English Doctoral Student Participates in Rhetoric Society of America Project in Reno

Katie W. Powell, doctoral student in English at the University of Arkansas and associate director for student success in the Honors College, recently participated in the Rhetoric Society of America Project for 2019.

The trip was funded through a grant from the Graduate Student and Professional Congress.

From May 20-23, Powell, who is specializing in rhetoric and composition studies and technical writing, was one of 25 participants in this year's RSA Project, which took place at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The purpose of the project was to examine and apply rhetorical theory to the University of Nevada, Reno's Campus Master Plan. 

Project participants were broken up into eight working groups, each taking a different rhetorical perspective on the main topic. Powell's group, which focused upon the theme of "Memories and Lost Communities," was led by rhetoric scholar and University of Kentucky professor Jenny Rice. This group was responsible for investigating "if (and why) unarchivable spaces are important for preserving in public memory, and if so, how to preserve them."

Data generated by the RSA Project's working groups was used to develop a public digital map that was ultimately given to university and city officials and has also been made available to others for scholarly and pedagogical purposes.

A special issue of Review of Communication dedicated to this project will run Spring 2020.

Powell, who is beginning her second year of the English doctoral program at the University of Arkansas, plans to focus her dissertation research on the discourse surrounding memorials and monuments in regards to heritage and public memory.