Graduate Students | Rhetoric and Composition

Desmond Adofo 

Ph.D.

Desmond Adofo earned a B.A and M.Ed. from U.C.C and U.E.W in Ghana. His research interests revolve around the intersection of rhetoric with areas in technology (AI/cybersecurity) and counseling psychology (motivation/career development). He enjoys dancing, cooking, movies, adventures, and philanthropy.

Lindsey Anderson

M.A.

Lindsey Anderson earned a B.A. in English-Editing, Writing, and Media at Florida State University. Her research interests include writing center studies and archival research. During her free time, she enjoys reading at the park or exploring new places around Tallahassee.

Amanda Ayers 

Ph.D.

Amanda Ayers earned a B.A. in English Writing and Publication from the University of North Georgia and an M.A. in Rhetoric and Composition at Florida State University. Her research interests include pedagogy, assessment, digital discourse, and multimodality.

Hannah Betz

Ph.D.

Hannah Betz earned a B.A. in English from Flagler College and an M.A. in Rhetoric and Composition at Florida State University. Her research interests include writing center studies, composition pedagogy, and digital/visual rhetoric.

Lila Raj Bimali

Ph.D.

Lila Raj Bimali's academic path has been shaped by a deep commitment to the field of English, beginning with earning an M.A. from Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal, and an M.Phil. from the Institute of Advanced Communication, Education, and Research (IACER), Pokhara University, Nepal.

Professionally, he has held influential roles in educational management, including serving as Principal and Academic Director at Bridgewater International College in Kathmandu, Nepal. These positions allowed him to lead academic programs and implement educational reforms that enhanced the institution's standards. Beyond teaching, he was also involved in research and development. As a Program Expert with the Social Welfare Council of Nepal, he has led significant research projects and evaluations, contributing to educational and environmental advancements in Nepal.

Amber Bixby

M.A.

Amber Bixby earned a B.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing from Flagler College. She is interested in compositional pedagogy, digital rhetorics, and popular culture studies. When not in class, Amber enjoys going on hikes and is on a first-name basis at the movie theater.

Kyle S. Bond

Ph.D.

Kyle S. Bond is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Rhetoric and Composition, graduate instructor, and College of Composition Program Assistant Director (Mentorship Coordinator) at Florida State University. He has presented at the 2019 Sunstone Symposium, 2024 South Atlantic Modern Language Association. His work appears in the NCTE’s English Journal, the Thomas Hardy Journal, and Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. He has two co-authored chapters with Romeo García in the Latter-day Eloquence: Two Centuries of Mormon Oratory anthology (forthcoming: under contract with the University of Illinois Press).

Olivia Brooks

M.A.

Olivia Brooks has experiences in the publishing industry by working as a story editor at a comic book publishing house, an editorial assistant at Thin Veil Press, an intern on the editorial team at Southeast Review and in Florida State University’s English department, and as the Managing Editor at Black Thoughts Editorial and Second Realm Publishing. Olivia’s interests lie in literary studies, genre criticism, and rhetoric in social and cultural issues. When she is not spending time writing or reading, she is finding new routes to go on long runs or is spending time with friends and family.

Madison Bradburn

Ph.D.

Madison Bradburn earned an M.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research interests include fandoms, video games, political organizations, and embodiment. From the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, Madison’s hobbies include hiking, farming, and looking around for cool bugs and animals. Fun fact: Madison’s favorite animal is the Hellbender salamander, the largest species of salamander in the Americas.

Joseph Cress

M.A.

Joseph Cress earned a B.A. in English from Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is interested in composition pedagogy and writing center studies, and his favorite pastimes in Tallahassee include thrifting, taking walks in nature, and going to the movie theater.

 

Sara Crippen

M.A.

 

Micaela Cuellar

Ph.D.

Micaela Cuellar's research interests lie at the intersection of composition and trauma studies. Her research considers the way writing heals both the individual and marginalized communities at large. Outside of school, Mica enjoys listening to live music, traveling, and finding the best Mexican food in town..

Angela D.

Ph.D.

Angela holds a B.S. in Professional Communication and an M.S. in Digital Media and Communication Studies. Her research focuses on inclusive pedagogy and assessment, disability and health rhetoric, and online writing instruction. Angela enjoys boating, painting, and spending time with her dog.

Gabriela Diaz Guerrero

Ph.D.

Gabi Guerrero earned a B.A. in English with a Certificate in Professional and Public Writing from Florida International University and an M.A .in Rhetoric and Composition from Florida State University. Her research interests include public memory, digital humanities, and writing center studies.

Samuel Hanson 

M.A.

Samuel Hanson earned a B.A. in English-Editing, Writing, and Media from Florida State University, and he now works for FSU fulltime while continuing the M.A. in Rhetoric and Composition.

His research interests include the intersection of rhetoric and media, especially the use of media as a lens to both identify and reflect upon our current cultural rhetorics. To study what is being said necessitates knowing what is being unsaid, and to that end he has sought to bring in new frameworks such as Hauntology, Hypertextuality, and Alterity to his understanding of conventional rhetoric.

Drew Hudnall

Ph.D.

Drew Hudnall earned an M.A. in English from Florida Atlantic University. His research interests include literacy, rhetoric, religion, and identity. In his free time, Drew enjoys skateboarding, skateboard filming and photography, surfing, thrifting, and cooking.

 

Alec Jordan

Ph.D.

 

Ifeoluwa Komolafe

M.A.

Ifeoluwa Komolafe earned a B.A. in English at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Given her work background in the media, she is interested in the intersection of rhetoric and the media. Her focus is on gender/feminist rhetoric, digital rhetoric, media rhetoric, and translingual writing.

Sam Kronforst

Ph.D.

Sam Kronforst earned a B.A .and and an M.A. in English-Rhetoric and Composition at the University of North Florida. His research interests include writing center studies, whiteness studies, and antiracism writing pedagogies and language practices.

Ashley Pendleton Lister

Ph.D.

Ashley Pendleton Lister earned a B.S. in English and English Education from William Woods University and an M.A. in English from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Her research interests lie in archival work, feminist rhetorics, and composition pedagogy. She also loves hot tea, the Great British Baking Show, and traveling with friends and family.

 

Angela Llovet

M.A.

 

 

Giana Nardelli

M.A.

 

Kandace Prather

M.A.

Kandace Prather earned a B.S. in English at Lane College located in Jackson, Tennessee. Her research interests include Black Feminist Thought, Black Feminism, African American rhetoric, Black rhetoric, and digital circulation. Outside of being a graduate student, Kandace is also a musical artist. She enjoys cooking, songwriting, singing, and crossword puzzles.

Shelby Ramsey

Ph.D.

Shelby Ramsey earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English at the University of Alabama with a focus in Rhetoric and Composition. Her research interests include composition pedagogy, digital rhetorics, feminist rhetorics, and decolonization. Shelby also enjoys gardening, baking, and playing with her dog and cat.

Lauren Reilly

Ph.D.

Lauren Reilly earned a B.S. in English Secondary Education and an M.A. in English from Southern Connecticut State University. Her research interests include writing center administration, digital rhetoric, and composition pedagogy.

Bridgette Sanders

Ph.D.

Bridgette earned her B.S. in journalism and minor in English from the University of Florida, an M.A. in English from the University of West Florida, an M.B.A. from St. Leo University, and a J.D. from Stetson University College of Law. She is a McKnight Fellow and a CCCC’s Scholars for the Dream Recipient. Her research interests are the rhetoric of empathy, Writing Across the Curriculum, and identity. She also writes poetry and plays the piano and violin.

 

Stephen Shambach

Ph.D.

 

Nicole Sirota

Ph.D.

Nicole Sirota earned a B.A. and an M.A. in Writing and Rhetoric at Florida International Univ. Her research interests include composition pedagogy, translingual writing, and writing program administration. She enjoys cooking for family and friends, lounging around with her pets, and visiting family in Brazil.

Megan Smith

M.A.

Megan Smith earned a B.A. in English-Editing, Writing, and Media from Florida State University. Her research interests are varied and constantly evolving; however, she is currently enthralled with feminist rhetorics, composition pedagogy, and visual rhetoric. Her favorite pastime is cheering for the Seminoles at Doak!

Daniel Stefanelli

Ph.D.

Daniel Stefanelli earned a B.A. in English from McDaniel College and an M.A. in Rhetoric-Composition from Texas Woman’s University. Their research interests include writing center studies, digital humanities, and the intersections of language and identity. In their free time, they enjoy studying new languages and petting dogs.

Tasnuva Tabassum

Ph.D.

Tasnuva Tabassum earned a B.A. and an M.A. in English at SUST, Bangladesh, and a second M.A. in English at Missouri State University. Her research interest include visual rhetorics, feminist writing, cultural/contemporary rhetorics. She enjoys poetry, films, food, traveling, and being with family and friends.

Milina Tamrakar

Ph.D.

Milina Tamrakar earned an M.A. degree in English from Tribhuvan University and M.Phil. from Institute of Advanced Communication, Education, and Research (IACER) from Nepal. Her interests are to research on Transnational Composition, Assessment, Composition Pedagogy, Digital Rhetoric, and Cultural Rhetoric. She has co-authored an English course book, Sajha English, published under local government Sajha Prakashan publication. She is fond of traveling, playing sitar, enjoying all forms of art, and cooking.

Sophia Ziemer

Ph.D.

Born and raised in Miami, Sophia Ziemer (she/her) grew up in a uniquely mixed-heritage family. She moved to Tallahassee in 2018 to attend Tallahassee State College. After falling in love with everything the city had to offer, she transferred to Florida State University and earned a B.A. in English-Editing, Writing, and Media (with honors) in 2022. She then earned an M.A .in Rhetoric and Composition in 2024, also at FSU. She is a proud 3x FSU English student. 

Sophia's research interests are somewhat expansive and vary depending on the day. Her current interests lie at the intersection of multicultural rhetorics and rhetorics of identity. She has previously conducted qualitative research on first-year composition knowledge transfer and student attitudes toward required writing courses and content. She is also deeply interested in writing center studies, digitality, and humorous pedagogical approaches.