I am a PhD candidate in rhetoric and composition at Purdue University, researching at the intersection of technical communication and game studies.

I earned a Master of Technical Communication from Utah State University, as well as undergraduate degrees in history and professional and technical writing. I worked as a technical communicator in industry before pursuing a doctorate. I have written and designed successful grants, proposals, inquiries, white papers, infographics, manuals, brochures, resumes, and presentations; I have worked as an editor, grant writer, department trainer, and business manager. All have given me valuable experience and insight into industry.

Gaming is a passion of mine, and years of questioning my place within gaming communities led to a robust research agenda exploring identity, peripherals, platforms, and community. I currently focus on the role game controllers play in reifying conceptions of who is welcome (and who isn’t) within game spaces. Game controllers are often a backburner conversation, sidelined due to hardware being a literal periphery to video game content. Their importance is understated, and my work seeks to address that.

I have presented my research at regional and national conferences, including Southwest Popular/American Culture Association (SWPACA), Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW), and Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS).