Assistant Professor
sherenahuntsman@boisestate.edu
LA-209D
Dr. Sherena Huntsman is a dedicated instructor and technical communication researcher. Her teaching philosophy and research trajectory reflect her firm value of individual voice and the conviction that all bodies have the right to access information and instruction. Her ongoing research focuses on the investigation of marginalizing power structures in digital information/instructional spaces. This research and her teaching philosophy interconnect to inform her current investigation into normalizing the accessibility of digital course materials as part of pedagogical best practices in an effort to transform workspaces. Her work engages with like-minded community partners, including Idaho Digital Access Consortium, Idaho Access Project, Idaho ADA Social Media Campaign, Idaho Fair Housing Office, and Conference on College Composition and Communication Accessibility Committee. Sherena’s current research on accessibility incorporates an extensive inquiry into the accessibility motivations and practices of corporate workplaces, including Domino’s Inc. and the LEGO group. Her methodology employs a mixed methods approach and borrows from a feminist theory commitment to the individual participant and participatory research design to recognize that research is action-based and ongoing. The foundations and broader implications of her current research informed several national presentations and publications, including “Breaking the Exclusionary Boundary between User Experience and Access” at the 2019 SigDoc. Her research and pedagogical pursuits exist at the intersection of feminist theory, disability rhetoric, digital humanities, social justice, accessibility, and participatory design.
Education
- Ph.D., Technical Communication and Rhetoric, Utah State University
- M.A., British and American Literature, University of Utah
- B.S., English, Utah State University
Interests
Digital Accessibility, User Experience, Technical Communication Research Methods, Social Justice, Open Education Resources, Inclusive Pedagogy, Online Education, and fantastic shoes
Recent Publications
- Huntsman, S., Edenfield, A. E., & Davis, E. (2020). Open access textbooks in a professional communication classroom: A pilot study. Journal of Empower Teaching Excellence, (4)1, Article 7. Doi 10.15142/f59h-7q96
- Huntsman, S., Colton, J. S., & Phillips, C. (2019). Cultivating virtuous course designers: using technical communication to reimagine accessibility in higher education. Communication Design Quarterly, (6)4, 12-23. Doi 10.1145/3309589.3309591
Courses
ENGL 212 Introduction to Technical Communication
ENGL 314 Proposal Writing
ENGL 416 User-Centered Design
ENGL 492 WRTC Capstone
ENGL 535 User Experience
ENGL 521 Universal Design and Accessibility
ENGL 511 Rhetorical Theory for Workplace Writers