Tag: Rhetoric Theory and Culture

“I began my Ph.D. in the Rhetoric, Theory and Culture program in the Humanities Department in 2021. With a deep interest in understanding how emerging media technologies shape different aspects of human communication, my research has largely centered on the intersection of new media technologies, digital communication and collective action.

My dissertation explores the role of social media algorithms in collective action, with a particular focus on how they shape the structure, visibility and effectiveness of digital activism networks. Using #FixTheCountry in Ghana and #EndSARS in Nigeria as case studies, I investigate the relationship between the organizing strategies of activists (both online and offline) and the affordances and constraints of Twitter (now X). I use computational social network analysis and in-depth interviews to examine activists’ awareness of the platform and network effects, and to explore whether algorithmic folk theories and/or obfuscation techniques play a role in how they use social media for collective action.

During my time at Michigan Tech, I have presented my work at international conferences, including the International Communication Association (ICA) in Canada and Australia, and taught courses in Professional and Technical Communication and Composition. Together, these experiences have been integral to my Ph.D. journey and deepened my engagement with the field of communication. In Fall 2024, I received the Dean’s Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award.

I am incredibly honored to receive the Doctoral Finishing Fellowship from the Graduate School. I truly appreciate the recognition from the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel and the dean, and I’m especially grateful to the donors whose generosity makes this support possible. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to my advisor, Dr. Sarah Bell, for her support, and to my committee members, Dr. Stefka Hristova, Dr. Richard Canevez, and Dr. Brooke Foucault Welles, for their guidance. I’m also thankful to all the faculty in the Humanities Department for their encouragement throughout this journey.”

“When I first heard about Michigan Technological University (MTU) at a digital humanities workshop in far-away Leiden, The Netherlands, in 2019, I was intrigued by its growing reputation, but I never imagined I would one day walk its snow-covered campus as a doctoral student. Since arriving here, I have often asked myself: “what happens when a place lives up to the promise of its name?” MTU has answered that question through a welcoming community, inspiring mentorship, and a research environment that fosters both intellectual growth and personal transformation.

At the outset, the Upper Peninsula’s winters were my first challenge. But with time, what seemed daunting turned into a source of joy and reflection. These moments now form some of my fondest memories. The Department of Humanities has been a rich ground for exploring theory in practice. I especially value the hard work of faculty members in communication, rhetorical pedagogy, digital media, and cultural studies. All of which provided solid theoretical foundations for my ongoing dissertation.

My research explores how digital platforms mediate cultural representation and tourist imaginaries. I focus on the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, an Egyptian-Pyramid-themed environment, to examine how tourists, through user reviews on TripAdvisor, and site owners digitally construct or commodify history, identity, and authenticity. The study, utilizing critical discourse analysis and digital humanities tools, examines how language and visual media reinforce or challenge inherited cultural scripts.

I am grateful to the Graduate School and the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for awarding me the Fall 2025 Finishing Fellowship. This generous support makes it possible for me to fully dedicate my time to completing the final stages of my dissertation without external work-related pressures. I also thank my advisor, Dr. Stefka Hristova, for her guidance and encouragement on the journey so far.

With MTU’s outstanding support structures, it’s clear that this is a place where innovative research flourishes. I have learned to thrive in community, embrace intellectual rigor, and mentor others along the way. I feel honored to hold this Finishing Fellowship as I carve a niche toward contributing to global conversations, completing my dissertation, and preparing for the next chapter.”

I began my PhD in Fall 2020 in the Department of Humanities interdisciplinary Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture program. Through my position as a Graduate Teaching Instructor, I quickly discovered my passion for teaching. At Michigan Tech, I have taught First-Year Composition and other writing courses, such as Advanced Composition and Technical and Professional Communication. I have also served as Assistant Director of our Composition Program.

These experiences led me to specialize in writing studies and my research focuses on the needs of student writers. My dissertation is a classroom research project that investigates how students conceptualize their agency as writers and how this impacts their writing practice. I designed lessons that introduced students to ways of thinking about agency and collected student work throughout a semester, which I analyze through holistic and longitudinal coding to determine the changes in student conceptions of their agency and the effect this has on their writing.

I am very grateful to receive this Doctoral Finishing Fellowship and extend my thanks to the Graduate School and the donors who make this fellowship possible. The time to focus on my research will be invaluable. I also want to thank my advisor, Oren Abeles, and committee members Holly Hassel and Jennifer Nish for consistently going above and beyond to support me and my work.

I’ve been a Husky since 2014, when I started at Michigan Tech as an undecided undergraduate major. Upon finding my way in my first year to the Communication, Culture, and Media program I knew I found a place where I truly fit in. Since then, I’ve been interested in research and was told by several of my faculty mentors that I’d be a good fit for graduate school. I’m so grateful to those folks for introducing me to the idea, because that’s exactly what I wanted! I started my Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture degree in 2020 and have been honored to do the work I’m passionate about.

My dissertation, ““The Animated Frontier: Fluctuations of Power Across Time and Space in Flows of U.S. and Japanese Animated Media“, is a critique of the historical and contemporary relationship between the U.S., Japan, and their marginalized Others through the lens of animation. In addition to this project, I’ve been able to publish several journal articles and book chapters on various critiques of animation, related to queer studies and Indigenous studies. I currently serve as the Indigenous Studies area chair for the Midwest Popular Culture Association conference. I have also had the privilege of working with folks in the CFRES college on projects related to sustainability ethics. In all of the work I’ve done thus far in my degree, I’m grateful for the support, guidance, and mentorship I’ve received from countless people.

I especially want to thank my advisor, Stefka Hristova. Without her support, encouragement, and kindness, I don’t think I’d be able to finish this work. In addition, I’d like to thank my committee, my cohort, and my research partners for their motivation, guidance, and collaboration. Finally, I’d like to thank the Graduate School for their generous fellowship, and for believing in my work. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to finish my degree!