Dr. Krista Joy Sarraf

Assistant Professor

director, technical and professional communication program

Email: Krista Joy Sarraf

Education

Ph.D. in English, Composition and Applied Linguistics, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
M.A. in English, James Madison University 
B.A. in English and in Art History, Randolph-Macon College

Teaching and Research Interests

Technical and Professional Communication 
User Experience and Design
Creative Thinking

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

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. (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

English 221: Introduction to Technical and Professional Communication
English 317: Technical Editing
English 319: Information Design and Production
English 421: Advanced Topics in Technical and Professional Communication