Inaugural Naylor Workshop for Undergraduate Research in Writing Studies

At this inaugural event, we were honored to host a national leader in the field who has contributed mightily to advancing the work of undergraduate research in our field as our plenary speaker and workshop leader, Dr. Jessie Moore:

Naylor 2014
Plenary Speaker, Dr. Jessie Moore, Elon University

Dr. Jessie Moore is Director of the Center for Engaged Learning and a Professor of Professional Writing and Rhetoric in the Department of English at Elon University. Her teaching, scholarship, and service move between and blend professional writing and rhetoric, high-impact learning practices, transfer of learning, writing studies, multi-institutional research and collaborative inquiry, the writing lives of university students, and faculty development, including writing residencies for faculty writers.

With Peter Felten, she edits two book series:

• Stylus Publishing/Center for Engaged Learning Series on Engaged Learning and Teaching
• Center for Engaged Learning Open Access Book Series

She previously coordinated the Professional Writing & Rhetoric major in the Department of English and College Writing (ENG 110, now “Writing: Argument & Inquiry”), a required writing course in Elon University’s first-year core.

In addition to teaching in these programs, she regularly mentors undergraduate research in Professional Writing & Rhetoric and teach in Elon’s Masters of Higher Education program. Dr. Moore has also taught in the Elon College Fellows Program, a fellows program for students majoring in the Arts and Sciences.

Moore currently has served as chair of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Communications Committee, as U.S. Regional Vice President (2016-2018) for ISSOTL, and co-chaired the 2013 ISSOTL Conference (with Peter Felten). She also served as Secretary for the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) (December 2015-December 2019), and served on the CCCC Executive Committee (2010-2013). She was the founding chair-elect of the Second Language Writing Interest Section at TESOL and has served on the Carolinas Writing Program Administrators Board as Web and List Manager.

At the initial workshop, we were joined by a small but dedicated group of dedicated students and faculty mentors from around the mid-Atlantic region, including:

Undergraduate Researchers:

John Paul Capresecco, York College of Pennsylvania
James Gray, University of Maryland
David C. Halliwell, York College of Pennsylvania
Dionte Harris, University of Maryland
Lauren Hayman,  York College of Pennsylvania
Brynn Kairis, Rutgers University, Camden
Annemarie Malady, Loyola University
Christina Patron, Loyola University
Beckah Porter, Elon University
Miranda Romano, Elon University
Allison Scherer, Rutgers University: Camden
Richard Ward, York College of Pennsylvania
Sasha Yambor, York College of Pennsylvania

The workshop was a success because of the generosity of the mentors who attended and their generosity in sharing their time and knowledge.

Kerrie Carsey, York College of Pennsylvania 
Research Interests:     

• History of Rhetoric
• Rhetorical Theory
• Composition Pedagogy, including Digital Pedagogy
• Religious Rhetoric and Homiletics
• History of Composition

Cynthia Crimmins, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning,York College of Pennsylvania 
Research Interests:     

• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 
• Faculty Learning Communities 
• Student Learning 
• Methods: Focus groups, surveys, interviews, examining artifacts 

Gabriel Cutrufello, Ph.D., York College of Pennsylvania 
Research Interests: 

• Rhetoric of Science
• History of Rhetoric
• Rhetorical Genre Studies
• Composition Pedagogy  

Dominic DelliCarpini, Ph.D., York College of Pennsylvania 
Research Interests: 

• Writing Program Administration
• The Teaching of Writing
• Civic Rhetoric and Civic Engagement
• Student Learning Assessment
• Early Modern Literature and Reformation Culture/Theology

Bill Fitzgerald, Ph.D., Rutgers University, Camden 
Research Interests: 

• Rhetoric of Religion
• Kenneth Burke
• The Rhetoric of Style
• Literacy Studies
• Media Studies
• Genre

Jennifer Follett, M.A., York College of Pennsylvania 
Research Interests: 

• Writing Center Tutors and their Strategies
• Meeting the Needs of Students in the Writing Center
• Emotion in the Writing Center
• Conversational Analysis of Tutoring Session

Jessie Moore, Ph.D., Elon University 
Research Interests: 

• Writing Transfer
• Writing Lives of University Students
• Digital Literacies and Writing
• Second Language Writing
• Writing, Rhetoric, and Civic Action

Leigh Ryan, Ph.D., University of Maryland 
Research Interests: 

• Writing Program Administration
• Teaching of Writing
• Writing Center Theory and Practice
• Tutor Training and Development
• 19th Century Antebellum South
•   Archival Research 

Sam Waddell, M.A., York College of Pennsylvania 
Research Interests: 

• Developmental Writing Best Practices
• First-Year Writing Assessment
• Writing Center Activities
• Peer Writing Tutor
• Involvement in First-Year Composition Course Work
• Quantitative Research Methods 

Madeline D. Yonker, Ph.D., York College of Pennsylvania 
Research Interests: 

• Rhetoric and Technology
• Composition Pedagogy
• Digital Humanities
• The Rhetoric of Motherhood
• Participatory Culture and Rhetoric

Michael Zerbe, Ph.D., York College of Pennsylvania 
Research Interests: 

• Rhetorics of Science and Medicine
• Rhetoric and Composition and Science Literacy

Lisa Zimmerelli, Ph.D., Loyola University of Maryland
Recent Research Interests: 

• Tutor Training and Development
• Feminist Historiography 
• Women's Religious Rhetoric
• Genre Studies

Here is what students had to say about this experience:

"I found something I am really passionate and excited about. It gave me a new way of thinking about creating a question."

"I feel much more confident in not only developing research questions and methods, but also presenting that research to other students, mentors, and faculty. It was so helpful and I'm so grateful to have met such wonderful people!"           

"I know exactly what I want to research and how to go about it. I also feel like I gained several allies in my search."

"The experience of interacting with all of the awesome people in our discipline was truly wonderful. Interacting with them in such a low stakes setting, and getting to hear and help with peers with exciting ideas--the upcoming scholars--was also amazing."

"I was able to refine my research question, which allows me to forward my research on a much better path.”

Here is the program for our initial workshop:

Workshop Outline: Day One

Welcome & Meal 1: Breakfast 8:30–9:00

Session 1: Plenary Speaker 9:00–9:50 (Hum 218)

Session 2: Small Groups and Scavenger Hunt 10:00–10:50 (Sitting areas, CTL, YCP campus)

Session 3: Workshops: 1 (11–11:50), 2 (1–1:50), 3 (2–2:50), 4 (3–3:50)

Meal 2: Lunch 12:00–12:50 (WPAC upstairs)

Session A (1–4): Effective and Responsible Research Strategies (Hum 8)

Session B (1–4): Designing a Research Question (Hum 19)

Session C (1–4): Qualitative Research Methods (Hum 9)

Session D (1–4): Quantitative Research Methods (Hum 11)

Session 4: Special Interest Groups 4:00–5:00

1) Experienced Undergraduate Researchers (Hum 9)

2) Special Topic (Hum 8)

3) Special Topic (Hum 20)

Session 5: Small Group Think Tanks 5:10–6:30 (Yorkview Hall)

Meal 3: Dinner 6:30–7:30 (Yorkview Hall)

Workshop Outline: Day Two

Meal 4: Breakfast 8:00–8:30 (CTL)

Session 6: Research Resources and Preparation 8:30–9:00 (CTL, Hum 8, Hum 9)

Session 7(A): Designing and Testing a Research Study 9:00–1:00 (CTL, Hum 8, 10, 15 lab) Begin in small groups. Meet again with small groups at 11:30

Meal 5: Working Lunch 12:00–12:50 (Hum 9)

Session 7(B): Research Conferences 9:30–11:30 (CTL and Hum 19)

Materials must be submitted for printing by 1:00 p.m.

Session 8: Final Session Setup 1:00–1:30 (PAC Lab, CTL, Hum 9)

Session 9: Poster Presentation and Final Session 1:30–3:00 (CTL, Hum 9)