and Distinguished Research Professor, retired: composition studies, writing assessment, reflection, and the intersections of culture, literacy and technologies

    Graduate Students

    The graduate students are the heart of our program. Their work is exceptional, and their enthusiasm is contagious. We strategically limit the number of students each year to ensure small graduate classes, personal mentoring, and plenty of professional opportunities. 

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    PhD Students

    • Kamila Albert

      Kamila received her MA in Writing and BA in Literature from Nova Southeastern University. Her research interests include writing center studies, multimodality, and design thinking. Kamila enjoys coffee, typography, and craft stores.

    • Chloe Allmand

      Chloe Allmand received her MA from Western Washington University. Her research interests include composition pedagogy, writing program administration, and feminist and queer rhetorics. She enjoys hiking, baking, and passing her drafts along to her cats, who always offer constructive feedback.

    • Brittany Barron

      Brittany graduated with her BA in English at the University of North Georgia, Gainesville and MFA in Creative Writing at Georgia College. Her research interests include composition pedagogy and feminist theory. In her spare time, she writes poetry about mad girls, and she bakes vegan cuisine.

    • Joel Bergholtz

      Joel double majored in FSU's own EWM program and Interdisciplinary Humanities before heading to Ball State for an MA in Rhet/Comp. His research is focused on how the public sphere and notions of the public(s) shifts alongside media technologies. He now self-identifies as FSU's prodigal son.

    • Amanda Brooks

      Amanda received her MA in Rhetoric and Composition from Florida State University and her BA from Stetson University. Her research interests include self-efficacy, online writing instruction, and composition pedagogy. Amanda enjoys crocheting, baking, and watching Disney movies.

    • Andrew Canino

      Andrew (he/him) received his BA in English Education from UNC-Greensboro and his MA in Literature from Appalachian State University. When not working on schoolwork, Andrew enjoys listening to music, reading, and going on drives.

    • Robert Cole

      Rob got his BA at Alabama and his MFA in poetry at Northern Michigan. He was an instructor at AUM for six years and a Visiting Professor at the Air Force War College Center for Writing Excellence for two terms. He has a dog who always barks whenever Rob writes a bio.

    • Brendan Hawkins

      Brendan received his MA in English from Appalachian State University. His research and teaching interests include faculty development, rhetorical genre studies, and rhetorical histories. Brendan enjoys podcasts about race and politics, CrossFit workouts, and trail runs.

    • Keelan Hawkins

      Keelan received her Masters in Rhet/Comp from App. State and her MFA in poetry from Bowling Green State. Her research interests center around the history of rhetorical theory and writing center studies. Otherwise, she enjoys cold brew and pet sitting (as she has no pets of her own).

    • Michael Healy

      Michael earned his BA from Creighton University, and his MA from the University of Nebraska Omaha. His research interests include techne, historiography, and the digital humanities. He also enjoys trail running, SUP, exploring nature, Star Trek, and our two golden retrievers: Mardi and Janeway.

    • Jake Hennessy

      Jake's research interests include composition pedagogy, mental health, labor, and assessment. He enjoys weightlifting, basketball, and gaming.

    • Drew Hundnall

      Drew received his BS in Music and BA in English from Johnson University and his MA in English from Florida Atlantic University. His scholarly interests include identity, feminist and queer studies, and empathy cultivation in pedagogy while his personal interests include surfing and writing music.

    • Amory Orchard

      Amory teaches courses in the College Composition Program; Editing, Writing, and Media major; and Peer Tutoring. She is the Williams Digital Studio Coordinator for the 2020-2021 academic year. Her passions include writing centers and programs, multimodal pedagogy, and her rambunctious cat Teddy.

    • Nitya Pandey

      Nitya received her MA in Professional Writing and Editing from West Virginia University. Her research interests include affect theory, virtual communication, online writing instruction, transnationalism, & social media. Nitya enjoys cooking fusion cuisines, mobile photography, long walks, and travel

    • Amanda Presswood

      Amanda Presswood is a PhD candidate and the Assistant Director of the Reading Writing Center. She has served as Chair of the WPA-GO and has taught courses in such as WEPO, Peer Tutoring, and ENC 2135. Her research is situated at the intersection of Writing Center and Second Language Studies.

    • Tricia Rizza

      Tricia received her B.A. in Foreign Language Education and M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from FSU. Her research interests are in Critical Race Theory, Literacies, and Composition Pedagogy. When not teaching, reading, or writing, she enjoys traveling with her husband Joe and their two children.

    • Katelyn Stark

      Katelyn Stark earned her BA and MA in English from Appalachian State University. She holds a graduate certificate in Publishing and Editing and has been a professional editor since 2013. Her research interests include writing transfer, professional writing, and online writing instruction.

    • Jessi Thomsen

      Jessi is a PhD candidate and recipient of a PEO Scholar Award. She holds an MA in English and an MEd in Secondary Teaching. Her golden retrievers supervise all of her research endeavors, including her current projects on reflection, mentoring, new materialisms, decoloniality, and sustainability.

    • Ashleah Wimberly

      Ashleah received a BA from Mississippi State and a MA in English from the University of North Dakota. Her research interests include composition pedagogy, writing program administration and assessment, and digital humanities. Ashleah enjoys playing games, watching cartoons, and drinking tea.

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    MA Students

    • Amanda Ayers

      Amanda received her BA in English Writing and Publication from the Univ. of North Georgia. Her research interests include pedagogy, assessment, digital discourse, & multimodality. Amanda enjoys cooking (and eating) pasta, listening to true crime podcasts, drinking dry red wine, and reading memoirs.

    • Hannah Betz

      Hannah received her BA in English from Flagler College. Her research interests include writing center studies, composition pedagogy, and philosophy. Hannah enjoys exercising outdoors, reading a good book, and trying new foods.

    • Dylan Candelora

      Dylan received a BA in English from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. His research interests include identity politics, marginalization, intersectionality, and sonic rhetorics. Dylan enjoys traveling to new places, exercising to his favorite music, and relaxing with video games or movies.

    • Gabriela Diaz Guerrero

      Gabi earned her BA in English with a Certificate in Professional and Public Writing from Florida International University. Her research interests include public memory, digital humanities, and writing center studies. Gabi enjoys baking things that are impractical for a total novice like her to try.

    • Shelby Henderson

      Shelby received her BA in English Literature from Florida State University. Her research interests include composition pedagogy, digital rhetoric, and student affect. Shelby loves cooking and baking, golfing, searching for her next favorite wine selection, and re-watching her favorite '90s rom-coms.

    • Kathleen Lipham

      Kathleen received her BA in EWM from FSU. Her research interests include writing pedagogy, archival methodologies, genre theory, and the rhetorical analysis of television and film. Kathleen enjoys watching The Office and listening to live recordings of The Grateful Dead, AC/DC, and Mumford & Sons.

    • Carmen Morley

      Carmen received her BA from Florida State University in the EWM program. Her research interests include new materialisms and archival studies. Most of her time is spent in thrift stores and exploring dog-friendly green spaces. Carmen is from Broward County, FL.

    • Alex Pippin

      Alex received her BA in English & Psychology from Wake Forest University. Her interests include writing center studies, multilingual writing, and sociolinguistics. She spends most of her time with her spoiled dog, debating on whether or not to work out while cooking everything in her Instant Pot.

    • Colton Seibert

      Colton received his B.A. in Editing, Writing, and Media from FSU. His research interests include visual rhetoric, multimodal composition, digital discourse, and socio-political rhetoric. He is a lighting operator at TENNS nightclub and a freelance audio engineer with a passion for the outdoors.

    • Venessa Tibedo

      Vanessa graduated with her BA in English from Florida State University in 2019. Her research interests include critical race theory, new materialisms, and composition pedagogy. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys doing arts & crafts, playing tabletop games, and watching horror movies.

    • Antonio Valencia

      Antonio received his BA in Editing, Writing, and Media and Media Communication Studies from Florida State. His research interests include visual rhetoric, digital humanities, and remix. He enjoys music, craft beer, cycling, and hosting shows on FSU’s radio station, WVFS Tallahassee 89.7 FM.

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    Alumni

    Alums from FSU's Rhetoric and Composition Program continue to make valuable contributions to the profession:

    • Matt Davis ('12) and Kara Taczak ('11), editors, Composition Studies

    • Kathleen Blake Yancey and Stephen McElroy ('14), editors, Assembling Composition 

    • Kathleen Blake Yancey, Liane Robertson ('11), and Kara Taczak ('11). Writing Across Contexts: Transfer, Composition, and Sites of Writing

    Williams Building by Bret Zawilski ('15)

     

    A complete list of PhD graduates, dissertation titles, and what they are doing now:

    2020
    • Ellen Cecil-Lemkin "Including Disability in Collaborative Writing Pedagogy"/ Visiting Instructor, Florida State University
    • Amanda May "New(er) Accounts, New(er) Networks: An Examination of Writing Center Social Media Practice" / Assistant Professor and Writing Center Director, New Mexico Highlands University
    • Kyllikki Rytov "iRhetoric: Classical Rhetoric in Digital Multimodal Compositions"
    • Meghan Velez "Framing ‘Quality’ in Context: A Study of Writing, Assessment, and What We Value in Quality Enhancement Plans" / Instructor of the Practice, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
    2019
    • Amy Cicchino "Notes Toward A Panoramic View: A National Portrait Of GTA Writing Pedagogy Education Across Doctoral Programs In Rhetoric and Composition" / Associate Director of University Writing, Auburn University
    • Anna Worm "Embodied Experiences in the Online Writing Center" / Assistant Professor, West Virginia University Institute of Technology
    • Jeanette Lehn "A Renewed Critical Pedagogy: Rethinking Activism within Writing Program Administration" / Lecturer in Composition, University of Pittsburgh
    • Travis Maynard "A Curriculum Delivered, A Curriculum Remembered: An Alumni Study of a Undergraduate Concentration in Writing and Rhetoric" / Assistant Professor, Elon University
    • Julianna Edmonds "Revitalizing Feminist Ethics for Composition Studies: From Standpoint to Epistemology" / Assistant Professor and First-Year Writing Coordinator, Valdosta State University
    • David Bedsole "Striking a Chord: Playing (with) Music in the Writing Classroom" / Instructor, University of Alabama
    2018
    • Martha McKay Canter "Rhetoric on a Slant: Eighteenth-Century Performances in Sarah Fielding" / Visiting Instructor, University of South Florida
    • Joe Cirio "Everyday Writing Assessment: An Alternate Approach to Writing Assessment Theory" / Assistant Professor, Stockton University
    • Jason Custer "More Modes, More Problems: Examining Tutor Education in Multimodal Writing Centers" / Assistant Professor, Minnesota State University Moorhead
    • Jennifer Enoch "'Do Not Forget His Name': Making and Remaking the Self in Everyday Writing" / Assistant Professor, Northwestern State University of Louisiana
    • Jeff Naftzinger "A Portrait of Everyday Writing: A Writer-Informed Approach" / Assistant Professor, Sacred Heart University
    2017
    • Andrew Burgess "'Like a Rolling Stone': Moving Toward Methodologies for Analysis of Multimodal Musical Performance" / Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Buffalo
    • Aimee Jones "The Role of Motivation in International ESL Graduate Students' Engagement with Writing at the University Writing Center" / Assistant Professor, Barry University
    • Megan Keaton "'I Just Kinda Messed with It': Investigating Students' Resources for Learning Digital Composing Technologies Outside of Class" / Assistant Professor, Pfeiffer University
    • Heather Lang "Understanding, Perception, and Accommodation of Disability in Writing Centers" / Assistant Professor, Susquehanna University
    • Erin Workman "Visualizing Transfer: How Do Students' Conceptual Writing Knowledge Structures Connect to Their Transfer of Writing Knowledge and Practice?" / Assistant Professor and Director of First-Year Writing, DePaul University
    • Kendall Sanchez "Requisite to Great Undertakings: Impacts of Self-Efficacy Beliefs in College Composition Instructors"
    2016
    • Molly Daniel "Dancing into the Digital: Embodied Performance and Digital Multimodal Composition" / Assistant Professor, University of North Georgia
    • Bruce Bowles "Taken Out of Context?: Examining the Influence of Context on Teachers' Written Responses to Student Writing" / Assistant Professor and Director of the University Writing Center, Texas A&M University-Central Texas
    • Logan Bearden "Favorable Outcomes: The Role of Outcomes Statements in Multimodal Curricular Transformation" / Assistant Professor and Director of First-Year Writing, Eastern Michigan University
    • Jacob Craig "The Past is Awake: Situating Composers' Mobile Practices within their Composing Histories" / Assistant Professor and Director of Writing, Rhetoric, and Publication, College of Charleston
    • Brittany Boykins "Inclusive Pulpit? Rhetoric and Gender in the African Methodist Episcopal Church" / Assistant Professor, Florida A&M University
    2015
    • Leah Cassorla "The Shifting Sands of Authority in the Age of Digital Convergence" / Visiting Assistant Professor, Trinity College Hartford, CT
    • Kendra Mitchell "Language in the Center: A Case Study of Multilingual Learners in a Historically Black University Writing Center" / Assistant Professor, Florida A&M University
    • Christine Martorana "Looking Outside to Empower Within: Feminist Activists, Feminist Agency, and the Composition Classroom" / Instructor, Florida International University, Writing Across the Curriculum Consultant
    • Bret Zawilski "When All That Is Old Becomes New: Transferring Writing Knowledge and Practice Across Print, Screen, and Network Spaces" / Lecturer in Critical Skills, Maynooth University, Ireland
    2014
    • Leigh Graziano "Mourning the Dead: Living Memorials, Rhetorical Functions, and Everyday Multimodality" / Associate Professor, Western Oregon University
    • Rory Lee "Now with More Modes?: The Curricular Design and Implementation of Multimodality in Undergraduate Major Programs in Writing/Rhetoric" / Assistant Professor, Ball State University
    • Stephen McElroy "Assembling Postcards: The Multimodal Production of Curt Teich & Company" / Assistant Professor and Director of First-Year Writing, Babson College
    • Josh Mehler "Mobile Vulgus: Everyday Writing, Portable Technology, and Counterpublics" / Learning Consultant at Healthesystems
    • Jennifer O'Malley "Writing as a Social Practice: How Interaction and Circulation are Enacted in the First-Year Writing Class" / Learning Consultant at Healthesystems
    • Elizabeth Powers "Reconstructing Florida's Ethos" / Associate Professor and Writing Center Director, University of Maine at Augusta
    • Natalie Szymanski "Untangling the Ecological Knots: Exploring the Creation and Maintenance of Sustainable Technology-enabled First Year Composition Programs" / Assistant Professor and Director of the College Writing Program, Buffalo State University
    • Katherine Bridgman "Dissolving Transnational Boundaries: Interfaces and Invitations to Embody" / Associate Professor and Writing Center Director at Texas A&M University, San Antonio
    2011-2012
    • Matt Davis "Rhetorical Composing: A Multimodal, Multimedia Model of Literacy" / Associate Professor and Director of the Center on Media and Society, University of Massachusetts, Boston
    • Scott Gage "Creating the Cult: Image-Word in the Formation of a Supremacist Community" / Associate Professor, Texas A&M, San Antonio
    • Tony Ricks "Communal Belief and Textual Invention: An Ethnographic Analysis of First-Year College Students' Writing Processes in a Living Learning Community" / Assistant Professor, Alabama A&M University
    • Liane Robertson "The Significance of Course Content in the Transfer of Writing Knowledge from First-Year Composition to Other Academic Contexts" / Associate Professor and WPA, University of South Florida, Tampa
    • Kara Taczak "Connecting the Dots: Does Reflection Foster Transfer?" / Teaching Associate Professor and ePortfolio Coordinator, University of Denver
    1990-2006
    • Tara Williams Bradley "Student Discussion of Assigned Reading in Online First-Year Writing Courses" / Senior Editor, Office of Research in the College of Education, Florida State University
    • Amy Hodges Hamilton "Writing From the Inside Out: Connecting Self and Community in the First-Year Writing Classroom" / Professor, Belmont University
    • Dan Melzer "Assignments across the Curriculum: A Study of Writing in the Disciplines" / Associate Professor and Associate Director of First-Year Writing, University of California, Davis
    • Pavel Zemiliansky "Genuine Training in Academic Discourse or an Artificial Construct?: Reconsidering the Past, Present, and Future of the College Research Paper" / Associate Professor of English for Academic Purposes, Oslo Metropolitan University
    • Deborah Teague "The Effects of College-Level Academic SkillsTest Instruction on the Development of First-Year Writers" / Director of College Writing, Flagler College

    Affiliated Faculty

    These are faculty members with whom we share interests and who have offered applicable courses and/or regularly serve on Rhetoric and Composition graduate committees.

    • Tamara Bertrand Jones, Associate Professor of Higher Education: socialization during graduate education, professional experiences of underrepresented populations (especially black women) in the academy
    • Vanessa Dennen, Professor of Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies: cognitive, motivational, and social elements of computer-mediated communication
    • Leigh H. Edwards, Associate Professor of English: media studies and popular culture
    • David Gants, Professor of English: history of texts technologies and digital humanities
    • Davis Houck, Professor of Communication: the American civil rights movement, mediated representations of sport, archival research and how it affects the writing of history
    • Allan Jeong, Associate Professor of Instructional Systems: computer-mediated communication, computer-supported collaborative work, collaborative learning
    • Don Latham, Professor of Communication: young adult literature, information behavior of youth, and information literacy
    • Paul Marty, Professor and Associate Dean in the College of Communication and Information: museum informatics, technology and culture, innovation and design, information and society
    • Donna Nudd, Professor of Communication, radical performance, media adaptation, feminism, pedagogy
    • Andy Opel, Associate Professor of Communication, video and documentary theory and production, environmentalism, and media and consumer culture
    • Jennifer Proffitt, Associate Professor of Communication, political rhetoric, media production, mass communication
    • Suzanne Sinke, Professor of History and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, migration and gender studies in the U.S.