Student and Alumni News

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  • MATC graduate Meghalee Das was selected as one of ten first-time presenter recipients of the 2021 Scholars for the Dream Travel Awards by the Conference on College Composition and Communication. Her article “Key Takeaways and Trends in Remote UX Research” appears in the latest issue of Intercom.
    MATC graduates Samantha Casertano, Meghalee Das, John (Jack) McClellan, and Jenna Mount presented findings from research conducted in the program’s Editing the Professional Publication course at the 9th International Conference on Technical Communication. The presentation was titled, “Examining the Value of Technical Communication Graduate Degrees in Non-Academic Professions.” 
    MATC graduate Meghalee Das won 1st Prize in Texas Tech University Graduate School’s 2020 Arts & Humanities Graduate Student Research Conference in the area of Digital Communications for her presentation, “Examining the Zoom Home Page as an Artifact of Global Technical Communication.”  Meghalee is currently enrolled in Texas Tech’s PhD in Technical Communication & Rhetoric Program.

  • MATC graduate Ashely Ford was appointed Deputy Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for The Arc of Texas, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the human rights and self-determination of Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
    MATC graduate Michael Trice’s co-edited book Platforms, Protests, and the Challenge of Networked Democracy was published on July 8, 2020 by Palgrave MacMillan. Michael is a graduate of the Texas Tech University doctoral program in Technical Communication and Rhetoric and is a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Writing, Rhetoric, and Professional Communication Program.
    MATC graduate Kimberly Jeske has accepted the Director of Product Content position at Cloudflare in Austin, Texas.
    MATC graduate Meghalee Das was awarded the Outstanding Instructor Award in First-Year Composition in the category of 1st Year Ph.D. Instructor by Texas Tech University's Department of English. Meghalee is enrolled in the PhD in Technical Communication and Rhetoric Program at Texas Tech. 
    MATC Graduate Gayle Davidson has accepted a Usability Experience (UX) Writer position at Thomson Reuters in Austin, Texas.

  • MATC Graduate and Senior Lecturer Amanda Scott’s essay "Room with Bright Window" will be published in Crab Orchard Review this fall. Her article, “Cultivating Activist-Based Pedagogy in the Age of Generation Z,” will appear in Cuentos & Testimonies: Diversity and Inclusion at Texas State (an anthology edited by Miriam Williams and Octavio Pimentel) later this fall; she’ll present the article at the Decolonizing Conference to be sponsored by the University of Toronto’s Center for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies this November.

    MATC alumna Brooke Turner is co-founder and CMO of Kwaddle, an Austin-based company described as, "an online platform that provides access to high quality, out-of-school education and enrichment programs to help children thrive and reach their fullest potential. " Brooke was recently recognized by Austin Woman magazine as a 2018 Woman's Way Business Awards Finalist for Product Innovation. 

    MATC alumna Amber Rigney accepted a position as Chief Publishing Officer at Paxen Publishing in Melbourne, Florida. Amber provides strategic direction and leadership of Paxen Publishing's library as well as the newly acquired Steck-Vaughn adult education library and SkillsTutor. She also manages content development of print and digital adult education products.

    MATC student Sarah Holdgrafer was recently promoted to Manager of the Self-Service & Content Team at ShipStation in Austin, Texas. Sarah and her team are responsible for all user-facing help documentation and internal support training. 

    MATC alumna Amanda Scott recently presented a panel titled “Matters of Form: Questions of Race, Identity, Design, and the U.S. Census” at the annual Association of Teachers of Technical Writing conference in Kansas City, Kansas." 

  • MATC alumna Dr. Susan Rauch has accepted an appointment as a Lecturer in Professional Writing in Science Communication & Technology at Massey University School of English and Media Studies, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Susan will teach, manage tutors in the writing for science communication and technology course curriculum, and redesign the writing for science communication course curriculum.

    MATC alumnus Chase Rogers been hired as an Instructional Designer with Whole Foods Market 365, a brand created to make natural food groceries more accessible to all shoppers.

    MATC alumna Swati Sahi accepted a writing instructor position at Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, Indiana.
    MATC alumna Jennifer Cleveland has accepted a position as Business Analysis Coordinator with Sprint Accessibility. She will provide communication support for deaf and hard-of-hearing employees, and assist with proposal management and RFP (request for proposal) processes.
    MATC alumni now hold the following positions in Texas State's IT and University Marketing departments: Jennifer Small (User Service Consultant II, IT Assistance Center), Jenny Joy Van De Walle (Program Specialist – Technical Writer, IT Assistance Center), Jennifer Johnson (Coordinator, IT Projects – Technology Resources Administration), and Jen LaGrange (Coordinator, IT Projects – IT Assistance Center).
    MATC alumnus Jael Perales has been hired as an Academic Editor for the American Journal Experts Division of Research Square, a for-benefit company that helps researchers around the world get their work effectively communicated and published.
    MATC student Jonathan Prichard has accepted a Peace Corps assignment in Ecuador, beginning in May. He will serve as a health extension volunteer, a position similar to a community health organizer.
    MATC student Rachel Berryhill will present "Sex Symbols and Subject Matter Experts: The Role of Females in a Military Comic Book” at the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association’s 38th Annual Conference, held in February 2017 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
    MATC alumna Jo Jarl – one of the first two graduates of the MATC program, in 2001 – has retired after 13 years as a tech writer and editor for IBM and IBM Tivoli.

  • MATC alumna Susan Rauch successfully defended her dissertation in May 2016. Susan completed doctoral studies in Texas Tech University's Technical Communication & Rhetoric Program. Her dissertation title is "Rhetoric and Economics of User Attention in e-Health: How Technology Influences Clinicians’ Decision Making in EHR Clinical Documentation."  Susan began work as a full-time instructor in Texas Tech University's English Department in the fall.

    MATC alumnus David Hernandez has accepted a position with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's Office of Social Services, in Austin. David will help implement a Leadership and Professional Development Program, analyze federal and state policies to determine changes to the Electronic Benefit Transfer program, and propose revisions to the Texas Administrative Code.

    The Society for Technical Communication (STC) Board of Directors passed a motion to create a Texas State University student chapter of STC.  MATC student and Graduate Assistant David Hernandez submitted the application, recruited student members, and serves as President of the Texas State University Student Chapter of STC.

    Congratulations go out to Swati Sahi who is the recipient of the 2016 Ione Dodson Young Scholarship awarded by the English Department.

    MATC student Amanda Scott presented "Sense and Sexuality: Using Creative Nonfiction Flash to Examine Memory, Trauma, and Identity" at the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA) conference, which recently took place in Seattle.

    Amanda also presented "Reconciling Hybridity: Towards a More Inclusive Understanding of Biracial Identity in Technical Communication" at the Association for Teachers of Technical Writing Conference, held on April 6 in Houston.

    MATC student Kristen Sacky has accepted a position on the Order Management team at Google Inc., in Austin, Texas. Kristen will be responsible for helping clients implement Google software applications in business environments.

    Derek

    MATC alumnus Derek Holden accepted a position as Content Administrator at Game Stop Inc.  Derek's duties will include creating and managing web content for Game Stop's international ThinkGeek brand.

     

    MATC alumnus Dr. Travis Irby serves as Instructional Designer in Texas State University's Office of Distance and Extended Learning. His areas of emphasis include self-paced studies and course production.

  • WhitneyMATC alumna Whitney Lacey has accepted a position as a Content Specialist at Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) in Austin, Texas.  EA develops and publishes EA Sports titles, The Sims, and many other popular videos games. Whitney will write HELP articles and documentation to support EA games.
    EmilyMATC student Emily Clark, this year’s Outstanding Graduate Student in English, has accepted a position at Schneider Electric as a technical writer. Emily will write documentation for tollway system software and hardware.
    The English Department was well represented at the national Pop Culture Association / American Culture Association meeting held recently in New Orleans. MATC student Amanda Scott presented "'Shorty Wanna Be a Thug': The Dynamics of Gender in Rap Groups."
    AlexandraMATC alumna Alexandra Podwalny has accepted the Communications Executive position at Mercom Capital Group in Austin, Texas. Alexandra graduated from the MATC program in fall 2014.
    Deb Balzhiser's article, "Participatory Media & Culture: The Spirit of the Human," written with Caroline Jones and former MATC students Julie Good and Tate English, appears in the latest issue of Technoculture.
    MATC student Heath Hamilton has accepted a technical writing position at Polycom, Inc. in Austin, Texas.
    EmmelynMATC alumna Emmelyn Wang has accepted a position as Director of Web Product Marketing at Mouser Electronics in Mansfield, Texas. Mouser Electronics is an authorized distributor of semiconductor and electronic components for over 500 industry-leading suppliers.
    EricMATC student Derek Holden has accepted a position as an editorial assistant in the Office of Distance and Extended Learning at Texas State University.
    EricMATC Student and GRA Eric Hall has accepted a position as a Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I at the University of Texas at Austin's Applied Research Laboratories. Eric will prepare and present technical documentation of software processes, training materials, and operational and test procedures for high frequency active sonar systems deployed on United States Navy submarines and ships.
    MATC students Danielle McEwen and Joel Ritch received Summer Incentive Scholarships from the Graduate College.
    ChelseaMATC graduate Chelsea Wunneburger has accepted a position as an ESL instructor for Madrid's Ministry of Education. She will live in Madrid from September 2014 to June 2015.
    MATC alumna Kim Jeske was recently promoted to Staff Technical Writer at National Instruments (NI). During her two years at NI, she has received numerous awards, including last year's Rookie of the Year Award.
    MATC alumnus Ky Stevens has been offered a position as a UX (User Experience) Research Assistant at Grainger.com, in Austin, Texas.
    DeniseMATC alumna Denise Cisneros has received a Spotlight Award from Blackbaud, a company in Austin that develops software and services for a wide range of nonprofits throughout the country. Denise, who was promoted to Technical Writer II within her first year there, received the award for work on a major documentation project. In addition, MATC alumnus Bryce Dishongh was recently hired by Blackbaud.

  • MATC student Heath Hamilton has accepted a technical writing position at Polycom, Inc. in Austin, Texas.

    MATC student Derek Holden has accepted a position as an editorial assistant in the Office of Distance and Extended Learning at Texas State University. 

    MATC Student and GRA Eric Hall has accepted a position as a Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I at the University of Texas at Austin's Applied Research Laboratories. Eric will prepare and present technical documentation of software processes, training materials, and operational and test procedures for high frequency active sonar systems deployed on United States Navy submarines and ships.

    MATC students Danielle McEwen and Joel Ritch received Summer Incentive Scholarships from the Graduate College.

    MATC alumnus Tate English has been promoted to Staff Technical Writer at National Instruments in Austin, Texas.

    MATC graduate Chelsea Wunneburger has accepted a position as an ESL instructor for Madrid's Ministry of Education. She will live in Madrid from September 2014 to June 2015.

    MATC alumna Kim Jeske was recently promoted to Staff Technical Writer at National Instruments (NI). During her two years at NI, she has received numerous awards, including last year's Rookie of the Year Award.

    MATC alumnus Ky Stevens has been offered a position as a UX (User Experience) Research Assistant at Grainger.com, in Austin, Texas.

    MATC alumna Denise Cisneros has received a Spotlight Award from Blackbaud, a company in Austin that develops software and services for a wide range of nonprofits throughout the country. Denise, who was promoted to Technical Writer II within her first year there, received the award for work on a major documentation project. In addition, MATC alumnus Bryce Dishongh was recently hired by Blackbaud.

  • MATC alumnus Chase Rogers writes software documentation in Houston for Canrig's instrumentation and drilling recording software, RigWatch®.

    MATC student Brandon McCartney has accepted a position as Associate UX Analyst at Visa. Brandon was offered this position after working as Associate UX Analyst Intern this past summer.

    MATC student Amarilis Castillo has been accepted into the Ph.D. program in Developmental Education at Texas State University.

    MATC graduate Mandy Glover was recognized for her project management work and received a leadership award at the 2013 National Instruments-Technical Communication conference. In June 2013, Mandy was promoted to Staff Technical Writer - Project Lead.

    MATC graduate Kim Jeske ended her first year at National Instruments by receiving a Rookie of the Year award at the 2013 National Instruments-Technical Communication conference, along with two nominations for the Technical Writing Excellence award.

    MATC student Monica De Los Santos will present "Futuristic Visions, Bold Reimaginings: The Conciliatory Rhetorical World of Mesoamerica and Mestizos" at the Conference on College Composition and Communication in March 2014.

    MATC graduate Michael Trice has accepted a position as a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Michael will begin teaching Writing & Communication this fall. Michael is a Ph.D. candidate in Texas Tech University's Technical Communication & Rhetoric Program.

    MATC graduate Marcia Bilbo has accepted a technical writing position at Polycom in Austin, Texas.

    MATC graduate Jennifer Cleveland has accepted a contract position as proposal editor for the Sprint Nextel Corporation.

    MATC student Jamie Peterson has been accepted into the Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition program at Kent State University, and has accepted an appointment as a Teaching Fellow there for the upcoming academic year.

    MATC student Jamie Peterson will present “Texas Legislature: Scaring the Women” at the 2013 Feminisms and Rhetorics Conference, to be held at Stanford University in late September. The presentation arises from Jamie’s research on political campaignlanguage developed to make the Human Papillomavirus vaccination mandatory in Texas for young teen girls prior to their entering sixth grade.

    MATC student Meg Seeger has accepted a summer internship as a junior technical writer for Drillinginfo, Inc., an oil and gas intelligence company in Austin.

    MATC alumni S. Chase Rogers has accepted a position as Technical Writer at Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. in Houston, Texas.

    MATC student Monica De Los Santos has been selected to serve as a first-stage proposal reviewer for the 2014 CCCC Annual Convention. At the 2013 CCCC convention, she presented in the featured session, "Writing and Working for Change: An Agenda for a New Generation."

    MATC student Zach Stout has accepted a position for the summer with USAA in San Antonio as a Media and Internet Content intern with the Mobile Channel team.

    MATC student Madeleine Williams has begun a six-month internship with Brenda Thompson Communications, a boutique PR firm in Austin.

    MATC graduate Susan Rauch's article, "The Accreditation of Hildegard von Bingen as Medieval Female Technical Writer,” has been nominated for NCTE's Best Article in Historical Research in Scientific and Technical Communication prize.

    MATC student Brandon McCartney has accepted an internship as Associate User Experience Analyst in the Enterprise Business Development team with Visa in Austin. Brandon will be working with usability testing and user research for web and mobile products for electronic payments.

    MATC alumna Denise Cisneros has accepted a technical writing position in Austin with Blackbaud, a company that creates financial software for non-profits. Their clients include Ronald McDonald House Charities, St. Jude, Relay for Life, and other organizations. Denise will be on the user education team.

    MATC student Amarilis Castillo will present "Latinas: Mentoring the Next Generation of Technical Communicators” at the TXNAME (Texas National Association for Multicultural Education) Conference, to be held at Texas State University on April 19-20, 2013.

    MATC student Iola Hallock has been hired as a Technical Editor with Freescale Semiconductor in Austin, Texas.

    MATC student Brandi Nicole Ford has accepted a position as an Advisory Writer at the Hewlett-Packard Company in Houston, Texas

  • MATC Alumnae Alexis Cline, who has been teaching Technical Writing here at Texas State University the past four years, is leaving this summer to join the Texas Computer Education Association as their Publications Specialist. Her duties will include writing various marcom and technical documents as well as training teachers across the state on methods for incorporating technologies into the classroom.

    MATC student Elizabeth Vahalik has been hired as an Apple College Program Manager Rotation Advisor in which she will be responsible for a team of 15-20 technical support advisors in the college program. This position is a part of Apple's At-Home Advisor College Program.

    In February 2012, MATC Alumnus Ronny Roland has accepted a technical writing position with Telvent, a global software company, in Ft. Collins, Colorado.

    In February 2012, MATC and MALIT Student Susan Rauch has been accepted into the doctoral program in Technical Communication and Rhetoric at Texas Tech for fall 2012. She has also been awarded a Teaching Assistantship.

    In February 2012, MATC Alumnus and former MATC Graduate Assistant Jael Perales has been hired as an Administrative II in the Round Rock Center’s Director’s Suite. Jael said he applied for the position because it is similar to the MATC Assistantship, which he so enjoyed.

  • MATC student Kim Jeske has been chosen for an internship with the College for All Texans Foundation of the Texas Higher Education Board. Kim will be working on the Foundation’s website, social media, and various technological needs.

    MATC alumna Krystle Gonzalez-Danuz has been hired by ArthroCare, a medical equipment company in Austin, as an International Regulatory Affairs Specialist.

    MATC Student Susan Rauch's article, "The Accreditation of Hildegard von Bingen as Medieval Female Technical Writer" has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Technical Writing and Communication. It is scheduled for publication in 2012.

    MATC alumna Lonie McMichael has accepted a position as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, in the Professional and Technical Writing program.

    For her internship project in ENG 5312 during the Spring 2011 semester, MATC student Krystle Gonzalez-Danuz wrote, edited, and took photos for a *Student Success Guide* for Central Texas College. The College is planning on 1,000 copies for the first printing of the publication.

    MATC alumna Lauren Clamurro has been hired as a contract junior technical writer for H-E-B in San Antonio.

    MATC student Liz Cross is a contract technical writer for the Texas Attorney General Office-Child Division Department in Austin Texas.

    MATC alumnae Amanda (“Mandy”) Grover has been hired as a technical writer by National Instruments in Austin. Mandy, who was an IT Operations Technical Writer for the Texas Department of Health Services in Austin, begins working for National Instruments March 7.

    MATC alumnus Michael Trice is a Presidential Doctoral Fellow in Technical Communication and Rhetoric at Texas Tech University. He has a chapter, "How We Comment on Web Journalism: A Case Study on Dialogue Found in News Articles," coming out in March in *Ethics in Emerging Media Information, Social Norms, and New Media,* edited by Bruce E. Drushel and Kathleen German, and published by Continuum.

    MATC student Spencer Williamson will begin working as a Technical Writer and Editor for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Business Oversight, Internal Control Service, in Austin on February 14.

    MATC student Susan Killebrew Davey’s article, “Technology and Innovation: Elevator Regulatory Speaks to Universities,” has been accepted to World Elevator Magazine, an international publication covering worldwide matters related to the history, technology, safety, and operation of elevators. Ms. Davey’s article is an interview with Lawrence Taylor, Chief Elevator Inspector for Texas. Ms. Davey, who is Texas State’s Business and Construction Warranties Manager for the campus Facilities Department, wrote the article as part of her coursework in the graduate Foundations in Technical Communication course in Fall 2010.

    MATC alumna and former MATC Graduate Assistant Melonie (“Lonie”) McMichael has completed her Ph.D. in Technical Communication and Rhetoric at Texas Tech University.

    MATC student Susan Davey has been chosen a winner of the Staff Educational Development Leave program for spring 2011 by William Nance, Texas State VPFSS. The program pays full tuition, and it reduces a semester’s work week hours for a staff member to help her/him complete coursework.

  • MATC student Vita Haake gave birth on August 27, 2010 to Evelina Michelle (Evie). Evie was 7lbs 4.5oz and 20”long. Vita and Evie are both doing fine.

    MATC alumna Sarah McNeely and husband Jeremy Bagley proudly announced the birth of Nora Kathryn McNeely-Bagley on Thursday, July 29, 2010. Sarah, in the doctoral program at TCU, baby, and husband are all doing well.

    In May 2010, MATC student Susan Rauch presented "Apocalypse Now Y1K: What a Revelation! A comparative-critical literary analysis of Anglo-Saxon text disguised as New Testament biblical study" at the International Congress in Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University. This past July she presented "Christiana: The Reincarnation of Margery or Bridget? Discerning authorship and characterization in *The Pilgrim's Progress*: Part Two" at the Sixth International Conference of the International John Bunyan Society, held at Keele University in England. At the October meeting of the Rocky Mountain MLA, she’ll read "Where the Boys (and Girls) Are: From the Pastons' to Mulcaster's English."

    MATC alumna Sarah Wilson married Chad Allison June 12 at the Inn at Salado in Salado, Texas. Sarah was a MATC Graduate Assistant and now works for a children’s book publishing company in Dallas. Chad is from Oklahoma and is a computer hardware salesman.

    Susan Rauch, current MATC student, has been awarded the Fall 2010 graduate Women’s Scholarship sponsored by the Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies.

    MATC alumnus and current Fulbright Scholar Michael Trice has contributed "Going Deep: What Online Sports Culture Teaches About the Rhetorical Future of Social Networks" to the collection, *Digital Generation: Essays on New Media Rhetoric,* published by McFarland Press. His work on the essay began in a class with Dr. Deb Balzhiser.

  • MATC student Tate English's short film has received rave reviews in the Austin Chronicle. 

    MATC student Vita Haake's book review of "XML in Technical Communication" by Charles Cowan was published in the STC journal Technical Communication. Vita wrote the review as an assignment as part of a graduate course she took during Fall 2008.

    MATC alumna Janice Ringersma presented at the 2009 Computers and Writing Conference at the University of California-Davis on using technology for service learning projects in rural communities.

    MATC alumna Emmelyn Wang was elected to serve a second season as the Director of Education, Seminars, and acting Program Manager for the Austin chapter of the STC. She also received the Graduate Scholars Scholarship for the 2009-2010 academic year.

    MATC alumnus Michael Trice, who was named 2009 Outstanding Graduate Student in English, was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in the spring of 2009. Michael is currently studying in the UK.

    MATC alumna Rebecca Abbott received the Celebrity Classic Scholarship for the 2009/2010 academic year.

  • MATC alumnus Sean Doran, a technical writer for Biomat's Austin Testing Laboratory, was invited by Grifols – Biomat's parent company and the third largest supplier of plasma products in the world – to train employees about technical writing for Grifols' new International Training Academy in Arizona.

    MATC alumna Jennifer Osburn was hired as a technical writer for Texas Parks and Wildlife.

    MATC alumna Amanda Grover’s presentation, “The Perils of Teaching Technical Writing for the Hypothetical Workplace: How Avoiding Pseudotransactionality Can Lead to Megacognitive Curriculum,” was accepted by the Arkansas Philological Conference at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in October 2008.

    MATC alumnus Michael Trice was appointed Assistant Editor for Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy. He competed against faculty for this appointment. Michael also had a book chapter accepted for an edited collection, was accepted to present at the Popular Culture Association conference March 2008, and began working with the University News Service at Texas State University as web designer.