Areas of research: cultural communication, discursive construction of identity, global and non-Western rhetorical studies, popular culture, public and professional writing, rhetorical criticism, speech analysis, women’s and gender studies, visual rhetoric, and writing pedagogy.
Publications:
"Exploring the Rhetorical Perspectives in Yusuf Has Hacib's Kutadgu Bilig, Karakhanid Empire: A Partial Translation with an Introduction and a Commentary (Middle Turkish, 11th Century CE, Central Asia)." Global Rhetorical Traditions(ed. by Tarez Graban and Hui Wu, Parlor Press, October 2022).
"Prefatory Introduction: Turkish Rhetorics" Global Rhetorical Traditions(ed. by Tarez Graban and Hui Wu, Parlor Press, October 2022).
Textualizing the Nation: The Sociopolitical Negotiation of Ataturk's "Nutuk" and Visions of National Identity in Contemporary Turkey. Old Dominion University, 2012.
“Blogs, Collaboration and Assessment” (with Carl Whithaus, et al). Collaboration, Literature and Composition: Essays for Teachers and Writers of English. Eds. Frank Gaughan and Peter Khost. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2007. 173-190.
Conference Presentations:
“Teaching Rhetorical Transcendence through Non-Western Texts.” The Conference on College Composition and Communication, Chicago, IL, February 2023.
“The Rhetoric of Genre in Ancient and Medieval Turkic Texts of Central Asia: Insights into the Nationalist and Religious Roots of the Turkish Rhetorical Tradition.” The 2022 Rhetoric Society of America Conference, Baltimore, MD, May 2022.
“Reconceptualizing Rhetoric through a Non-Western Heuristic based on Ancient and Medieval Turkic Texts.” The Conference on College Composition and Communication (virtual), March 2022.
"Tracing Turkic Rhetorical Traditions at the Crossroads of Civilizations." National Communication Association (virtual), November 2020.
"The Sultanate of Women: Portraying the Rhetoric of the Mighty Mother, Mahpeyker Kosem Sultan." Feminisms and Rhetoric Conference, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, November 2019.
"Rhetoric for Divine Bliss." Arts and Humanities Conference, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark, June 2019 (*Opening Session Chair)
"Recovering Turkish Principles of ‘How to Perform Rhetoric’ from Yusuf’s Wisdom of Royal Glory." The Conference on College Composition and Communication, Pittsburgh, PA, March 2019.
“The Rhetorical Understanding of Agency in TheWisdom of Royal Glory and its Implications for the Contemporary World.” The International Conference on Global Studies, Barcelona, Spain, July 2018.
“A Framework for Examining Non-Western Discursive Practices and Extracting Rhetorical Insights from The Turkish Rhetorical Tradition,” American Society for the History of Rhetoric Symposium, Minneapolis, MN, May 2018.
“Empowering Student Writing through the Rhetoric of Turkic Khans in the Orkhon Inscriptions.” The Conference on College Composition and Communication, Kansas City, MO, March 2018.
“What Yusuf Has Hacib’s Kutadgu Bilig Can Teach Us About Using Language for Unity.” The Rhetoric Society of Europe Conference, Norwich, UK, July 2017.
“Rhetoric as the Study of Finding Happiness.” Conference on College Composition and Communication, Portland, OR, March 2016.
“Turkish Rhetorical Tradition and its Implications for Public Rhetorics in the U.S. Writing Classroom” (with I. Goksel). The Rhetoric Society of America Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, May 2016.
“Baby Steps in the Hybrid: Negotiating the Risks of the Lack of Institutional Training in the Distance-Based Writing Classroom.” Conference on College Composition and Communication, Tampa, FL, March 2015.
“Eat, Travel, Practice Rhetoric: Improving Student Engagement in Rhetoric Courses.” The Rhetoric Society of America Conference, San Antonio, TX, May 2014.
“Rhetorical Identities: Reconstructing the Self and the Nation in Contemporary Turkish Political Discourse.” The Rhetoric Society of America Conference, San Antonio, TX, May 2014.
“Rhetorics of the Headscarf: Redefining Islamic Piety.” The Feminisms and Rhetorics Conference, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, September 2013.
“Being the Student’s Voice and Encouraging by Example in the Distance Classroom.” Faculty Summer Institute on Teaching and Learning, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 2013.
“Reformer or Distorter: The Personal-Communal Identity Gap as a Source of Conflict in a Public Controversy around Modern Turkish Identity.” The National Communication Association Conference, Orlando, FL, Nov. 2012.
“The Hidden Address: The Rhetorical Construction of Ataturk’s Nutuk as a Sacred Text in Contemporary Turkey.” The Rhetoric Society of America Conference, Philadelphia, PA, May 2012.
“The Social Negotiation of the ‘Kemalist Text’ and its Implications for ‘Modern’ Turkish Identity.” The Rhetoric Society of America Conference, Minneapolis, MN, May 2010.
“The Self of Nations: The Social Economy of Texts and Visions of National Identity in Contemporary Turkey.” The National Communication Association Conference, Chicago, IL, November 2009.
“Choosing to Veil and its Implications for Women’s Identities in Contemporary Turkey: A Communication Theory of Identity Approach.” The Southern States Communication Association Conference, Norfolk, VA, April 2009.
“Science and Reason in the Public Discourse of Kemalism: A Pentadic Analysis of Ataturk’s Speech on the 10th Anniversary of the Turkish Republic.” The Rhetoric Society of America Conference, Seattle, WA, May 2008. *Graduate Scholarly Paper Award Winner (The International English Honor Society).
“Literacy and Affordances in Different Writing Systems: The Transition of Turkish from the Arabic Script to the Latin Alphabet.” Intercultural Rhetoric Conference (Indiana Center for Intercultural Communication), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, June 2007.
“Orientalist Rhetoric and its Paradoxical Role in Representing Turkey’s Identity (The Visual Rhetoric in Turkey’s Tourism Commercials, 2003)” (Self-Designed Academic Poster). Research Expo 2007, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, April 2007.
Invited Presentations:
Regular Guest Speaker on "Professional Writing" as a field of English studies, Introduction to English Studies (multiple course sections), Longwood University, 2015-2022.
Guest Speaker on "Turkish Women," Intro toWomen’s Studies, Longwood University, Oct 24, 2016.
Guest Speaker on "Turkish Culture and People", Cross-Cultural Psychology, Longwood U, Mar 2, 2016.
Panelist on “Thinking about Careers,” National Association of Graduate Professional Students - Southeast Regional Conference, Norfolk, VA, March 2014.
Open House Presenter on “Career Development in the Writing Classroom,” teachFAIR: Sharing Success Stories and Innovation, Center for Learning and Teaching at ODU, Norfolk, VA, Oct 29, 2013.
Guest Lecturer on “Rhetoric & Composition,” Introduction to English Studies, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, April 17, 2013.
Guest Lecturer on “Translating Culture,” Discourse & Rhetoric Across Cultures, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, March 26, 2013.