Discussions on Writing and Rhetoric

Episode 12: Dr. Blake Scott and Professor Nathan Holic - Rhetoric of Health & Medicine / Comic Therapy

UCF Department of Writing and Rhetoric faculty members Blake Scott and Nathan Holic discuss their project "Strengthening Hospital Nurses’ Mental Health Resilience Through a Peer Support Training Program Using Comic Testimonials" which focused on introducing comic therapy to healthcare professionals. This won the 2021 Pabst Steinmetz Foundation Arts and Innovation Award. 

Episode 11: Knights Write Showcase 2023

At UCF, the Department of Writing and Rhetoric holds an annual event called Knights Write Showcase to celebrate the work of student writers. In this special episode we talk with several participants from the poster and panel presentations. The students and work featured in this episode are:
Jamie Salter “Learning to Keep Up” (0:00-19:04)
Megan Dever “Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Theatrical Literacies” and Parker Bowles “Who to Trust? Building Authority in Rhetoric” (19:06-36:53)
Madison Fernandes “The Marketplace of Ideas” (36:54-51:27)
Arielle Fedee, Mark McCleskey, and Mekenzie McElroy – University Writing Center Panel (51:30-1:13:20)
Natasha Odom “Main Suspect: Crime Dramas” and Riah Smith “The Exigence of Paradigms” (1:13:22-1:32:50)
Brendan Kelly “Rhetoric and Tragedy: An Exploration of Identification and Narrative in Sending Letters” (1:32:52-1:48:20)

Episode 10: Anthony Lince - Writing about Writing / Labor-Based Grading

Anthony Lince is a Latinx educator and scholar, and is currently a lecturer at University of California San Diego and other local institutions, teaching rhetoric and writing studies courses. His current work is focused on equitable assessment practices in higher education, which is the praxis in his courses where he utilizes labor-based grading. Anthony has published the journals California English and WPA Writing Program Administration, and has an upcoming chapter released in Effective Alternative Assessment Practices in Higher Education. 

Episode 9: Dr. Jeremy Carnes - Indigenous Rhetorics and Comics Studies

Dr. Jeremy Carnes is a Postdoctoral Scholar here at UCF specializing in Indigenous rhetorics, particularly visual and material rhetorics. He is working on his first book on comics by Indigenous creators and the rhetorical affordances of comics as a visual medium for considering land-based practices by Indigenous communities. In addition to indigenous rhetorics, Dr Carnes’ research interests include: Comics Studies, Media Studies, Fan Culture Studies, Translingualism, and the Digital Humanities. He is also currently working with Dr. Jamila Kareem, a past guest of ours on this podcast, on a grant funded by the Sam and Virginia Patz Foundation in partnership with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Episode 8: What Can You Do With a Degree in Writing? Featuring Jaclyn Gardiakos and Jessica Walters

In this episode we talk with Jaclyn Gardiakos and Jessica Walters, who work in the field of professional writing and are both UCF Alumni. Jaclyn Gardiakos is the communications and public relations manager for Universal Engineering Sciences, the fastest-growing AEC firm in the US, and previously worked for Tupperware as a communications manager. Jessica Walters is a Content Strategist for Deloitte US, and similarly held a position with Tupperware as a content strategist. Our conversation touches on writing in professional environments, what it was like to be a part of the first DWR cohort of UCF, and the types of careers possible with a degree in writing. 

Episode 7: Dr. Martha Brenckle - Professor and Author

We are joined by Dr. Martha Brenckle, a full professor and the interim-first year writing director here at UCF. Dr Brenckle teaches FYW and Rhetorical Theory.  Our conversation touches on course construction, in particular her class “Queer Rhetorics and Queering Writing”, theory, working with students, the writing process, and representation in the classroom. You can see a full listing of her substantial publications and accolades in her profile on the departmental website: 
 

Episode 6: Olivia Solomon - Writing for Social Change

In this episode we talk to Olivia Solomon, a junior at the University of Central Florida and a double major in Writing and Rhetoric and Political Science. Olivia has demonstrated a passion for political activism as a collaborating member of March For Our Lives, as well as several published op-eds in both the Orlando Sentinel and the Tallahassee Democrat, integrating her writing skills to effect change. We discuss how writing allows a voice in arguments we are passionate about, as well as delving into her process from inspiration to publication. Olivia also shares impactful writing experiences from ENC 4353 – Writing for Social Change (with Professor Melissa Pompos Mansfield) and ENC 4354 - Writing with Communities and Nonprofits (with Professor Vanessa Calkins).

Episode 5: Sebastian Garcia -Knights Write & Stylus Author

Sebastian Garcia is a senior undergraduate at UCF completing a double major in History and Biomedical Sciences. His academic interests are history, writing, and research. Sebastian was selected as a panelist for UCF’s Knights Write Showcase in Spring of 2021 with his article “Is the Advanced Placement (AP) Program Really ‘Advanced”? A Critical Textual Analysis of an AP United States History Textbook” and was also published in the Spring 2022 issue of Stylus: A Journal of First Year Writing.
His future goals include attending grad school and becoming a university professor in history, so he may continue working in his area of interest. 

Episode 4: Mekenzie McElroy and Lindsey Wright - Peer Tutors in the University Writing Center at UCF

Today we take a peek inside the lives of peer tutors Mekenzie McElroy and Lindsey Wright, both undergraduates at UCF, who work in the University Writing Center. They also recently presented on a panel at the Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference. This conversation offers us a student oriented perspective of what brought them into their roles and what it means to be a contributing member of the UWC, in their tutoring sessions as well as their research. 
#UCF #UCFUWC #SWCA2022 #WritingAndRhetoric

Episode 3: Dr. Angela Rounsaville - Director of First-Year Composition at UCF

This conversation features Dr. Angela R Rounsaville, Associate Professor and Director of First-Year Composition here at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Rounsaville’s research works at the intersection of transnational literacy studies, rhetorical genre studies, and writing related transfer. In this episode we discuss the evolving needs of the composition classroom, and how we as professors are striving to support and empower our students to develop as writers. We also discuss the writing about writing pedagogy in college composition, and why mulitliteracies and linguistic diversity should be recognized and supported in first-year writing. The collaborative development of course outcomes in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric's ENC1101 and ENC1102 are also discussed.