Research Philosophy Statement
“A few of the basic attributes needed to become a lifelong learner are courage, faithful desire, humility, patience, curiosity, and a willingness to communicate and share the knowledge that we gain."
- Robert D. Hales
Laying a Foundation
What do Archives, AI Studies in Writing, and 19th-Century Latter-day Saint Women have in common? Nothing ... unless you are a Rhetoric and Composition scholar who actively focuses their research on connecting the past to the current moment.
My areas of inquiry are broad, allowing me to make far-reaching connections between seemingly separate facets within the field of Rhetoric and Composition. My research is motivated by a desire to recognize the interdisciplinary nature of writing and rhetoric, acknowledging that written expression is both personal and communal, unique yet synthesized. By focusing on the powerful intersection of Rhetoric and Composition, I simultaneously employ archival methodologies alongside contemporary digital rhetoric discourse studies to connect material in meaningful, academically sound, and rigorous ways. My research agenda is committed to three core tenets: developing driving research questions, continually grappling with the "Big Picture," and safeguarding the vulnerable.
Primary Tenets
1
Develop Driving
Research Questions
As a researcher, curiosity drives my methodology. By developing sharp, driving research questions, I look past established historical narratives to identify critical gaps in knowledge, aiding in the recovery and (re)collection of missing voices. For example, in my archival work with 19th-century Latter-day Saint women, I don't just ask what these women wrote, but how they dynamically navigated complex religious, political, and communal structures to forge a unified woman identity. Framing my inquiries around these tension points allows my research to move beyond simple historical summary and instead unearth the sophisticated, overlooked rhetorical strategies of marginalized rhetors.
2
Grapple with the
"Big Picture"
To understand where writing is going, we must trace where it has been. I view the "Big Picture" of Rhetoric and Composition as a dynamic continuum where historical depth meets technological momentum. Writing, language, and literacy are inherently historical and cultural artifacts, constantly reshaped by the tools we invent. Today, as Artificial Intelligence shifts our communication pathways, my research treats AI not as an anomaly, but as the next chapter in the evolving history of writing technologies. As a scholar, my role is to synthesize these multi-layered intersections—bridging historical print cultures with contemporary digital literacy—to simplify the complex and make visible the enduring structures of human rhetoric.
3
Safeguard the
Vulnerable
Bringing marginalized voices out of the archives requires a deliberate commitment to ethical care. My research labor is guided by the responsibility to safeguard the vulnerable, ensuring that historical recovery never lapses into presentism. My training in Georgia State University's Special Collections taught me that individual identity is deeply personal; my role is to honor how individuals identified themselves within their own cultural moments, rather than superimposing modern frameworks onto their lived experiences. By engaging with archival and digital spaces as a respectful steward, I ensure that the act of recovery preserves both the voice and the dignity of those whose stories I tell.
Moving Forward
My research approach does not view history, pedagogy, and technology as isolated streams; instead, I look to the intersections where they converge. As I move forward into my role as the AI Pedagogy Specialist for First-Year Writing (FYW) at Georgia State University, my immediate scholarship actively applies my core tenets to an ambitious research agenda, with the goal of producing three distinct publications by graduation alongside the completion of my dissertation.
Currently, this trajectory bridges the past and the present through three interconnected areas of inquiry:
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My Dissertation Framework: My dissertation investigates repertoire as a methodology for performance-based and digital archival research. By exploring how embodied and digital practices challenge traditional archival structures, this foundational work provides the theoretical lens for all of my localized projects.
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Archival Recovery & Communal Rhetorics: Within the archives, I am developing two major historical projects. The first explores the concept of "Communal Mothering," comparing 19th-century Latter-day Saint women's polygamous mothering practices to 20th-century recognitions that "It Takes a Village" to raise children. The second is a comparative study of Emmeline B. Wells and Ida B. Wells, examining how these contemporary editors utilized print culture—and personal passion—to advocate for vulnerable populations.
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Critical AI Pedagogy: Translating these historical insights into modern pedagogy, my work as an AI Pedagogy Specialist investigates how first-year writers navigate generative technologies. This research focuses on moving students past generic AI outputs toward rhetorical awareness, ensuring that as our digital communication pathways evolve, student agency and critical thinking remain a primary objective in writer development.
Ultimately, whether working with physical manuscripts from the 19th century or digital prompt blocks in the 21st, my goal remains the same: to produce rigorous, ethically sound scholarship that complicates our understanding of rhetoric, simplifies the complex realities of writing, and preserves the dignity of human expression.