CV

last updated, 1/6/23
Note: only activities between 2009–present included

Lisa Dush

Associate Professor
Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse
DePaul University

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, English, Composition and Rhetoric concentration, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Bachelor of Arts, English, The College of William and Mary

Academic Appointments

  • Associate Professor of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse, DePaul University, 2017–Present
  • Assistant Professor of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse, DePaul University, 2010–2017
  • Full-Time Lecturer in Writing Across the Curriculum, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 2007–2010

Administrative Appointments

  • Coordinator, Graduate Certificate in Strategic Writing and Advancement for Nonprofits, 2020–present
  • Faculty Director, HumanitiesX: DePaul’s Experiential Humanities Collaborative, 2019–present
  • Director, Studio CHI Digital Humanities Center, DePaul University, 2019
  • Director, MA Program in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse, DePaul University, 2013–2018
  • Course Coordinator for Chemical Engineering Projects Lab, Chemical-Biological Engineering Lab, and Cambridge/MIT Exchange, MIT, 2007–2010

Publications

peer-reviewed journal articles

  • Dush, Lisa. “The Art of Assembly: Script, Platform, Document.” Technical Communication Quarterly. Published online first on Dec. 28, 2022.
  • Dush, Lisa. “A Community of Practice Design for Capacity-Building Programs: The Chicago Peace Fellows.” Community Development. Published online first on May 28, 2022.
  • Dush, Lisa. “Drawing into Being: Charter Graphics and Their Functions.” Journal of Business and Technical Communication 36.2 (2022): 165-189.
  • Dush, Lisa. “Nonprofit Collections of Digital Personal Experience Narratives: An Exploratory Analysis.” Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 31.2 (2017): 188-221.
  • Dush, Lisa. “When Writing Becomes Content.” College Composition and Communication 67.2 (2015): 173-96.
  • Dush, Lisa. “Building the Capacity of Organizations for Rhetorical Action with New Media: An Approach to Service Learning.” Computers and Composition: An International Journal 34.4 (2014): 11-22.
  • Dush, Lisa. “The Ethical Complexities of Sponsored Digital Storytelling.” International Journal of Cultural Studies 16.6 (2013): 627-640.

peer-reviewed book chapters

  • Dush, Lisa. “Beyond the Wake-Up Call: Learning What Students Know About Copyright.” Copyright and Composition. Steve Westbrook, ed. Albany: SUNY Albany UP, 2009. 260-268.
  • Dush, Lisa. “Genre-Informed Implementation Analysis: An Approach for Assessing the Sustainability of New Textual Practices.” Technological Ecologies and Sustainability: Methods, Modes, and Assessment. Danielle DeVoss, Heidi McKee, & Dickie Selfe, eds. Computers and Composition Digital Press, 2009. Available: http://ccdigitalpress.org/ebooks-and-projects/dwae
  • Dush, Lisa. “Digital Storytelling in Organizations: Syntax and Skills.” Story Circle: Digital Storytelling Around the World. John Hartley and Kelly McWilliam, eds. Oxford: Blackwell, 2009. 114-132.

peer-reviewed article in a conference proceedings

  • Dush, Lisa. “Alignment Genres and Practices: Lessons from Nonprofit-Partnership Projects in Content Strategy.” Proceedings of the 39th ACM International Conference on Design of Communication, 2021.
  • Dush, Lisa; Getto, Guiseppe; Flanagan, Suzan; Thompson, RJ. “Content Strategy Service-Learning Partnerships with Nonprofit Organizations: A Guiding Heuristic and Overview of Deliverables.” Proceedings of the 34th ACM International Conference on Design of Communication, 2016.

book reviews

  • Dush, Lisa. Review of Lydia Wilkes, Nate Kreuter, and Ryan Skinnell (Eds), Rhetoric and Guns. Technical Communication Quarterly
  • Dush, Lisa. Review of Stuart Selber’s Institutional Literacies: Engaging Academic IT Contexts for Writing and Communication. Journal of Business and Technical Communication 36.1 (2022): 120-123.

Grants

  • “DePaul’s Blue Book: Best American High School Writing,“ with Miles Harvey, Jason Martin, Chris Solis Green. DePaul University, Academic Growth and Innovation Fund, $100,000 (funded), 2022.
  • “Experiential Humanities Collaborative for DePaul’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences,” Co-PI with Margaret Storey. Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, $750,000 (funded), 2019–2023.
  • “Partnership to Advance Collaborative Experiential Learning at DePaul University by Developing and Promoting the Gather App.” DePaul University, Academic Growth and Innovation Fund, $290,000 (not funded), 2018.
  • “Parents as Disruptors: Storytelling and Community Building Across Different Neighborhoods, Schools, and Communities,” with Ann Russo, Beth Catlett, Lourdes Torres, Lourdes Sullivan, and John Zeigler. DePaul University, Vincentian Endowment Fund, $9700 (funded), 2017.
  • “When Writing Became Content: How Digital Technologies and Economies Have Changed Writing.” DePaul University College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Faculty Research and Development Grant, $4700 (funded), 2017.
  • “Task Force to Investigate Graduate-Level Curricular Initiatives for and with Chicago Nonprofit Organizations,” with Peter Vandenberg, John Mazzeo, R. Noam Ostrander, Tracey Mabrey, and Robert Stokes. DePaul University Office of the Provost’s Academic Incentive Pool, $10,000 (funded), 2017.
  • “Optimizing the Stories That Work Database for Public Launch and Presentation in an Online Journal.” DePaul University Research Council Competitive Research Grant, $3500 (funded), 2015.
  • “Storing and Distributing Organizational Collections of Digital Personal Experience Narratives: A Case Study.” DePaul University College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Faculty Research and Development Grant, $4200 (funded), 2013.
  • “DSLR cameras for the MA in New Media Studies Program.” DePaul University Quality of Instruction Council Academic Technology Grant, $7500 (funded), 2013.
  • “Developing a Service-Learning Course in Which Students Deliver a Digital Storytelling Train-the-Trainer Workshop to Community Partners.” DePaul University Public Service Council Grant, $4500 (funded), 2010.
  • “Integrating Collaborative Technologies in Chemical Engineering Projects Laboratory.” MIT Alumni Class Funds, $11,130 (funded), 2010.

Scholarly Papers Presented

  • “The Experiential Humanities.” National Humanities Conference, Los Angeles, CA, November 2022. 
  • “Building and Engaging with Community Archives as a Community Literacy Practice.” Presenter and panel chair. Conference on Community Writing, online, October 2021.
  • “Alignment Genres and Practices: Lessons from Nonprofit-Partnership Projects in Content Strategy.” SIGDOC 2021, online, October 2021.
  • “Designing for Complex and Extended Partnership Projects in Technical and Professional Writing.” Presenter and panel chair, Conference on Community Writing, Philadelphia, PA, October 2019.
  • “Leveraging Digital Humanities Practices to Teach Structured Authoring in Technical and Professional Communication.” SIGDOC 2018, Milwaukee, WI, August 2018.
  • “Online Community Writing Projects: Building Global Networks to Support Local Action.” Presenter and panel chair, Conference on Community Writing, Boulder, CO, October 2017.
  • “Content Strategy Service-Learning Partnerships with Nonprofit Organizations: A Guiding Heuristic and Overview of Deliverables.” SIGDOC 2016, Arlington, VA, September 2016.
  • “The Writing Program as a Hub for Community Digital Media Training.” Conference on Community Writing, Boulder, CO, October 2015.
  • “Three Kinds of Work that Digital Stories Can Do for Nonprofits.” International Digital Storytelling Conference, Amherst, MA, September 2015.
  • “Social Justice, Learning Outcomes, and Professional-Technical Writing Programs.” Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication Annual Conference, Colorado Springs, CO, September 2014.
  • “When Writing Becomes Content.” Computers and Writing, Pullman, WA, June 2014.
  • “Building Rhetorically Useful Collections of Digital Personal Experience Narratives.” Computers and Writing, Frostburg, MD, June 2013.
  • “Teaching Nonprofit and Public-Sector Organizations to Make Artful, Ethical, and Sustainable New Media.” International Digital Media and Arts Association Annual Conference, Miami, FL, November 2012.
  • “Developing a Tablet-Based Course to Train International Advocates for Social Change.” MobilityShifts, New York, NY, October 2011.
  • “Ethical Convergence in New Media: The Case of Digital Storytelling.” Computers and Writing, Ann Arbor, MI, May 2011.
  • “Invention Through Asset Management: The Potential of Cataloging Software for Creators of Database Narratives.” Database > Narrative > Archive, Montreal, Quebec, CA, May 2011.
  • “Presenting on the Edge: New Styles and Techniques.” Presenter and panel chair, Conference on College Composition and Communication, Louisville, KY, March 2010.

Other Professional Activities

invited presentations and workshops

  • “Making the Case for Community-Engaged Work in Your Review and Promotion Materials,” Coalition for Community Writing Workshop, Online, November 2022.
  • “Writing Successful Conference Proposals and Grants.” Presentation and Workshop for First-Year Writing Program, DePaul University, March 2019.
  • “Digital Storytelling: Participatory Media Projects for Education, Advocacy, and Research.” Presentation for the Art and Technology Task Force (ARTEC), Norwegian University of Science and Technology, October 2018.
  • “Multimodal Writing and Approaches to Mixed-Media Literature.” Presentation and Workshop for Lit3002: Theoretical Approaches to Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, October 2018.
  • “Technical Writing Today: The View from Academia.” Webinar for Chicago Chapter of the Society of Technical Communicators, April 2018.
  • “Writing a Literature Review.” Presentation to Jones College Prep High School and ongoing work as Research Mentor for an AP Research student, 2017–18.
  • “Truth, Justice and the American Way: Shaping Narrative Across the Disciplines.” Faculty panel participant, DePaul University’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Graduate Conference, March 2017.
  • “Game Design and the Human Condition: Book Launch and Discussion.” Respondent, DePaul University’s Studio CHI Digital Humanities Center, March 2017.
  • “Digital Storytelling as Digital Humanities.” Presentation for DePaul University’s Studio CHI Digital Humanities Center, November 2016.
  • “Digital Storytelling for Social Impact.” Presentation for the DePaul Social Impact Affinity Group, Chicago, IL, November 2015.
  • “The Stories That Work Database: How Nonprofits and Cause Initiatives Can Use Personal Stories in their Work.” Presentation for the DePaul University Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Faculty Research Symposium, Chicago, IL, June 2015.
  • “On Being a Pracademic.” Invited presentation for DMA 527: Digital Media Arts Survey, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, March 2015.
  • “Personal Storytelling in the Age of Status Updates.” Invited presentation for LSP 112: The Power of the Visual Image, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, February 2015.
  • “WeVideo in the Writing Classroom.” Invited presentation for Digital WRD, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, October 2014.
  • “The Visual Rhetoric of Digital Stories.” Invited presentation for LSP 112: Visual Rhetoric, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, January 2012 & January 2013.
  • “Digital Storytelling: An Introduction.” Half-day workshop for the Office of Mission and Values, DePaul University, August 2011.
  • WAC Tech Technology Discussion Group, Co-Founder, MIT, Cambridge, MA, 2008-2010.
  • “Web-Based Tools for Writing, Reading, and Presenting.” Invited presentation to MIT Libraries staff, Cambridge, MA, June 2010.
  • “Using Technology to Teach Writing and Speaking.” Invited presentation for Mini-Seminar Series on Teaching Writing-Intensive Courses Across the Disciplines, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, February 2010.
  • “Using Technology to Teach Writing and Speaking.” Invited Presentation for Writing Across the Curriculum IAP Workshops for Faculty, MIT, Cambridge, MA, January 2010.

professional development workshops attended

  • Digital Humanities Summer Institute, University of British Columbia, 2019
  • Institute on Project-based Learning, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2019

Awards and Recognitions

academic awards

  • Richard Braddock Award, Conference on College Composition and Communication (for best article of the year in the flagship academic journal for writing studies), 2016
  • Community-Based Research Faculty Fellow, Steans Center, DePaul University, 2011–12

teaching awards

  • Quality Matters QM+ Award (for a “pedagogically distinctive” online course), DePaul, 2016
  • Civic Engagement Student Recognition, Steans Center for Community-Based Service Learning, DePaul, 2016
  • Nomination, Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, DePaul, 2016
  • Quality Matters QM Star Award, DePaul (for excellent design of an online course), 2016
  • Nomination, Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, DePaul, 2014

Memberships in Professional Organizations

  • Association of Teachers of Technical Writing
  • Coalition for Community Writing
  • Conference on College Composition and Communication
  • Special Information Group on the Design of Communication (SIGDOC)

Service

profession

  • Advisory Board Member and Chair of Subcommittee on Tenure and Promotion, Coalition for Community Writing, 2018–present
  • Awards Committee Member, Conference on Community Writing, 2017 & 2019
  • Editorial Board Member, Community Literacy Journal, 2017–present
  • Advisory Board Member, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group on Design of Communication (SIGDOC), 2019–2021
  • Peer Reviewer, Routledge Press book manuscripts, 2011 & 2021
  • External Reviewer for Promotion and Tenure Cases, 2019 & 2020
  • Peer Reviewer, Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022
  • Peer Reviewer, College Composition and Communication, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, & 2022
  • Peer Reviewer, Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric, 2020
  • Peer Reviewer, SIGDOC Student Proposals, 2018 & 2019
  • Peer Reviewer, Technical Communication Quarterly, 2018
  • Peer Reviewer, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2015
  • Peer Reviewer, Special Issue, “Professional Communication and Social Justice in the Global South,” Connexions: International Professional Communication Journal, 2015

university

  • Member, Teaching, Learning, and Technology Committee, 2022–present
  • Member, LGBTQ Studies Advisory Board, 2021–present
  • Member, Committee on Online Learning, 2021-present
  • Member, Public Service Council, 2014–2020
  • Member, Studio CHI Digital Humanities Center Advisory Committee, 2016–2018
  • Member, BlueStar Advising System Faculty Advisory Committee, 2014–2017
  • Member, BlueStar Advising System Faculty Implementation Group, 2014
  • Member, Steans Center for Community-Based Learning Judging Panel for Community-Based Research Fellowship, 2012, 2013, & 2017

college

  • Member, LAS College Personnel Committee, 2022–present
  • Representative, LAS College Senate, 2018–2021
  • Secretary, LAS College Senate, 2018–19
  • Member, Julian Grace Foundation Working Group, 2017–2018
  • Member, Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, 2016–2019

department

  • Member, Professional Writing Committee, 2022–present
  • Interim Co-Chair, WRD Equity Committee, 2021
  • Chair, WRD Personnel Committee, 2019–2020
  • Member, Cultural Rhetorics Appointments Committee, 2019–20
  • Chair, Academic Program Review Self-Study Team, 2017–2019
  • Member, Technical and Professional Writing Appointments Committee, 2017–18
  • Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on a Portfolio Exit Requirement for the MA in WRD, 2017–18
  • Member, Graduate Committee, Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse, 2011–2019
  • Member, Contingent Faculty Personnel Committee, 2016–2017; 2019–present
  • Chair, Speaker Series Committee, 2016–2017
  • Member, Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, 2016
  • Member, Ad Hoc Committee on WRD Conference, 2016–2017
  • Member, Ad Hoc Committee on Establishing a Standing Speaker Series Committee, 2016
  • Member, Undergraduate Assessment Committee, 2014–2015
  • Member, Ad Hoc Committee on the MA in New Media Studies Core Revision, 2014–2015
  • Member, Professional & Technical Writing Enrollment and Recruiting Committee, 2013–2014
  • Member, Professional & Technical Writing Enrollment and Recruiting Task Force, 2013
  • Member, New Media Studies Assessment Committee, 2013–July 2014
  • Member, Ad Hoc Committee on Developing a BA/MA in WRD/NMS, 2013
  • Chair, Undergraduate Assessment Committee, 2011–2012
  • Co-Coordinator, WRD Internships, 2011–2012
  • Member, WRD/NMS Appointments Committee, 2011–2012
  • Academic Advisor, New Media Studies program, 2011–2018
  • Reader, MA in WRD applications, 2013–2019
  • Reader, MA in New Media Studies applications, 2010–2013
  • Judge, Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse Student Project Awards, 2011–2018
  • Untenured Member, WRD Personnel Committee, 2010–2011
  • Member, WRD First-Year Writing Committee, 2010–2011

Service to the Community

community-engaged teaching partnerships and volunteer consulting projects

  • Grant and Proposal Writing for Mindfulness Leader and Organized Communities Against Deportation, in association with WRD 526: Grant and Proposal Writing, 2022
  • Grant and Proposal Writing for Compassionate Care Network, KEEN Chicago, Port Ministries, Stepping Stone Theater and Talk2Me Foundation, in association with WRD 526: Grant and Proposal Writing, 2021
  • Content Strategy for Chicago Peace Fellows Mutual Aid Collaborative and UCAN Chicago, in association with WRD 532: Content Strategy, 2021
  • Grant and Proposal Writing for Annie B. Jones Community Services, Art on Sedgwick, Chicago Furniture Bank, Future Ties, and KEEN Chicago, in association with WRD 526: Grant and Proposal Writing, 2020
  • Digital Storytelling Community Workshop for St. Vincent DePaul Center’s Outreach Program, in association with WRD 372: Digital Storytelling, 2019
  • Usability Testing, Gather, 2019
  • Program Evaluation, Gather Chicago Peace Fellows Program, 2018–present
  • Program Evaluation and Report Writing, Gather Global Fellows Program, 2017–2019
  • Content Strategy Project for staff of the Beverly Arts Center, the Greater Chatham Initiative, the Learning Center, and Universidad Popular, in association with WRD 532: Content Strategy, 2019
  • Program Advisory Council Member, Strategic Impact Project, Heart of the City Sports, 2018
  • Grant and Proposal Writing for Curt’s Café, the Egan Office, and the Goldin Institute, in association with WRD 526: Grant and Proposal Writing, 2018
  • Digital Storytelling Community Workshop for Community Organizing for Community Issues (COFI) and Enlace, in association with WRD 288: Digital Storytelling, 2018
  • Usability Testing for the Goldin Institute, in association with WRD 204: Technical Writing, 2017
  • Digital Content Strategy Project for staff of the Goldin Institute, Healthcare Alternative Systems, and the Scleroderma Foundation of Greater Chicago, in association with NMS 510: Writing Digital Content, 2017
  • Member, Development and Assessment Team for a tablet-based course for international grassroots organizers. Collaborative project with the Goldin Institute, 2011–Present
  • Digital Story Production Project for Lincoln Park Community Shelter, St. Joseph Services, and The Learning Center, in association with NMS 541: Digital Storytelling, 2016
  • Digital Content Strategy Project for staff of Art on Sedgwick, Chicago Youth Programs, Lincoln Park Community Shelter, and the Rauner Family YMCA, in association with NMS 510: Writing Digital Content, 2016
  • Digital Storytelling Train-the-Trainer Workshop for staff of The Arts of Life, CALOR, and Civic Lab, in association with WRD 377: Digital Storytelling in the Community, 2014
  • Multimedia Content Audit, Training, and Recommendation Project for staff of Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, and St. Leonard’s Ministries, in association with NMS 509/WRD 530: Multimedia Content Strategy, 2013
  • Digital Storytelling Train-the-Trainer Workshop for parents and teachers of Chicago International Charter School, in association with NMS 509/WRD 530: Digital Storytelling in Organizations, 2012
  • New Media Client Projects for Chicago Park District, Chicago International Charter School, and the Goldin Institute, in association with NMS 504: Text and Image, 2012
  • Lead Facilitator, five-day digital storytelling workshop for grassroots organizers against gender-based violence. Collaborative workshop with the Goldin Institute, Port au Prince, Haiti, 2011
  • Digital Storytelling Train-the-Trainer Workshop for staff of Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, Casa Central, Chicago International Charter School, C4, the Goldin Institute, and Pilsen Neighbors Community Council, in association with NMS 509/WRD 530: Digital Storytelling in Organizations, 2011

selected consulting projects

  • Digital Storytelling Trainer and Production Consultant, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Massachusetts Pregnant and Parenting Teen Initiative, 2012–2018
  • Digital Storytelling Trainer, Boston Public Health Commission, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Program, 2010
  • Digital Storytelling Trainer and Production Consultant, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Massachusetts New Parents Initiative, 2010
  • Producer, Digital Stories, Boston Public Health Commission, REACH Coalition, 2010

Courses Taught

graduate courses at DePaul

  • NMS 501: Proseminar in New Media Studies (6 sections)
  • NMS 504: Text and Image (6 sections)
  • NMS 509: Database and Narrative
  • NMS 509/WRD 530: Digital Storytelling in Organizations (2 sections)
  • NMS 509/WRD 530: Interactivity
  • NMS 509/WRD 530: Multimedia Content Strategy
  • NMS 510: Writing Digital Content (2 sections)
  • NMS 541/WRD 531: Digital Storytelling (4 sections)
  • WRD 522: Writing in the Professions (online) (2 sections)
  • WRD 521: Technical Writing
  • WRD 525: Writing for the Web
  • WRD 526: Grant and Proposal Writing (4 sections)
  • WRD 532: Content Strategy (4 sections)
  • WRD 545: Teaching Writing Online

undergraduate courses at DePaul

  • WRD 104: Composition and Rhetoric II (2 sections)
  • WRD 201: Digital Writing (3 sections)
  • WRD 204: Technical Writing (2 sections)
  • WRD 206: Professional Writing (6 sections)
  • WRD 286: Writing with Photographs (4 sections)
  • WRD 288 & WRD 372: Digital Storytelling (3 sections)

internships & independent studies supervised at DePaul

  • WRD 590: Internship in Professional and Digital Writing (10)
  • WRD 595: Independent Study (4)

undergraduate courses at MIT

  • 2.009: Product Engineering (communication component)
  • 2.671: Measurement and Instrumentation (communication component)
  • 6.033: Signals and Systems (communication component)
  • 10.26: Chemical Engineering Projects Lab (communication component)
  • 10.28: Chemical-Biological Engineering Lab (communication component)
  • 20.380: Biological Engineering Design (communication component)