Faculty

Faculty in the Department of Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota are recognized around the world for their outstanding contributions to teaching and scholarship in rhetoric, writing, and technical communication. Our ten tenured professors take great pride in working with students to explore areas including writing and digital media; writing in technical, medical, and workplace settings; writing in relation to history, culture, society, and politics.

Students who take classes in writing studies also benefit from the experience and knowledge of our full time professional instructors, graduate instructors, and teaching assistants. Our instructional staff are experts in the teaching of writing, especially first year composition and technical writing.

Regular Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty

Name Contact Specialty
Lee-Ann Kastman Breuch
Professor
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies
205 Nolte
lkbreuch@umn.edu
Rhetoric and technical communication, writing theory and pedagogy, online writing instruction, usability and human factors
Patrick Bruch
Associate Professor
209 Nolte
612-625-6041
patbruch@umn.edu
Theory and history of composition studies, critical literacy and critical pedagogy, cultural studies
Daniel Card
Assistant Professor
221 Nolte
dcard@umn.edu
Rhetoric of science & environment, digital/computational rhetoric, technical writing, rhetorics of innovation & entrepreneurship
Ann Hill Duin
Professor
215 Nolte
ahduin@umn.edu
Collaboration, distance education, partnerships
Distinguished University Teaching Professor
Richard Graff
Associate Professor
201 Nolte
graff013@umn.edu
Classical rhetoric, contemporary rhetorical theory, stylistics & rhetorical criticism
Laura Gurak
Professor
211 Nolte
gurakl@umn.edu
Rhetorical theory; Internet studies; technical writing and communication; digital research methods
Molly Kessler
Associate Professor
Director of Graduate Studies (Ph.D., MA, MS, Cert)
210 Nolte
kesslerm@umn.edu
Rhetoric of health and medicine, professional and technical communication, rhetoric of science and technology
Amy Lee
Professor
Director of First Year Writing
Interim Chair
223 Nolte
amylee@umn.edu
Critical pedagogy; teacher development in higher education; engaging diversity and supporting equity in undergraduate classrooms; composition/writing studies; intercultural pedagogy
H.T. Morse Distinguished Professor
John Logie
Professor
200 Nolte
612-624-4709
logie@umn.edu
Rhetorical theory, rhetoric of electronic writing spaces, sophistic rhetoric
Thomas Reynolds
Associate Professor
Director of Undergraduate Studies
207 Nolte
612-626-0065
reyno004@umn.edu
Composition Studies, literacy history

Associate Faculty (Professional Instructional & Administrative Employees)

Name Contact Specialty
Maureen Aitken
Senior Teaching Specialist
307 Nolte
612-624-8777
aitke001@umn.edu
First-year writing
Mark Anderson
Senior Teaching Specialist
309 Nolte
612-625-0757
ander574@umn.edu
First-year writing
Clayton Benjamin
Lecturer
325 Nolte
benj0056@umn.edu
Technical communication
Marcy Bock Eastley
Lecturer
311 Nolte
bocke036@umn.edu
First-year writing
Emily Buehler O'Leary
Lecturer
331E Nolte
bueh0022@umn.edu
First-year writing
Sarah Chandler
Lecturer
319 Nolte
612-624-3361
sarchand@umn.edu
First-year writing
Kris Cory
Associate Director of First-Year Writing
316 Nolte
coryx001@umn.edu
First-year writing
Lee Fisher
Director, Minnesota Writing Project
10 Nicholson
612-625-6323
lcf@umn.edu
 
Anne Fretheim
Senior Lecturer
337C Nolte 
fret0017@umn.edu
Multilingual learners
Jim Gill
Lecturer
gill0602@umn.edu Technical and Professional Writing
Vanessa Gonzalez
Lecturer
337B Nolte
ramos328@umn.edu
First-year writing
Tim Gustafson
Senior Lecturer
Interim Director - Center for Writing
10 Nicholson
612-625-5355
tgus@umn.edu
First-year writing, technical & professional writing
Jim Hall
Teaching Specialist
MS/Certificate Program Advisor
208 Nolte
jhall@umn.edu
Technical communication, usability
Elizabeth Hartman
Lecturer
331C Nolte
hart0644@umn.edu
First-year writing
Michelle Herrin
Lecturer
301 Nolte
herri340@umn.edu
First-year writing
Danielle Hinrichs
Lecturer
311 Nolte
hinr0014@umn.edu
First-year writing
Barbara Horvath
Senior Teaching Specialist
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies
202 Nolte
612-624-1902
horva003@umn.edu
Technical editing, visual communication
Ezra Hyland
Teaching Specialist
315 Nolte
612-624-5849
hylan003@umn.edu
First-year writing
Rebecca Jurisz
Lecturer
331G Nolte 
juri0010@umn.edu
First-year writing
Matthew Kimlinger
Senior Teaching Specialist
137A Ruttan
kimli013@umn.edu
First-year writing
Jax Kinniburgh
Teaching Specialist
jkinnibu@umn.edu First-year writing
Nick Kleese
Lecturer
300 Nolte
klees023@umn.edu
First-year writing
Katie Levin
Co-Director, Center for Writing
612-624-7720
kslevin@umn.edu
 
Corinth Matera
Teaching Specialist
304 Nolte
612-624-4279
mate0001@umn.edu
First-year writing
Megan Mills-Rittmann
Lecturer
337A Nolte
mills139@umn.edu
First-year writing
Nicole Montana
Senior Lecturer
306 Nolte
nmontana@umn.edu
First-year writing
Joseph Moses
Senior Lecturer
313 Nolte
moses004@umn.edu
Collaborative writing, technical and professional writing, project design and development, inclusive pedagogy, information design, theory and practice of writing for digital media
Brigitte Mussack
Senior Lecturer
Coordinator, Advanced Writing
204 Nolte Center
muss0039@umn.edu
First-year writing
Capper Nichols
Senior Lecturer
305 Nolte Center
nicho008@umn.edu
Technology studies, environmental history, travel writing
Cynthia Pope
Lecturer
cpope@umn.edu Technical and Professional Writing
Ian Power-Luetscher
Lecturer
337C Nolte
powe0313@umn.edu
First-year writing
Scott Reel
Teaching Specialist
302 Nolte
reel0002@umn.edu
First-year writing
Dylan Reynolds
Lecturer
331G Nolte
reyno656@umn.edu
First-year writing
David Rodriguez-Martinez
Lecturer
Pillsbury
rodri966@umn.edu
First-year writing
Tréza Rosado
Teaching Specialist
318 Nolte
rosad018@umn.edu
First-year writing
Jeremy Rosselot-Merritt
Lecturer
rosse070@umn.edu Technical and Professional Writing
Nick Rosencrans
Teaching Specialist
rosen584@umn.edu Usability
Sarah Selz
Lecturer
323 Nolte
selzx003@umn.edu
First-year writing, multilingual writing, student writing support
Maggie Shea
Lecturer
300 Nolte
shea0040@umn.edu
First-year writing
Kimberley Strain
Senior Lecturer
317 Nolte
strai004@umn.edu
First-year writing, professional and technical writing, graduate writing, student writing support, multilingual learners, writing centers
Jasmine Kar Tang
Co-Director, Center for Writing
Co-Director, Minnesota Writing Project
10 Nicholson
612-625-1541
jkt@umn.edu
Writing center studies, Asian American studies, critical race and ethnic studies
Matthew Tchepikova-Treon
Lecturer
301 Nolte
treon005@umn.edu
First-year writing
Elise Toedt
Lecturer
315 Nolte
toedt012@umn.edu
First-year writing
Jessica Trad
Teaching Specialist
300 Nolte trad0012@umn.edu First-year writing
Molly Vasich
Associate Director of First-Year Writing
321 Nolte
mccar459@umn.edu
First-year writing
Allison Vincent
Teaching Specialist
302 Nolte
with0059@umn.edu
First-year writing
Angelo Volpe
Senior Lecturer
310 Nolte
612-624-4394
volp0006@umn.edu
Argumentative writing, first-year writing
Ariel Weygandt
Lecturer
weyga012@umn.edu Technical and Professional Writing
Tara Zahler
Lecturer
213 Nolte
612-626-8860
zahl0012@umn.edu
First-year writing

Graduate Instructors

Name Contact Home Department
Emmanuella Afimaa 338A Nolte Writing Studies
Caitlin Baulch 131Nolte Writing Studies
Isabel Bethke Pillsbury English
Kathleen Bolander 335 Nolte Writing Studies
Jessica Borsi 338A Nolte Writing Studies
Cody Bursch 137 Nolte Writing Studies
Kayla Carden Pillsbury English
Mikayla Davis 136 Nolte Writing Studies
Stuart Deets 335 Nolte Writing Studies
Rebecca Felter 335 Nolte Writing Studies
Thomas Forrest Pillsbury English
Asmita Ghimire 131 Nolte Writing Studies
Morgan Graham Pillsbury English
Emily Gresbrink 131 Nolte Writing Studies
Amy Harbourne 338B Nolte Writing Studies
Jacqueline James 131 Nolte Writing Studies
Emily Jones Pillsbury English
GeonLyung Kim Pillsbury English
Kalie Leonard 338B Nolte Writing Studies
Madeline Melchert 338B Nolte Writing Studies
Alison Obright 131 Nolte Writing Studies
Jessica Remcheck 335 Nolte Writing Studies
Carol Saalmueller 335 Nolte Writing Studies
Luke Shackelford 136 Nolte Writing Studies
Mercedes Sheldon Pillsbury English
Jessa Wood 131 Nolte Writing Studies
Rira Zamani 137 Nolte Writing Studies

Affiliate Faculty

Affiliate faculty have their homes in other departments, but hold appointments in our graduate Rhetoric & Scientific and Technical Communication (RSTC) programs.

Name Contact Specialty
Ronald W. Greene
Professor
Communication Studies
225 Ford Hall
green179@umn.edu
Political communication, debates, civic education
Atilla Hallsby
Assistant Professor
Communication Studies
263 Ford Hall
hall1039@umn.edu
Rhetorical history, ethics, theory, and criticism
Joseph A. Konstan
Professor
Computer Science and Engineering
5-207 Keller Hall
konstan@umn.edu
Human-computer interaction, recommender systems, online community
Daniel J. Philippon
Associate Professor
English
320H Pillsbury Hall
danp@umn.edu
Environmental literature, history, and ethics; ideas of nature, culture, and place; human dimensions of conservation biology

Emeriti Faculty

Name Contact Specialty
Andrew Cohen
Professor Emeritus
adcohen@umn.edu Bilingual and immersion education
Christina Haas
Professor Emerita
chaas@umn.edu Writing as material, embodied practice
Anne Lazaraton
Associate Professor Emerita
lazaratn@umn.edu Applied linguistics
Earl McDowell
Professor Emeritus
mcdow001@umn.edu Technical communication apprehension
Donald Ross
Professor Emeritus
rossj001@umn.edu Travel writing; rhetoric of argument; computers in writing instruction; writing in academic disciplines
Tom Scanlan
Professor Emeritus
scanl001@umn.edu Humanities
David Schuelke
Professor Emeritus
  Communication in the workplace. Sustainability and communication.
Mary Schuster
Professor Emerita
mmlay@umn.edu Rhetoric of the law; feminist perspectives on domestic violence and sexual assault
2013-14 Arthur "Red" Motley Exemplary Teaching Award
Billie Wahlstrom
Professor Emerita
bwahlstr@umn.edu New and emerging technologies and their impact on learning and higher education organizations