About
About

Exigence
For over 30 years, writing and rhetoric scholars have explored the relationships between programming, writing, and rhetoric. This body of work has built from the premise that code is writing: it has dynamic purposes, authors, and audiences both human and machine. Out of this legacy, a growing number of scholars are actively conducting research and developing pedagogies rooted in understanding the communicative and rhetorical dimensions of computer programming. As a means to sustain this scholarly community, we formed a NCTE/CCCC Special Interest group in 2017, so we could solidify our field and presence across the discipline.
Current Committee Members

Chair
Chris Lindgren
Assistant Professor of Technical Communication at Virginia Tech
Dr. Chris Lindgren's (he/him) research and teaching focuses on coding as a form of writing with data, digital cultural rhetoric, and visual rhetoric.

Associate Chair
Brandee Easter
Assistant Professor of Writing at York University
Dr. Brandee Easter's research and teaching focuses on digital rhetoric, feminist rhetoric, and 21st century literacies.

Communication Officer
Cara Marta Messina
Assistant Professor of English (Professional Writing) at Jacksonville State University
Dr. Cara Marta Messina's research and teaching focus on digital rhetoric, intersectional feminism, game studies, coding and data rhetorics, and fan studies.

At-Large Member
Sarah Young
Lecturer at University of Arizona
Dr. Sarah Young researches surveillance, technology, communication, digitalization, policy, justice, and ethics, especially for systems and in the workplace. She spent over 11 years as an investigator doing national security and public trust background investigations in the United States.

Graduate Student Representative
Elena Kalodner-Martin
Ph.D. Candidate at University of Massachusetts Amherst
Elena Kalodner-Martin's research is at the intersection of the rhetoric of health and medicine, technical communication, and feminist studies. Her dissertation theorizes patient narratives on social media as a form of technical and technological expertise.
Former Committee Members
Co-Chair
Antonio Byrd
Assistant Professor at University of Missouri – Kansas City
Dr. Antonio Byrd studies how Black people access and learn computer programming to address racial and economic inequality in their communities.
Graduate Student Representative
Alfred Owusu-Ansah
Ph.D. Student at Michigan Technological University
Alfred Owusu-Ansah (he/him/his) is a PhD student at the Department of Humanities at Michigan Technological University. His PhD research seeks to argue for a broader understanding of literacy-in-action by advancing a posthuman pedagogy for writing and programming.
Meetings
Our innaugural meeting held in Portland, OR! We set the foundations of the annual intention to meet and stabilize the field. We also went out for burgers and fries after the meeting.
DocumentsNo official meeting was held this year, but Dr. Antonio Byrd was able to round a few folks together to keep the momentum going.
Documents- None available
The WROC SIG met virtually for 4Cs 2021. The mission of the WROC group was introduced and short lightning round breakout rooms were created so group members could get to know each other.
DocumentsThe first official WROC Committee Meeting after elections. The committee discusses goals to continue the development of WROC, including building bibliographies and a mentorship program.
DocumentsThe WROC SIG will meet virtually again for 4Cs 2022. Stay tuned for more information!
Documents- None available