Category: Department News & Events

Freedom Readers: A Book Club That Builds Bridges

You may have read about WRD 377: Writing and Social Engagement here on our blog last year. This course is part of Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, giving DePaul students and their incarcerated peers a chance to learn alongside each other. It is a wonderful opportunity to create more community involvement and connection. But what about students who would love to get involved but couldn’t fit the class into their schedules?  Well, we have good news! Freedom Readers is a book club born out of that class, and DePaul students and alumni are welcome to participate. In this article, we talk to Coray Ames Hoffner and Salli Berg Seeley, the two WRD faculty members who oversee the book club, as well as former WRD 377 student and current TA Michelle. Read on

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Women of Graceland Cemetery: Composing Audio Tours to Craft Untold Histories

On Wednesday, November 19, 2025 DePaul students, faculty, and Graceland Cemetery staff gathered in the chapel of the historic cemetery on Chicago’s north side for the final presentation of Professor Julie Bokser’s course, WRD 377: Writing and Social Engagement: Women of Graceland. The event showcased the final product of the class’s work during the quarter: a completed audio tour that highlights the overlooked histories of women writers and rhetors buried at Graceland Cemetery. This course was a part of DePaul’s Hidden Narratives Initiative, a program that directly partners with DePaul classes and Graceland to produce accessible resources for visitors to

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Photo of Dra. Alyssa Cavazos standing in front of a purple background. Image text reads: Event Recap – Rethinking Feedback and Assessment: A Translingual and Reciprocal Approach for All Writers. Dra. Alyssa Cavazos AQ25

Event Recap – Rethinking Feedback and Assessment: A Translingual and Reciprocal Approach for All Writers 

On Wednesday, October 29th, 2025, Dra. Alyssa Cavazos held a workshop on feedback strategies for student writing, focusing on how a broader view of approaches to feedback and assessment can be used to encourage student success.  To start off the workshop, WRD’s Dr. Monica Reyes introduced Dra. Cavazos. She is a professor of writing and language studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande, and is the director of the university’s Center for Teaching Excellence. Much of her work is focused on learner-centered pedagogies that incorporate translingual approaches and support linguistic variation.  The workshop was held over Zoom, with some

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Faculty Spotlight — Dr. Michael Gallaway  

On February 25, 2025, Dr. Michael Gallaway presented his ongoing research into the co-production of whiteness in country music. With the Invention Lab (SAC 202) full of students, staff, and faculty alike—and even more attending via Zoom—Dr. Gallaway’s presentation was an insightful and illuminating picture of racial production in contemporary rhetoric. I caught up with Dr. Gallaway the following week to discuss his work in further depth and to shine a spotlight on this important area of research. Read on to hear what we discussed and get inspired to see and hear the world in new ways.  Dr. Gallaway’s Goal 

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Event Recap: Branding and Copywriting with Professor Nancy LaFever 

On February 18, 2025, Professor Nancy LaFever visited the Invention Lab (SAC 302) to lead a presentation and discussion on branding and copywriting. Drawing from her experience as a copywriter at UL Solutions during her gap year from teaching, LaFever shared insights with an audience of undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members alike.  LaFever began by introducing the concept of organizational core competencies—the unique skills and abilities that drive a company’s success. She guided attendees through an exercise in identifying the core competencies of major companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, and Nike. From there, she encouraged participants to

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Event Recap — Dr. V Jo Hsu’s “The Story Begins with a Sundering”

On January 28, 2025, WRD faculty, students, and staff gathered in Arts & Letters Hall to hear Dr. V. Jo Hsu, Associate Professor in the Departments of Rhetoric and Writing and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, present “The Story Begins with a Sundering: On Narratives of Medical Uncertainty.” This illuminating talk explored transgender and disability medical narratives and was followed by a thought-provoking Q&A.  Dr. Hsu began by explaining that narratives shape how we understand ourselves and our experiences while bound up in a shared world. “We are tethered to narrative threads,” they

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Event Recap: National Day of Writing 2024

October 20 marked another National Day of Writing. The Stanford Hume Center of Writing and Speaking calls it “a day to recognize and celebrate writing in all its forms.” On October 21, The WRD department teamed up with The Writing Center to celebrate. Writing Center tutors were set up in Arts and Letters Hall on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus. Students, faculty, and staff were all welcome to engage with fun prompts, yummy treats, and good conversation. Four prompts were offered for those willing to participate: Check out some of the amazing responses we got! Thank you to all that came out

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Event Preview: MAWRD 2024 Independent Studies, Portfolios, and Final Presentations

This Thursday, June 6 @ 2:00–4:00pm (Central) in SAC 301 and on Zoom, join the WRD department for presentations by MAWRD students Nan Denette, Andrea Hamler, Lara Diaz, and Christian Woodley. Nan, Andrea, and Christian will be presenting their research from their independent studies completed during Spring Quarter 2024. Nan and Lara will share their experiences in the MAWRD program in their final exit requirement presentation. Additionally, several students completed Professional Portfolios highlighting their work in MAWRD; here, Bee Browning shares their perspective on the portfolio process as well.  Get a Sneak Peek of the Presentations We checked in with

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Event Recap: Dr. Antonio Byrd’s AI Presentation

On Wednesday, April 17th the WRD Department greeted Dr. Antonio Byrd, an Assistant Professor of English from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, to present “Practicing Linguistic Justice with Large Language Models.” In the hour and a half long presentation, Dr. Byrd discussed the need for a critical AI literacy that supports students who speak non-standard forms of English.  With over 20 attendees in person at Arts & Letters Hall and many more attending via Zoom, the event was a success that garnered interest in the department from students, staff, and faculty alike.  In the interactive presentation, Dr. Byrd began by

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Event Recap: WRD Internship Information Session, Winter 2024

On February 14, the WRD Department’s Student Community Committee hosted an internship information session to help students navigate finding, funding, and making the most of internship experiences.  Current undergraduate student Miranda Kincer, MAWRD alumna Natalie Toth, and Professor Lisa Dush shared about their own experiences being, hiring, and advising interns (respectively).  Each offered advice for current WRD students looking to incorporate internship experience in their academic journeys.  The Panelists Miranda Kincer, BA ‘24, is a Research Assistant Intern at the Chicago History Museum, where she is working with a curatorial team to write, format, and present a special exhibit on

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