Dr. Krista Joy Sarraf
Assistant Professor
English
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
director, technical and professional communication program
Office: 47-35M
Email: ksarraf@calpoly.edu
Phone: 805-756-5131
Education
| Degree | Major Emphasis | Institution | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. | English, Composition and Applied Linguistics | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 2020 |
| M.A. | English | James Madison University | 2014 |
| B.A. | English and Art History | Randolph-Macon College | 2009 |
Teaching and Research Interests
Technical and Professional Communication
User Experience and Design
Creative Thinking
Gender Studies, sexual violence
As a scholar in technical and professional communication, my research is concerned with exploring the relationship between writing and creative thinking, particularly in workplace settings and STEM/technical/professional writing spheres. I draw on both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. As a researcher, I want to know more about the practices and processes that writers use to solve social, cultural, and environmental problems.
Publications, Podcasts, and Invited Talks
with Gaisie, L. et al. (2024). The Editing for Justice Program: Piloting a community-based learning social justice project in technical and professional communication. Programmatic Perspectives, 15(2). Retrieved from https://cptsc.org/programmatic-perspectives/
Sarraf, K. S. (2024). Engaging in mutual mentoring: A heuristic to transfer knowledge as a technical and professional communication administrator. Programmatic Perspectives, 15(1). Retrieved from https://programmaticperspectives.cptsc.org/index.php/jpp/article/view/88
Moroz, O., & Sarraf, K. S. (2024). Hybrid contract grading in online and HyFlex first-year composition courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Composition Forum, 53. Retrieved from https://compositionforum.org/issue/53/hybrid-contract-grading.php
Sarraf, K.S. (2023). Charting RAD Research as an Orientation to Creativity in Writing Studies. Written Communication.
Sarraf, K.S. (2023). Tying Creative Problem-Solving to Social Justice Work in Technical and Professional Communication. Technical Communication Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572252.2023.2194340
Sarraf, K.S. (2023). Patterning Memories of Sexual Violence Using the #MeToo Hashtag. Computers and Composition, 67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2023.102750 Sarraf, K.S. (2021). Representations of Creativity by Posters in Freelance Writing Internet Forums. Technical Communication Quarterly. doi 10.1080/10572252.2021.1915387
Sarraf, K.S. (2021). Assigning graduate student digital co-authorship: A student’s perspective. PraxisWiki, Kairos 25(2). Retrieved from http://praxis.technorhetoric.net/tiki-index.php?page=PraxisWiki:_:Co-authorship
Sarraf, K.S. & Rafoth, B.A. (2020). Don’t forget the end user: Writing and tutoring in Computer Science. Writing Center Journal 38(1-2), 131-164.
Vetter, M., Sarraf, K.S. (2020). Assessing the Art+Feminism Edit-a-thon for Wikipedia literacy, learning outcomes, and critical thinking. Interactive Learning Environments. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1805772
Sarraf, K.S. (2019). Extending ‘The idea of a writing laboratory’: A simulation-based workshop for computer science majors. The Peer Review: Special Issue 3.1 (Re)defining Welcome. Retrieved from http://thepeerreview-iwca.org/issues/redefining-welcome/extending-the-idea-of-a-writing-laboratory-a-simulation-based-workshop-for-computer-science-majors/
Sarraf, K.S. (2022). Training tutors to respond: The potential violence of addressing sexual violence disclosures in the writing center. In S. Gage & K. Fleckenstein (Eds). Violence in the Work of Composition. Logan, UT: Utah State University Press (pp. 209-226). https://upcolorado.com/utah-state-university-press/item/6237-violence-in-the-work-of-composition
Selected Presentations
Sarraf, K.S. (2024). Teaching Students in the Business Communication Classroom Writing Practices for Creative Thinking. Paper presented at the Association for Business Communication. Tucson, AZ.
Sarraf, K. S. (2024). Bridging the gap: Exploring barriers and opportunities of collaboration in user experience partnerships between nonprofits and technical and professional communication academics. In 2024 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference
Sarraf, K.S., Robinson, E., & Yang, H. (2024, February). Teaching User Experience through a Social Justice Lens. Presentation for Cal Poly’s Social Justice Teach-In. San Luis Obispo, CA.
Sarraf, K.S. (2022, October). Transferring Administrative Skills as a Novice Technical Communication Program Director. Presentation at Conference on Professional, Technical, and Scientific Communication, Colorado Springs, CO.
With Atherton, R., Christen, J., Hoffman, C., Jorgenson Bochert (2022, June). Course Design Coalitions: Supporting Social Justice Pedagogies, Developing Infrastructure. Workshop facilitated at Association of Teachers of Technical Communication, Virtual.
With Gage, S., Meyer, T., Dooley, L., Lewis, L., Sura, T., & Fleckenstein, K. (2022, March) Violence in the Work of Composition: The Promises and Perils of Redressing Harm. Roundtable Discussion delivered at Conference on College Composition and Communication, Virtual.
Sarraf, K.S. (2020, October). How do writers communicate across borders? Teaching e-mail communication through a transnational email assignment. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association for Business Communication, Virtual.
Sarraf, K.S. (2019, October). Freedom to debate: Encouraging dissent to maximize writers’ creative thinking. Workshop presented at the meeting of International Writing Centers Association and National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing, Columbus, OH.
Sarraf, K.S. (2019, March). Paths to feminist world-making: Identifying rhetorics that address systemic sexism. Paper presented at the meeting of Conference on College Composition and Communication, Pittsburgh, PA.
Sarraf, K.S., Zhang, J., & Rafoth, B.A. (2018, November). Improving tutoring to address students’ writing needs in cybersecurity. Paper presented at the meeting of National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing, South Padre Island, TX.
Sarraf, K.S., & Zhang, J. (2018, February). Re-inventing the writing center: Innovative writing center solutions from a multilingual writing center in China and a community creative writing center in the United States. Paper presented at the meeting of Southeastern Writing Center Association, Richmond, VA.
Courses Taught
ENGL 221: Introduction to Technical and Professional Communication
ENGL 310: Corporate Communication
ENGL 317: Technical Editing
ENGL 319: Information Design and Production
ENGL 421: Advanced Topics in Technical and Professional Communication
ENGL 518: Graduate Technical Communication
Professional Memberships
IEEE Professional Communication Society
Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication