Writing and Rhetoric: digital rhetoric, technical communication, digital curation, theories and histories of rhetoric, digital humanities, composition pedagogy, rhetorics and poetics of memory, media ecology, medieval rhetorics and poetics

John Walter isa Ph.D. candidate in the Writing and Rhetoric program and has served as the graduate assistant director of Writing Across the Curriculum. His current research interests center around the interdisciplinary intersections of rhetoric and writing studies, digital curation, memory, media ecology, and the creation of physical-digital texts. He served on the editorial board of Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy (2001-2024), and served on the CCCC Committee for Computers in Composition and Communication (2003-2016).

Prior to coming to George Mason, he worked as an editor, writer, and project manager with The Cooler Minds, LLC; worked as the processing archivist of Saint Louis University's Walter J. Ong Manuscript Collection; and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in writing, digital rhetoric and composition, digital English studies, history of rhetoric, technical communication, writing for scientists and engineers, British literature, medieval literature, and science fiction at Creighton University, Saint Louis University, University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and Winthrop University.

Current Research

I'm currently researching the intersections of digital rhetoric, technical communication, and digital curation to identify best practices for creating born-digital scholarship to ensure long-term access and (re)use.

Grants and Fellowships

CCCC Emergent Researcher Awards, 2020

Fellow, Walter J. Ong, SJ, Center for Language, Media, and Culture (non-stipendiary), 2012-2015.

Courses Taught

ENGH 101: Composition

ENGH 302: Advanced Composition

ENGH 380: Introduction to Writing and Rhetoric

ENGH 388: Professional and Technical Writing

Education

PhD candidate, Writing and Rhetoric, George Mason University

PhD candidate, English, Saint Louis University

MA, English, Portland State University

BA, English, University of Colorado Boulder

Recent Presentations

“Hacking the Poster: Crafting Interactive Physical-Digital Poster Presentations.” Computers and Writing. East Carolina University, NC. 14-17 May 2020. Conference cancelled.

"Preserving Digital Scholarship Using the Variable Media Approach." Computers and Writing. University of Findlay, Findlay, OH. 3 June 2017.

"Electronics Composition: Paper-based Circuit Crafting and Physical-Digital Texts." Computers and Writing. University of Findlay, OH. 2 June 2017.

“physComposition: Physical Computing, Circuit Crafting, and the Composition of Physical–Digital Texts.” Computers and Writing. St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY. 21 May 2016.

“Writing and Teaching with Augmented Reality.” Computer Connection. Conference on College Composition and Communication Annual Convention. Houston, TX. 7 April 2016.

“Making and/as Composition.” Conference on College Composition and Communication Annual Convention. Tampa, FL. 21 March 2015.

“Composing in the Medium of Time.” Conference on College Composition and Communication Annual Convention. Indianapolis, IN. 21 March 2014.

“Becoming Acquainted with the Silent Underground: Academics and Severe Writing Difficulties.” Conference on College Composition and Communication Annual Convention. Las Vegas, NV. 16 March, 2013.