Member Spotlight – October

Our second member spotlight of 2016 is founding member and PhD Candidate in Language, Writing, and Rhetoric (ENGL) Cameron Mozafari.

My graduate work on rhetoric and emotion began with a simple question: If Aristotle were to come back to life, where would I direct him to learn more about the relationship between rhetoric and emotion? I’ve wrestled with this question in every step of my research because I’m not sure everyone’s on the same page when it comes to the meaning of words like “emotion” or even “rhetoric.” These words’ meanings have certainly changed considerably since Aristotle’s time, and there don’t seem to be stable synonyms across cultures, either. In spite of all this, I’ve made Aristotle a hefty reading list!

Thank you, Cameron, for your service and dedication to our chapter and to the field of rhetoric!

Member Spotlight – September

Date August 31, 2016

Posted by Rebecca Alt

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Member Spotlight – September

As we enter our second year of official RSA graduate chapter-hood, we want to begin spotlighting the fantastic people we have as members. Our members conduct important research, inspire undergraduates, and lead fascinating lives outside of their academic pursuits. Our first member spotlight is second-term Vice President and founding member, Annie Laurie Nichols (COMM, PhD Candidate).

When I moved abroad I had a very small suitcase, so I only took three books with me:

I love to wander (I’ve visited 15 countries and counting!), but also enjoy the comforts of a good day at home eating seed cake (yeah, I’m a foodie), so I brought The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Also I’m a nerd.

To stay grounded, I try to appreciate the beauty in everyday things, so I brought the poignant, whimsical Translations from the Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke.

Finally, I’m fascinated by how we make meaning together, so I brought my favorite book of rhetorical theory: Language as Symbolic Action, by Kenneth Burke.

If you were moving to another continent with a small suitcase and could only bring three books, what would you bring?

Thank you, Annie Laurie, for your service, dedication, and contributions to our organization.

Congratulations to our VP!

Date May 1, 2016

Posted by Class Example

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Congratulations to our VP!

A huge round of applause and adoration are in order for our Vice President, Annie Laurie Nichols!

Her tireless service to the University has been recognized in a big way! Annie Laurie is the recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award for 2016.

Her award letter included context for what a high honor this is: “Approximately 4,000 UMD graduate students also serve the campus as administrative, research, or teaching assistants. The Graduate School has established this new award to recognize and honor the outstanding contributions that Graduate Assistants provide to students, faculty, departments, administrative units, and the University as a whole. The award conveys the honor of being named among the top 2% of campus Graduate Assistants in a given year.”

Join us as we celebrate and congratulate Annie Laurie!