Dr. Katie Garahan

Dr. Garahan began directing Charlotte’s WRC in 2022. She holds a PhD from Virginia Tech in Rhetoric & Writing and has worked as a writing center administrator for 7 years.

Research Interests
Writing tutoring methods and assessment, writing workshop practices and assessment, tutor training, professional identity, rhetorics of advocacy and dissent

Teaching and Administrative Experience
Director of the Writing Resources Center, UNC Charlotte, 2022 – present
Director of the Writing Center, Radford University, 2019 – 2022
Assistant Professor of English, Radford University, 2019 – 2022

Selected Publications and Presentations
“Data-Driven Guidance: Using Feedback to Forge Powerful Relationships with Tutors, Students, Faculty, and Staff.” Mid-Atlantic Writing Center Association Conference. March 2021.
“Envisioning Change: Laying the Groundwork for a Decolonized Writing Center,” Mid-Atlantic Writing Center Association Conference. Towson, MD. March 2020.
“Understanding Leadership Through an Ecological Lens: A Rhetorical Cluster Analysis of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge.” with Nickolas Clegorne and Denise Simmons in International Journal of Engineering Education, vo. 36, no. 1(A), 2020, pp. 130 – 141.
“The Public Work of Identity Performance: Advocacy and Dissent in Teachers’ Open Letters.” Rhetoric & Public Affairs, vol. 22, no. 1, 2019, pp. 59-94.
“Educating Tutors to Engage in Writing Center Workshop Purposeful Practices.” with Becky Crews in WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship, vol 43, no. 9-10, 2019, pp. 18-25.
“The Role of the Tutor in Developing and Facilitating Writing Center Workshops.” with Becky Crews in How We Teach Writing Tutors: A WLN Digital Edited Collection, edited by Karen G. Johnson and Ted Roggenbuck, 2019,
https://wlnjournal.org/digitaleditedcollection1/CrewsGarahan.html
“‘Using Our Teacher Voices’: Feminist Activism in Contemporary Educational Dissent.” Feminisms and Rhetorics Conference. Harrisonburg, VA. November 2019.
“Performing ‘Teacher’: Praise and Blame as Advocacy and Dissent.” Rhetoric Society of America Biennial Conference. Minneapolis, MN. May-June 2018.
“Insider Secrets on Graduate Writing Resources.” International Writing Center Association Annual Conference. Chicago, IL. November 2017.
“Constructing Identities Outside of the Center.” International Writing Center Association Annual Conference. Denver, CO. October 2016.

Awards
Truist Social and Ethical Leadership Course Development Grant, Radford University, 2020
Carolyn Rude Outstanding Research Award, Virginia Tech, 2017
Richard Hoffman Graduate Teaching Award, Virginia Tech, 2015
Star Teacher Award, Gaston County, 2012