Post published:January 23, 2018

Writing Across Digital Spaces

BEHIND THE WILL is a video series that gives viewers an inside look into what drives our faculty’s research, teaching, and creativity in Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters.

Since joining the MSU faculty in 2001, Dr. Danielle Nicole DeVoss has achieved national and international prominence in the field of rhetoric and composition, particularly for her contributions in the areas of digital rhetoric, multimedia composing and assessing digital writing. To date, she has published seven books and edited collections, with an eighth edited collection in press.

Several of her works have been recognized for their innovative contributions to the field; she has won four national publication-related awards, including the Computers and Composition Distinguished Book Award in 2007 for her co-edited collection on research methods for studying digital writing, titled “Digital Writing Research.”

close up of fingers on keyboard — Student typing on keyboard

Additionally, DeVoss is recognized nationally as an early and important voice in intellectual property issues and digital copyright. The breadth and depth of her scholarship has made DeVoss a popular speaker at national conferences and other universities; she has been invited to give 23 lectures and keynote addresses.

Students at every level regard DeVoss as an outstanding teacher and speak about a class with her as transformative. She has taught 19 different courses while at MSU, having been a core faculty in developing the nationally recognized and ranked undergraduate program in professional writing and the three graduate degree programs in rhetoric and writing. DeVoss is much sought after as an advisor and committee member by M.A. and Ph.D. students.

“I think writing is core to everything that we do.”

She has served on 28 master’s-level committees and 32 doctoral committees; she has directed six dissertations to completion with four others currently in progress. As a researcher and writer, Dr. DeVoss is deeply committed to collaborative work with colleagues, and helps prepare her graduate students for their entry to the field by publishing with them.

In 2016, Dr. DeVoss was awarded the Michigan State University William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award for innovative teaching and research.