Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Download a PDF of my CV here.
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Assistant Professor, English (Professional and Technical Writing). George Mason University.
Aug. 2013 to present
Graduate Teaching Assistant, English/Rhetoric and Writing. Virginia Tech. Aug. 2009 to May 2013
Writing Center Coach, Virginia Tech Writing Center. Jan. 2012 to May 2012
Adjunct Professor, School of Management. George Mason University. Aug. 2007 to May 2009
Teaching Fellow, English. Northern Virginia Community College/George Mason University.
Aug. 2006 to May 2007
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Rhetoric and Writing. Virginia Tech, Aug. 2009 to May 2013
Dissertation: Conscientious Object-ion: Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Medical Controversy Committee: Dr. Bernice Hausman (Director), Dr. Paul Heilker, Dr. Kelly Pender, Dr. Carolyn Rude
M.A., English, Professional Writing and Rhetoric. George Mason University, Aug. 2005 to May 2007
Thesis: Emerging Genres in Professional Writing: Corporate Rhetoric and New Media
Committee: Dr. Byron Hawk (Director), Dr. Eric Anderson, Dr. Darren Cambridge
B.A., English, Honors. Mary Washington College, Aug. 1998 to May 2002
Thesis: “History is the Nightmare from which I am Trying to Awake”: Derek Walcott and Caribbean Literature Director: Dr. Mara Scanlon
AWARDS
Outstanding Dissertation (Social Science, Business, Education, and Humanities [SSBEH]), Virginia Tech, 2014
Outstanding Graduate Student, Professional Writing and Editing, George Mason University, 2007
PUBLICATIONS
Published
Scott, Jennifer Bracken, Kristin Kondrlik, Heidi Y. Lawrence, Susan Popham, and Candice Welhausen. “Rhetoric, Ebola, and Vaccination: A Conversation Among Scholars.” POROI: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Rhetorical Analysis and Invention 11.2 (Dec. 2015): 1-26. ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol11/iss2/5/
Lawrence, Heidi Y. Review of Vaccinations and Public Concern in History: Legend, Rumor, and Risk Perception. Journal of Business and Technical Communication 29.4 (October 2015): 490-495.
Lawrence, Heidi Y. “Healthy Bodies, Toxic Medicines: Vaccination Beliefs and the Rhetorics of Health, Illness, and the Body.” Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 87.4 (2014): 423-437. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4257030/
Lawrence, Heidi Y., Bernice L. Hausman, and Clare J. Dannenberg. “Reframing Medicine’s Publics: The Local as a Public of Vaccine Refusal.” Journal of the Medical Humanities 35.2 (June 2014): 111-129.
Dannenberg, Clare J., Bernice L. Hausman, Heidi Y. Lawrence, and Katrina M. Powell. “The Moral Appeal of Environmental Discourses: The Implication of Ethical Rhetorics.” Environmental Communication 6.2 (Summer 2012): 212-232.
Grant Proposals
“Rhetorical Approaches to Vaccination Controversy.” With Bernice Hausman. Role: Collaborator/Co-PI. American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Collaborative Research Fellowship. Submitted September 24, 2015. Not funded.
“A Multidisciplinary Approach to Mitigating Campus Sexual Assault.” With Bonnie Stabile, Nance Lucas, Angela Hattery, Anthony Stefanidis, Siona Listokin-Smith, Patricia Maulden, Linn Jorgenson, Kate Destler, and Jessica Terman. Role: Collaborator/Co-PI. Provost’s Multidisciplinary Initiative Grant Program. May-June 2015. Funded July 2015, $25,000.
“The Persuasive Appeal of Vaccine Refusal: Identifying and Addressing Alternative Health Literacies.” Role: Grant Writer. National Institutes of Health (NIH), June 2010 and March 2011. Not funded.
“Language, Learning, and Civic Action: School Children and the Discourses of Environmental Sustainability.” Role: Grant Writer. The Spencer Foundation, December 2009. Not funded.
Invited Articles and Media
Lawrence, Heidi. (Invited Article) “Rhetoric, Language, and Addressing Social Problems.” The George Mason Review 25 (May 2016).
Gross, Rachel. (Media Interview) “The Martian and the Cult of Science.” Slate.com 2 October 2015. www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/10/ridley_scott_s_the_martian_film_science_worship_and_the_scientist_as_hero.html
Government Reports
Marmagas, Susan, Clare Dannenberg, Francois Elvinger, Bernice Hausman, Libby Anthony, Stacy Boyer, Lauren Fortenberry, and Heidi Lawrence. “Cumberland Plateau Health District 2009-2010 Flu Season Vaccine Study.” Roles: Co-author and Copyeditor. Virginia Department of Health (VDH), October 2011.
After-Action Report for the Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – East Baton Rouge Parish. Role: Contributing Writer and Editor. U.S. Department of Homeland Security/State of Louisiana, 2006.
After-Action Report for the University of Oklahoma Bombing. Role: Editor. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2005-2006.
PRESENTATIONS
At National Conferences: Paper Presentations
“Vaccination, Persuasiveness, and Rhetorical Theory: Beyond the Deficit Model.” 2016 Conference of the Rhetoric Society of America (RSA). Atlanta, GA. Forthcoming, May 29, 2016.
“Medicolegal Rhetorics: Medicine as Arbitrator in Competing Discourses about Disease and Disability.” 2016 Conference of the RSA. Atlanta, GA. Forthcoming, May 27, 2016.
“Skepticism and Doubt in Outbreak: A Study of Community Perspectives on Disease, Health, and Medicine following Pertussis.” Association for the Rhetoric of Science, Technology, and Medicine (ARSTM) Preconference. Atlanta, GA. Forthcoming, May 26, 2016.
“Rhetorical Analysis of Media Coverage of Campus Sexual Assault: Implications for Policy.” Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Annual Conference. April 7, 2016.
“Understanding Voluntary Nonvaccination: Qualitative Approaches to Research.” American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) 2015 Conference. Houston, TX. October 24, 2015.
"'I’m Not a Coincidence:' Reflective Persuasiveness and the Before-and-After Trope in Vaccine Narratives" American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) 2014 Conference. San Diego, CA. October 16, 2014.
“Enacting Health through Illness: Infant Immune Systems as Borderland Bodies.” 2014 Conference of the Rhetoric Society of America (RSA). San Antonio, TX. May 22-26, 2014.
“Professional Constraints and Exigencies: How Doctors do Disease through Vaccination.” Association for the Rhetoric of Science and Technology (ARST) Preconference. Washington, D.C. November 20, 2013.
“Adult Vaccination and the Health Belief Model: Historical Lessons about Vaccine Controversy from Polio and the 1976 National Influenza Immunization Program.” American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA. Oct. 29, 2012.
“Vaccination, Rhetoric, and Bioethics.” ASBH Conference. Washington, D.C. Oct. 19, 2012
“Constructing Severity: Health Communication and Perceptions of Seriousness in Flu Discourse.” 2012 Conference of the RSA. Philadelphia, PA. May 27, 2012.
“Rhetorics of Risk, Authority, and Presence in Vaccine Controversy.” 2012 Conference of the RSA. Philadelphia, PA. May 26, 2012.
“’Doesn’t Scare Me, the Flu’: Seriousness and Personal Risk in Vaccination Discourse.” ARST Preconference. Philadelphia, PA. May 24, 2012.
“Science Versus the Playboy Bunny: Jenny McCarthy and Embodied Rhetorics in Vaccine Controversy.” Gender, Bodies, and Technology (GBT) Conference. Roanoke, VA. Apr. 25, 2012.
“Countering Vaccination: Online Confession and Subverting the Medical Gaze.” International Society for the Study of Narrative Annual Conference. Mar. 27, 2012.
“Zealots and Murderers: Vaccination Satire.” International Society for the Study of Narrative Annual Conference. St. Louis, MO. Apr. 8, 2011.
“Constructed Audiences and Exigencies in Satire.” 2010 Thomas R. Watson International Conference on Rhetoric and Composition. Louisville, KY. Oct. 15, 2010.
“Crisis, Risk, and Business-Community Communication.” Association for Business Communication (ABC) 74th Annual Convention. Portsmouth, VA. Nov. 6, 2009.
“Rhetorical Situatedness and the Web: Kairos, Genre, and Pedagogy.” The 59th Annual Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). San Francisco, CA. Mar. 12, 2009.
At National Conferences: Poster Presentations
“The Rhetoric of Campus Sexual Assault: Media Constructions of Student Advocacy and Campus Citizenship.” 19th Annual Conference, Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW). Houston, TX. April 6, 2016.
“Communicating Risk: Organizational Contexts, Audiences, and Constraints.” Association for Business Communication (ABC) 79th Annual International Conference. Philadelphia, PA. October 23, 2014.
“Understanding Persuasion in Medical Contexts: Physician Communication Strategies and Vaccination Controversy.” American Medical Writers Association Annual Conference. Columbus, OH. November 8, 2013.
“Failed Science, Failed Rhetoric (?): Andrew Wakefield and the Discourses of Scientific Controversy. 15th Annual Conference, Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW). St. Louis, MO. Mar. 20, 2012.
Invited Presentations and Symposia
“How Vaccines are Different for Skeptical Parents: A Material Approach to Communication.” Invited presentation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Communication Science Office, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Atlanta, GA. May 27, 2016.
“Campus Sexual Assault: Rhetorical Analysis of Media Coverage and Implications for Policy.” School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs, George Mason University. March 16, 2016.
“Vaccination Controversy: The Rhetoric of Vaccine Refusal in Professional and Public Contexts.” Multidisciplinary Research Symposium, George Mason University. April 27, 2015.
“Vaccine Controversy: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Understanding Skepticism and Shaping Clinical Interventions.” Sponsored by Rowan University and the Hollybush Institute, April 10, 2014.
“Building Interdisciplinary Research Programs: Methods and Epistemologies in Medical Research.” Symposium on Vaccine Discourse. East Carolina University. September 24, 2013.
RESEARCH GROUPS AND COLLABORATIONS
Affiliate Faculty, Vaccination Research Group (VRG). Virginia Tech. Jan. 2010 to Present. <http://www.vaccination.english.vt.edu>
Graduate Research Assistant, Cumberland Plateau Health District 2009-2010 Flu Season Vaccine Study. Collaboration with the Virginia Tech Masters in Public Health (MPH) Program, funded by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Jan. 2011 to Oct. 2011.
Graduate Research Assistant, Environmental Discourses Research Group. Virginia Tech. Aug. 2009 to May 2011
TEACHING
At George Mason University
English 824: Medicine, Health, and Technical Communication (Spring 2016)
Students read current theoretical approaches to analyzing and understanding medicine and health, examine how those theories can be used to interrogate standards of health care and communication, and analyze approaches to medical communication as addressed within the field of professional and technical writing.
English 613: Technical Communication/English 824: Advanced Technical Communication (Fall 2014; cross-list Fall 2015)
Students examine contemporary issues the communication of technical and scientific concepts by exploring their historical precedents, theoretical implications, and practice in professional settings.
For PhD cross-list (fall 2015): PhD students expand upon the theoretical and practical issues identified in the course by leading class discussions, teaching key concepts, and developing final projects aimed to advance research in the theory, teaching, and practice of technical communication.
English 502: Research Methods in Professional Writing and Rhetoric (Spring 2014)
Students investigate the methods of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods used in professional writing and rhetoric. Students examine how these methods engage different forms of knowledge production in both academic and workplace environments.
English 501: Introduction to Professional Writing and Rhetoric (Fall 2013, Fall 2014)
In this graduate seminar, students examine the practical, historical, and theoretical underpinnings of professional communication as a rhetorical art.
English 388: Professional and Technical Writing (Fall 2013, Spring 2014)
Students learn about the role that communication plays in a variety of professional and technical environments by analyzing and producing a wide variety audiences, genres, and texts.
Business Models: A Communications Approach (10 sections, Fall 2007 to Spring 2009)
Students developed business communications, research, and writing skills by producing workplace documentation and professional presentations.
At Virginia Tech
English 3154: Literature, Medicine, and Culture (Fall 2012)
Students examine the impact of culture on science and medicine by analyzing medical narratives in fiction, nonfiction, television, and film. Students also research and produce reflective essays on contemporary issues in health and medicine for publication online.
English 3764: Technical Writing (Fall 2012)
Students analyze audiences, conduct research, and produce workplace genres such as memos, instructions, proposals, and web content tailored to specific situations and exigencies.
English 4804: Grant Proposals and Reports (Teaching Assistant, Spring 2011)
Students worked with community partners, such as the YMCA, Junior Achievement of America, and a local hospice, to research grant opportunities, write organizational summaries, and draft proposal documents for community partner use.
At Northern Virginia Community College
College Composition II (Spring 2007)
Students conducted cultural analyses of fiction and nonfiction texts and produced analytical essays and multi-modal texts that examined the significance of related social issues.
College Composition I (Fall 2006)
Students wrote personal and research essays while examining audience and genre conventions of academic and public writing.
Supervised Studies and Projects
PhD Independent Study
MA Independent Study
PhD Independent Study
MA Projects
MA Theses:
SERVICE
To the Field
Member, STC Education Advisory Panel. May 2016 to May 2017.
Judge, Society for Technical Communication (STC) Washington D.C.-Baltimore Chapter, 2015 Technical Communication Awards. Winter 2015-2016.
Enculturation: A Journal of Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture. 2009 to present. http://www.enculturation.net
Review Board Member, October 2015 to present
Senior Copy Editor, July 2014 to September 2015
Assistant Editor, January 2013 to July 2014
Copy Editor, May 2009 to December 2012
At George Mason University
Faculty Sponsor, Society for Technical Communication Student Chapter. Fall 2014 to present. www.stc-gmu.org
“Developing an Academic Poster Workshop.” Workshop on academic poster presentations and proposals for MA and PhD students. George Mason University. October 14, 2014.
“Rhetoric and Writing.” English 305, George Mason University. February 26, 2014, and November 12, 2014
Member, Outreach Committee, Aug. 2013 to present.
Facilitator, Faculty Writing Academy. Summer and Fall 2014.
Writing Center Coach, Writing Center, Virginia Tech. Jan. 2012 to May 2012
Assistant Director, Center for the Study of Rhetoric in Society. Virginia Tech, Aug. 2009 to Dec. 2011
Assisted interim director with coordination of faculty research projects in rhetoric and civil rights, health care, and data analytics. Contribute to project administrative needs, such as reviewing documentation, finalizing publications, and providing feedback and input on emerging findings.
Professional Writing Intern Supervision
Special Event Coordination
Blue Ridge Writing Project (BRWP)
Other Support
PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS EXPERIENCE
Technical Communications and Management
Communication Training, January 2016 to Present, Insignia Federal Group
Quality Assurance Manager, 2005 to 2007, L-3 Communications
Federal Proposal Writing and Management
Professional Writing Consultant, 2008 to Present
Proposal Manager, 2007 to 2008, Atteloir, Inc.
Marketing and Proposal Communications Specialist, 2003, Atteloir, Inc.
Marketing and Web Writing
Entertainment Content Intern, The Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, 2002
Marketing Intern, 2000 to 2002, Collegiate Funding Services (CFS)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Rhetoric Society of America (RSA)
Association for Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW)
Society for Technical Communication (STC)
American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH)
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Assistant Professor, English (Professional and Technical Writing). George Mason University.
Aug. 2013 to present
Graduate Teaching Assistant, English/Rhetoric and Writing. Virginia Tech. Aug. 2009 to May 2013
Writing Center Coach, Virginia Tech Writing Center. Jan. 2012 to May 2012
Adjunct Professor, School of Management. George Mason University. Aug. 2007 to May 2009
Teaching Fellow, English. Northern Virginia Community College/George Mason University.
Aug. 2006 to May 2007
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Rhetoric and Writing. Virginia Tech, Aug. 2009 to May 2013
Dissertation: Conscientious Object-ion: Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Medical Controversy Committee: Dr. Bernice Hausman (Director), Dr. Paul Heilker, Dr. Kelly Pender, Dr. Carolyn Rude
M.A., English, Professional Writing and Rhetoric. George Mason University, Aug. 2005 to May 2007
Thesis: Emerging Genres in Professional Writing: Corporate Rhetoric and New Media
Committee: Dr. Byron Hawk (Director), Dr. Eric Anderson, Dr. Darren Cambridge
B.A., English, Honors. Mary Washington College, Aug. 1998 to May 2002
Thesis: “History is the Nightmare from which I am Trying to Awake”: Derek Walcott and Caribbean Literature Director: Dr. Mara Scanlon
AWARDS
Outstanding Dissertation (Social Science, Business, Education, and Humanities [SSBEH]), Virginia Tech, 2014
Outstanding Graduate Student, Professional Writing and Editing, George Mason University, 2007
PUBLICATIONS
Published
Scott, Jennifer Bracken, Kristin Kondrlik, Heidi Y. Lawrence, Susan Popham, and Candice Welhausen. “Rhetoric, Ebola, and Vaccination: A Conversation Among Scholars.” POROI: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Rhetorical Analysis and Invention 11.2 (Dec. 2015): 1-26. ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol11/iss2/5/
Lawrence, Heidi Y. Review of Vaccinations and Public Concern in History: Legend, Rumor, and Risk Perception. Journal of Business and Technical Communication 29.4 (October 2015): 490-495.
Lawrence, Heidi Y. “Healthy Bodies, Toxic Medicines: Vaccination Beliefs and the Rhetorics of Health, Illness, and the Body.” Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 87.4 (2014): 423-437. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4257030/
Lawrence, Heidi Y., Bernice L. Hausman, and Clare J. Dannenberg. “Reframing Medicine’s Publics: The Local as a Public of Vaccine Refusal.” Journal of the Medical Humanities 35.2 (June 2014): 111-129.
Dannenberg, Clare J., Bernice L. Hausman, Heidi Y. Lawrence, and Katrina M. Powell. “The Moral Appeal of Environmental Discourses: The Implication of Ethical Rhetorics.” Environmental Communication 6.2 (Summer 2012): 212-232.
Grant Proposals
“Rhetorical Approaches to Vaccination Controversy.” With Bernice Hausman. Role: Collaborator/Co-PI. American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Collaborative Research Fellowship. Submitted September 24, 2015. Not funded.
“A Multidisciplinary Approach to Mitigating Campus Sexual Assault.” With Bonnie Stabile, Nance Lucas, Angela Hattery, Anthony Stefanidis, Siona Listokin-Smith, Patricia Maulden, Linn Jorgenson, Kate Destler, and Jessica Terman. Role: Collaborator/Co-PI. Provost’s Multidisciplinary Initiative Grant Program. May-June 2015. Funded July 2015, $25,000.
“The Persuasive Appeal of Vaccine Refusal: Identifying and Addressing Alternative Health Literacies.” Role: Grant Writer. National Institutes of Health (NIH), June 2010 and March 2011. Not funded.
“Language, Learning, and Civic Action: School Children and the Discourses of Environmental Sustainability.” Role: Grant Writer. The Spencer Foundation, December 2009. Not funded.
Invited Articles and Media
Lawrence, Heidi. (Invited Article) “Rhetoric, Language, and Addressing Social Problems.” The George Mason Review 25 (May 2016).
Gross, Rachel. (Media Interview) “The Martian and the Cult of Science.” Slate.com 2 October 2015. www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/10/ridley_scott_s_the_martian_film_science_worship_and_the_scientist_as_hero.html
Government Reports
Marmagas, Susan, Clare Dannenberg, Francois Elvinger, Bernice Hausman, Libby Anthony, Stacy Boyer, Lauren Fortenberry, and Heidi Lawrence. “Cumberland Plateau Health District 2009-2010 Flu Season Vaccine Study.” Roles: Co-author and Copyeditor. Virginia Department of Health (VDH), October 2011.
After-Action Report for the Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – East Baton Rouge Parish. Role: Contributing Writer and Editor. U.S. Department of Homeland Security/State of Louisiana, 2006.
After-Action Report for the University of Oklahoma Bombing. Role: Editor. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2005-2006.
PRESENTATIONS
At National Conferences: Paper Presentations
“Vaccination, Persuasiveness, and Rhetorical Theory: Beyond the Deficit Model.” 2016 Conference of the Rhetoric Society of America (RSA). Atlanta, GA. Forthcoming, May 29, 2016.
“Medicolegal Rhetorics: Medicine as Arbitrator in Competing Discourses about Disease and Disability.” 2016 Conference of the RSA. Atlanta, GA. Forthcoming, May 27, 2016.
“Skepticism and Doubt in Outbreak: A Study of Community Perspectives on Disease, Health, and Medicine following Pertussis.” Association for the Rhetoric of Science, Technology, and Medicine (ARSTM) Preconference. Atlanta, GA. Forthcoming, May 26, 2016.
“Rhetorical Analysis of Media Coverage of Campus Sexual Assault: Implications for Policy.” Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Annual Conference. April 7, 2016.
“Understanding Voluntary Nonvaccination: Qualitative Approaches to Research.” American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) 2015 Conference. Houston, TX. October 24, 2015.
"'I’m Not a Coincidence:' Reflective Persuasiveness and the Before-and-After Trope in Vaccine Narratives" American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) 2014 Conference. San Diego, CA. October 16, 2014.
“Enacting Health through Illness: Infant Immune Systems as Borderland Bodies.” 2014 Conference of the Rhetoric Society of America (RSA). San Antonio, TX. May 22-26, 2014.
“Professional Constraints and Exigencies: How Doctors do Disease through Vaccination.” Association for the Rhetoric of Science and Technology (ARST) Preconference. Washington, D.C. November 20, 2013.
“Adult Vaccination and the Health Belief Model: Historical Lessons about Vaccine Controversy from Polio and the 1976 National Influenza Immunization Program.” American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA. Oct. 29, 2012.
“Vaccination, Rhetoric, and Bioethics.” ASBH Conference. Washington, D.C. Oct. 19, 2012
“Constructing Severity: Health Communication and Perceptions of Seriousness in Flu Discourse.” 2012 Conference of the RSA. Philadelphia, PA. May 27, 2012.
“Rhetorics of Risk, Authority, and Presence in Vaccine Controversy.” 2012 Conference of the RSA. Philadelphia, PA. May 26, 2012.
“’Doesn’t Scare Me, the Flu’: Seriousness and Personal Risk in Vaccination Discourse.” ARST Preconference. Philadelphia, PA. May 24, 2012.
“Science Versus the Playboy Bunny: Jenny McCarthy and Embodied Rhetorics in Vaccine Controversy.” Gender, Bodies, and Technology (GBT) Conference. Roanoke, VA. Apr. 25, 2012.
“Countering Vaccination: Online Confession and Subverting the Medical Gaze.” International Society for the Study of Narrative Annual Conference. Mar. 27, 2012.
“Zealots and Murderers: Vaccination Satire.” International Society for the Study of Narrative Annual Conference. St. Louis, MO. Apr. 8, 2011.
“Constructed Audiences and Exigencies in Satire.” 2010 Thomas R. Watson International Conference on Rhetoric and Composition. Louisville, KY. Oct. 15, 2010.
“Crisis, Risk, and Business-Community Communication.” Association for Business Communication (ABC) 74th Annual Convention. Portsmouth, VA. Nov. 6, 2009.
“Rhetorical Situatedness and the Web: Kairos, Genre, and Pedagogy.” The 59th Annual Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). San Francisco, CA. Mar. 12, 2009.
At National Conferences: Poster Presentations
“The Rhetoric of Campus Sexual Assault: Media Constructions of Student Advocacy and Campus Citizenship.” 19th Annual Conference, Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW). Houston, TX. April 6, 2016.
“Communicating Risk: Organizational Contexts, Audiences, and Constraints.” Association for Business Communication (ABC) 79th Annual International Conference. Philadelphia, PA. October 23, 2014.
“Understanding Persuasion in Medical Contexts: Physician Communication Strategies and Vaccination Controversy.” American Medical Writers Association Annual Conference. Columbus, OH. November 8, 2013.
“Failed Science, Failed Rhetoric (?): Andrew Wakefield and the Discourses of Scientific Controversy. 15th Annual Conference, Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW). St. Louis, MO. Mar. 20, 2012.
Invited Presentations and Symposia
“How Vaccines are Different for Skeptical Parents: A Material Approach to Communication.” Invited presentation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Communication Science Office, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Atlanta, GA. May 27, 2016.
“Campus Sexual Assault: Rhetorical Analysis of Media Coverage and Implications for Policy.” School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs, George Mason University. March 16, 2016.
“Vaccination Controversy: The Rhetoric of Vaccine Refusal in Professional and Public Contexts.” Multidisciplinary Research Symposium, George Mason University. April 27, 2015.
“Vaccine Controversy: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Understanding Skepticism and Shaping Clinical Interventions.” Sponsored by Rowan University and the Hollybush Institute, April 10, 2014.
“Building Interdisciplinary Research Programs: Methods and Epistemologies in Medical Research.” Symposium on Vaccine Discourse. East Carolina University. September 24, 2013.
RESEARCH GROUPS AND COLLABORATIONS
Affiliate Faculty, Vaccination Research Group (VRG). Virginia Tech. Jan. 2010 to Present. <http://www.vaccination.english.vt.edu>
- Conduct field study on pertussis outbreaks and health beliefs.
- Conduct original research in vaccine refusal, including literature reviews in medicine and public health, media analyses of current issues in vaccination controversy, and review of popular books on vaccinations and public responses to vaccine mandates.
- Research on medical and public health responses to vaccine refusal, including interviewing medical and health professionals and reviewing related literature. Train undergraduate and graduate researchers on qualitative interview practices.
- Collaborate with faculty and students to develop and conduct research projects, including surveys, media research, and data analysis.
- Develop website for the Vaccination Research Group. Write content and develop functionality. Supervise undergraduate web and content development tasks.
- Supervise undergraduate researchers and interns in conduct of literature reviews in public health, medicine, psychology, and science disciplines. Assist with research, report and annotation writing, and technical writing for web publication.
Graduate Research Assistant, Cumberland Plateau Health District 2009-2010 Flu Season Vaccine Study. Collaboration with the Virginia Tech Masters in Public Health (MPH) Program, funded by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Jan. 2011 to Oct. 2011.
- Conducted qualitative interviews of parents’ beliefs surrounding flu and flu vaccine.
- Conducted online survey of flu and flu vaccine beliefs among 18-25 year old college students in the Cumberland Plateau Health District.
- Conducted quantitative analysis of college student data, using pivot tables and analyses to develop descriptive data about respondents’ conceptions of flu severity. Compose analysis for report.
- Conducted qualitative analysis of interview data, coding for concepts of flu severity and seriousness in relationship to likelihood to vaccinate. Compose analysis for report.
- Co-author on report of findings to VDH. This 80-page report offers a complete overview of research and provides strategic recommendations for flu informational and outreach efforts.
Graduate Research Assistant, Environmental Discourses Research Group. Virginia Tech. Aug. 2009 to May 2011
- Conducted, transcribed, and coded 15 qualitative sociolinguistic interviews for pilot study of college students’ perspectives on earth sustainability and conservation activities.
- Collaborated with co-authors to research and write article manuscripts, conference presentations, and grant proposals in faculty collaborative research group.
TEACHING
At George Mason University
English 824: Medicine, Health, and Technical Communication (Spring 2016)
Students read current theoretical approaches to analyzing and understanding medicine and health, examine how those theories can be used to interrogate standards of health care and communication, and analyze approaches to medical communication as addressed within the field of professional and technical writing.
English 613: Technical Communication/English 824: Advanced Technical Communication (Fall 2014; cross-list Fall 2015)
Students examine contemporary issues the communication of technical and scientific concepts by exploring their historical precedents, theoretical implications, and practice in professional settings.
For PhD cross-list (fall 2015): PhD students expand upon the theoretical and practical issues identified in the course by leading class discussions, teaching key concepts, and developing final projects aimed to advance research in the theory, teaching, and practice of technical communication.
English 502: Research Methods in Professional Writing and Rhetoric (Spring 2014)
Students investigate the methods of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods used in professional writing and rhetoric. Students examine how these methods engage different forms of knowledge production in both academic and workplace environments.
English 501: Introduction to Professional Writing and Rhetoric (Fall 2013, Fall 2014)
In this graduate seminar, students examine the practical, historical, and theoretical underpinnings of professional communication as a rhetorical art.
English 388: Professional and Technical Writing (Fall 2013, Spring 2014)
Students learn about the role that communication plays in a variety of professional and technical environments by analyzing and producing a wide variety audiences, genres, and texts.
Business Models: A Communications Approach (10 sections, Fall 2007 to Spring 2009)
Students developed business communications, research, and writing skills by producing workplace documentation and professional presentations.
At Virginia Tech
English 3154: Literature, Medicine, and Culture (Fall 2012)
Students examine the impact of culture on science and medicine by analyzing medical narratives in fiction, nonfiction, television, and film. Students also research and produce reflective essays on contemporary issues in health and medicine for publication online.
English 3764: Technical Writing (Fall 2012)
Students analyze audiences, conduct research, and produce workplace genres such as memos, instructions, proposals, and web content tailored to specific situations and exigencies.
English 4804: Grant Proposals and Reports (Teaching Assistant, Spring 2011)
Students worked with community partners, such as the YMCA, Junior Achievement of America, and a local hospice, to research grant opportunities, write organizational summaries, and draft proposal documents for community partner use.
At Northern Virginia Community College
College Composition II (Spring 2007)
Students conducted cultural analyses of fiction and nonfiction texts and produced analytical essays and multi-modal texts that examined the significance of related social issues.
College Composition I (Fall 2006)
Students wrote personal and research essays while examining audience and genre conventions of academic and public writing.
Supervised Studies and Projects
PhD Independent Study
- “Methods and Methodologies for Studying Institutions and Public Rhetorics,” Lourdes Fernandez, fall 2016 (faculty advisor)
MA Independent Study
- “Research Methods in Professional Writing and Rhetoric,” Meghan Cantwell and Bailey Lucero-Carter, spring 2016 (faculty advisor)
PhD Independent Study
- “Grant Funding for Humanities Research,” Rachael Lussos, summer 2015 (faculty advisor)
MA Projects
- “Federal Government Proposal Writing: The Missing Element of Undergraduate PWR Programs,” Kathryn Makin, spring 2015 (consultant)
- “Risk or Rewards?: A Rhetorical Analysis Analyzing Risk Communication of Tanning and Tanning Bed Use,” Brittany Kelly, spring 2015 (consultant)
- “Document Review Process Improvement Study: Analyzing the Review Process of a Small Company with Minimized Resources,” Michelle Cotton, fall 2014 (consultant)
MA Theses:
- “Risk Communication: A Study of the Effects of Asymmetries in Public and Expert Risk Perception,” Katelyn Noland, fall 2013-spring 2014 (reader)
- “Patent Applications: A Genre that Mediates the Social Actions and Ideological Goals of the America Invents Act,” Jongsung Bae, fall 2013-spring 2014 (reader)
SERVICE
To the Field
Member, STC Education Advisory Panel. May 2016 to May 2017.
Judge, Society for Technical Communication (STC) Washington D.C.-Baltimore Chapter, 2015 Technical Communication Awards. Winter 2015-2016.
Enculturation: A Journal of Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture. 2009 to present. http://www.enculturation.net
Review Board Member, October 2015 to present
Senior Copy Editor, July 2014 to September 2015
- Determine all journal style guides and editing processes.
- Manage editing documentation and workflow.
- Coordinate and manage all editorial staff.
- Recruit and train incoming editorial staff.
Assistant Editor, January 2013 to July 2014
- Coordinate peer-review process with authors and board members following manuscript submission; accept submissions, assign reviewers, manage the review and author response process.
- Coordinate editing and formatting processes with journal staff following manuscript acceptance.
Copy Editor, May 2009 to December 2012
- Formatted and edited articles for publication according to Modern Language Association (MLA) editing and citation style conventions.
- Worked with authors to resolve editing and content questions.
At George Mason University
Faculty Sponsor, Society for Technical Communication Student Chapter. Fall 2014 to present. www.stc-gmu.org
“Developing an Academic Poster Workshop.” Workshop on academic poster presentations and proposals for MA and PhD students. George Mason University. October 14, 2014.
“Rhetoric and Writing.” English 305, George Mason University. February 26, 2014, and November 12, 2014
Member, Outreach Committee, Aug. 2013 to present.
- Coordinate English Alumni Society (EAS) participation in Alumni Weekend.
- Serve on College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) Alumni Association.
- Develop and serve as faculty liaison for the English Alumni Society.
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Job Information and Recruiting Session, March 2014. Organizer.
- “Beginning a Career with your English Major,” alumni-student networking session, February 2014. Organizer.
- Developed alumni online presence, including LinkedIn page and updated alumni pages on English department’s website.
- Develop, conduct, and analyze English Department Outreach Questionnaire, a survey of alumni about upcoming outreach activities.
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Job Information and Recruiting Session, December 2013. Participant.
Facilitator, Faculty Writing Academy. Summer and Fall 2014.
- Delivered presentation, entitled “Writing Technologies.” This presentation offered the group valuable resources
- Facilitate writing groups, including goal setting and group discussion of writing progress.
Writing Center Coach, Writing Center, Virginia Tech. Jan. 2012 to May 2012
- Worked with undergraduate and graduate students to facilitate writing and communications skills through one-on-one discussions of course papers, dissertations, manuscripts for publication, resumes, and other academic and workplace genres.
- Assisted Writing Center Theory and Practice, undergraduate course that trains writing coaches.
- Searched for grant funding opportunities and wrote internal proposals for a collaborative research and reading group on Global Englishes, facilitated through the Writing Center.
Assistant Director, Center for the Study of Rhetoric in Society. Virginia Tech, Aug. 2009 to Dec. 2011
Assisted interim director with coordination of faculty research projects in rhetoric and civil rights, health care, and data analytics. Contribute to project administrative needs, such as reviewing documentation, finalizing publications, and providing feedback and input on emerging findings.
Professional Writing Intern Supervision
- Managed project tasks for interns according to faculty priorities as necessary
- Collected, reviewed, and provided feedback on intern deliverables
- Trained on tasks and requirements, such as grant opportunity searching
- Completed syllabi to ensure learning goals were set and achieved
- Evaluated performance at the mid-term and end of the semester
Special Event Coordination
- Coordinated four guest speaker events during fall 2011 on neurorhetorics, archival research methods, media analysis, and statistical analysis for interdisciplinary research
- Wrote and edited promotional and supplementary materials and readings
- Coordinated travel, including itineraries, accommodations, and informal gatherings
- Arranged facilities and technology support for talks as necessary
Blue Ridge Writing Project (BRWP)
- Supervised intern research of the BRWP and National Writing Project (NWP), projects that foster community literacy and teacher enhancement
- Wrote reports to guide grant searching; developed opportunity drafts and outlines
- Searched for grant funding opportunities; drafted proposal responses
Other Support
- Coordinated and developed research poster presentation at a university research forum. This required coordination and participation of all Center staff, including three graduate students and two undergraduate students.
PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS EXPERIENCE
Technical Communications and Management
Communication Training, January 2016 to Present, Insignia Federal Group
- Create specialized communications training materials and curricula for federal clients, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Adolescent Health (OAH), Office of Minority Health (OMH), and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources (ASFR).
- Instructed participants on concepts such as audience analysis, genre and document development, and preparing presentation materials for varied audiences and stakeholders related to health care, policy, and community initiatives and grantees.
Quality Assurance Manager, 2005 to 2007, L-3 Communications
- Wrote, edited, formatted, and reviewed production quality of contract deliverables and proposals.
- Conducted content review of documents for preparedness exercises and training, including instruction manuals, background research, and related briefings and handouts.
- Led support for conferences, training, report writing, and working groups for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- Coordinated a staff of 15 editors, desktop publishers, graphics artists, and production coordinators to complete editing, formatting, graphics, and production support for authors of Federal and State contract documentation.
- Supported internal business development and proposal efforts, producing Federal, State, and local proposals and special events and materials such as posters, video, brochures, and user manuals.
- Supported onsite efforts at the Army Materiel Command (AMC).
- Cataloged active publications, coordinated rescinded manuals and reports, edited and reviewed documentation for use in military and government presentations and reference materials.
Federal Proposal Writing and Management
Professional Writing Consultant, 2008 to Present
- Support writing tasks, with a focus on proposal and marketing material development, for contracts with the Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
- Manage, coordinate, and review proposals; serve as the volume lead on technical and personnel proposal volumes; write proposal responses; and provide graphics and formatting support.
Proposal Manager, 2007 to 2008, Atteloir, Inc.
- Managed entire proposal response processes for two winning bids, totaling $30M in business.
- Developed outlines, composed technical data, wrote executive summaries, prepared supplemental presentations, developed graphics, and managed all production.
- Managed proposal teams, including proposal review teams, graphics and editing consultants, production staff, and executive-level officials.
Marketing and Proposal Communications Specialist, 2003, Atteloir, Inc.
- Searched for business opportunities via the Federal Business Opportunities database, attended pre-proposal conferences, and wrote and submitted proposals for two winning bids.
Marketing and Web Writing
Entertainment Content Intern, The Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, 2002
- Intern for The Washington Post’s Entertainment Guide (now called the “Going Out Guide”).
- Produced content for online publication, including a special feature on cooking classes. Researched over 50 area cooking classes and compiled descriptions and pertinent information into a comprehensive article on and guide to taking a cooking class.
Marketing Intern, 2000 to 2002, Collegiate Funding Services (CFS)
- Developed marketing and informative material for the company website.
- Researched and composed Refinancing for the Real World, the chief marketing piece distributed by national sales directors.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Rhetoric Society of America (RSA)
Association for Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW)
Society for Technical Communication (STC)
American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH)
