Even from a young age, I’ve always enjoyed writing. While I struggled to understand and apply the rules of grammar and mechanics throughout middle school and high school, I still saw writing as an avenue for sharing ideas and engaging in dialogue with others. I had the privilege of learning from scholars dedicated to emphasizing the public good of writing here at Utah Tech University, where I studied professional and technical writing.
After graduating summa cum laude with my B.S. in English from DSU in 2014, I earned my M.A. (2016) and Ph.D. (2020) in English with an emphasis in rhetoric and composition, as well as a graduate certificate in Digital Humanities and Culture, from Washington State University (WSU). Both my master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation examined the role social media sites –including Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit— play in shaping civil discourse in public digital spaces. More specifically, my graduate research examined the effect personalizing algorithms have on creating online filter bubbles and how those digital enclaves reinforce online incivility.
I began teaching as a graduate assistant in 2015 and have enjoyed working with students in a variety of courses related to writing and technology. Once I completed my M.A., I was hired by Utah Tech University to teach English 2010 online and did so throughout most of my Ph.D. At WSU, I mostly taught technical communication courses designed for engineering students, as well as both introduction and upper-division courses in the Digital Technology & Culture department. Now at Utah Tech full time, I’ve enjoyed working with students as they refine their academic writing processes in English 1010, 2010, and 3010.
My research examines the intersections of composition, digital technology, and public discourse. Building off the research gathered during my doctoral dissertation, I am currently developing ways to understand personalizing algorithms (as seen on sites like Google, Facebook, and Amazon) as speakers in online rhetorical situations. I’m also planning projects that investigate best practices for using digital tools to implement community-engaged pedagogy in composition and technical writing classrooms, as well as strategies for preparing technical writing students for working in results only work environments.
In my down time, I enjoy watching basketball with my husband, taking my dog on long walks, and binging on the latest Netflix craze.