I am fascinated by invention and new technologies that claim to improve our lives – but do they really? These products, when successful, often alter our way of thinking, acting, and learning.
I am interested in questions related to “the rhetoric of technological and pedagogical practices,” which is a somewhat fancy phrase for looking at the intersection of pedagogy, emerging and new technologies (especially AI), and rhetoric. Prior to entering academia, I spent many years (re-)developing websites, including a few years at a search engine optimization company which actively worked with start-ups and non-profits. This experience heavily influences what I research. I saw first-hand the impact of AI and new technologies on a field that frequently requires interactions with inexperienced users (some self-proclaimed Luddites, even), and heard the hesitancy towards change that many of these users expressed.
This led to my dissertation, which involved in a broad sense human-AI interaction. I was and am interested in the rhetorical ways in which users of artificially intelligent devices evaluate and explain their opinions of the “intelligence” within these devices. In my current role, I am also interested in how we can teach these technologies to our students, and empower them to in turn advocate for or against the adoption of new technologies in their own work practices and/or companies.
If my research interests you, feel free to view my CV here.