As a scholar in technical and professional communication, my research is concerned with exploring the relationship between writing and creative thinking, particularly in workplace settings and STEM/technical/professional writing spheres. I draw on both qualitative and quantitative methodologies; as a researcher, I want to know more about the practices and processes that writers use to solve social, cultural, and environmental problems using their writing. Further, I am committed to understanding workplace and civic writing practices so that universities can better prepare students for active professional and civic lives.

Also, I am interested in pedagogy research, as demonstrated by my work on assessing Wikipedia Edit-a-thon events for learning outcomes, the use of grading contracts in online and hybrid courses during COVID-19, and graduate student digital co-authorship. Further, my concern with the prevalence of trauma on college campuses, and with inclusive and empathetic literacy initiatives, has led me to develop activist research into pedagogies for tutoring and teaching writers who write about trauma. This concern merges with my research in digital writing: I am currently conducting grant-supported research into the #MeToo movement on Twitter, particularly in terms of how participating in #MeToo shaped writers’ experiences of their own traumas and perceptions of the problem of sexual violence.

Current Projects

Accepted & Forthcoming

Sarraf, K.S. (Forthcoming Winter 2022). Patterning Memories of Sexual Violence Using the #MeToo Hashtag. Accepted to Computers and Composition.

Moroz, O. & Sarraf, K.S. (Forthcoming Spring 2024). Hybrid Contract Grading in Online and Hyflex First-Year Composition Courses during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Accepted pending revisions to Composition Forum.

Under Development

Sarraf, K.S. Tying Creative Problem-Solving to Social Justice Work in Technical and Professional Communication. Under Review. Technical Communication Quarterly. 

Sarraf, K.S. Charting RAD Research as an Orientation to Creativity in Writing Studies. Under Review. 

Sarraf, K.S. A Model of Writing as Creative Praxis: A Case Study Analysis of Nonprofit Fundraisers. Manuscript under development.

Sarraf, K.S. & Driscoll, D.L. “Student Writers’ Experiences with the Flow State in Academic and Self-Sponsored Writing”  Manuscript under development.

Driscoll, D.L. & Sarraf, K.S. “Expert Writers’ Experiences with the Flow State in Academic Writing.” Manuscript under development.

Published Works

Refereed Journal Articles

Sarraf, K.S. (2021). Representations of Creativity by Posters in Freelance Writing Internet Forums. Technical Communication Quarterly. doi 10.1080/10572252.2021.1915387

Sarraf, K.S. (2021). Assigning graduate student digital co-authorship: A student’s perspective. PraxisWiki, Kairos 25(2). Retrieved from http://praxis.technorhetoric.net/tiki-index.php?page=PraxisWiki:_:Co-authorship

Sarraf, K.S. & Rafoth, B.A. (2020). Don’t forget the end user: Writing and tutoring in Computer Science. Writing Center Journal 38(1-2), 131-164. 

Vetter, M., Sarraf, K.S. (2020). Assessing the Art+Feminism Edit-a-thon for Wikipedia literacy, learning outcomes, and critical thinking. Interactive Learning Environments. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1805772

Sarraf, K.S. (2019). Extending ‘The idea of a writing laboratory’: A simulation-based workshop for computer science majors. The Peer Review: Special Issue 3.1 (Re)defining Welcome. Retrieved from http://thepeerreview-iwca.org/issues/redefining-welcome/extending-the-idea-of-a-writing-laboratory-a-simulation-based-workshop-for-computer-science-majors/

Refereed Book Chapters

Sarraf, K.S. (2022). Training tutors to respond: The potential violence of addressing sexual violence disclosures in the writing center. In S. Gage & K. Fleckenstein (Eds). Violence in the Work of Composition. Logan, UT: Utah State University Press (pp. 209-226). https://upcolorado.com/utah-state-university-press/item/6237-violence-in-the-work-of-composition 

Reviews

Sarraf, K.S. (2019). Organizing efforts and reforming exploitative labor practices in writing programs. [Review of the book Contingency, Exploitation, and Solidarity: Labor and Action in English Composition, by S. Kahn, W.B. Lalicker, & A. Lynch-Biniek (Eds.)]. WPA: Writing Program Administration, 42(2).

Sarraf, K.S. (2018). Review of LastPass: A password management system. Computers and Composition Online. Retrieved from http://cconlinejournal.org/Last_Pass/lastpass.html

Public Writing

Sarraf, K.S. (2021, Fall). Beyond ‘Gatekeeping’: How College Professors Can Support Student Mental Health. Inside Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/10/25/how-professors-can-support-students-mental-health-opinion#.YzR2Pdo8E4A.link

Sarraf, K.S. (2018, Fall). Critical thinking is dead? Think again. The Word, IUP English Newsletter, 4, 6. Retrieved from https://www.iup.edu/english/news/the-word/ 

Sarraf, K.S. (2016). Tragedies of the world wars: As seen through European monuments, museums, and cemeteries. Retrieved from tragediesoftheworldwars.wordpress.com.

Sarraf, K.S. (2016). Marrow Match. Retrieved from Marrowmatch.wordpress.com.

Sarraf, K.S. (2015, July). 7 easy ways to write your life story. Laurel Mountain Post.

Sarraf, K.S. (2015, May). 8 reasons you should finally try yoga…and bring your notebook with you. Laurel Mountain Post.

 Sarraf, K.S. (2015, April). Thought experiments to prepare students for the 21st century economy. Laurel Mountain Post.

Poetry

Sarraf, K.S. (2018). Take me to the hospital, I remember, Sisters. The Dandelion Review, 1(2), pp. 42-45. Retrieved fromhttps://thedandelionreviewdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/dandelion-review-issue-2.pdf

Sarraf, K.S. (2017, Jul.). Fifteen. Rogue Agent, 1(28). Retrieved from http://www.rogueagentjournal.com/ksarraf-2/

Sarraf, K.S. (2016, Dec.). Rape Statistics, Rogue Agent, 1(21). Retrieved from http://www.rogueagentjournal.com/issue21/

Dissertation

Sarraf, K. J. S. (2020). Modeling creativity in workplace writing: A study of fundraising professionals’ rhetorically situated creativity (Order No. 28154947). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2470049106).

Committee: Dr. Dana Driscoll (chair), Dr. Matthew Vetter, and Dr. Brian Hendrickson.

Conference Presentations

Atherton, R., Christen, J., Hoffman, C., Jorgenson Bochert, & Sarraf, K.S. (2022, June). Course Design Coalitions: Supporting Social Justice Pedagogies, Developing Infrastructure. Workshop facilitated at Association of Teachers of Technical Communication, Virtual.

Gage, S., Meyer, T., Dooley, L., Sarraf, K.S., Lewis, L., Sura, T., & Fleckenstein, K. (2022, March) Violence in the Work of Composition: The Promises and Perils of Redressing Harm. Roundtable Discussion delivered at Conference on College Composition and Communication, Virtual. 

Sarraf, K.S. (2020, October). How do writers communicate across borders?
Teaching e-mail communication through a transnational email assignment. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association for Business Communication, Virtual.

Sarraf, K.S. (2019, October). Freedom to debate: Encouraging dissent to maximize writers’ creative thinking. Workshop presented at the meeting of International Writing Centers Association and National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing, Columbus, OH.

Sarraf, K.S. (2019, March). Paths to feminist world-making: Identifying rhetorics that address systemic sexism. Paper presented at the meeting of Conference on College Composition and Communication, Pittsburgh, PA.

Sarraf, K.S., Zhang, J., & Rafoth, B.A. (2018, November). Improving tutoring to address students’ writing needs in cybersecurity. Paper presented at the meeting of National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing, South Padre Island, TX.

Sarraf, K.S., & Zhang, J. (2018, February). Re-inventing the writing center: Innovative writing center solutions from a multilingual writing center in China and a community creative writing center in the United States. Paper presented at the meeting of Southeastern Writing Center Association, Richmond, VA.

Sarraf, K.S. (2013). The ghost as audience in “The Spanish Tragedy.” Paper presented at the meeting of the College English Association, Savannah, GA.

Sarraf, K.S. (2014). Complicating Censorship: Nicholas Frankel’s editorship of “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Paper presented at the meeting of The Society for Textual Scholarship, Seattle, WA.

Sarraf, K.S. (2009). Tutoring apathetic students in the writing center. Paper presented at the meeting of College Reading & Learning Association, Richmond, VA.

Professional Workshops and Panels

Sarraf, K.S. (2021, September). Writing to Think…Creatively. Workshop presented to WVU faculty members across departments. Morgantown, WV. 

Sarraf, K.S. (2021, April). Fostering Ethical Source Use. Workshop presented to WVU’s Department of Counseling and Learning Sciences, Morgantown, WV.

Sarraf, K.S. (2021, April). Project Management for Academic Writers. Workshop presented to WVU’s Honor EXCEL program students, Morgantown, WV. 

Sarraf, K.S., Carlson, E.B., & Wihnant, J. (2021, April). Radical Self-Care as Professional Practice. Panel presentation for WVU’s graduate English students, Morgantown, WV.

Driscoll, D.L., Sarraf, K.S., Alshreif, N., & Jiang, J. (2019, February). From course papers to publications: Exploring avenues for publication. Q&A panel presentation at IUP’s Composition and Applied Linguistics Graduate Program Job Placement Workshop Series, Indiana, PA.

Rafoth, B.A., & Sarraf, K.S. (2019, February). Helping students to learn academic writing using rhetorical moves. Workshop presented at the Kathleen Jones White Writing Center Staff Meeting, Indiana, PA.

Sarraf, K.S. (2018, September). When students write about trauma: Techniques for tutoring. Workshop presented at the Kathleen Jones White Writing Center Staff Meeting, Indiana, PA.

Sarraf, K.S. (2018, January). Getting the tone right in e-mail messages. Workshop presented at the College Technology Conference, Indiana, PA.

Rafoth, B.A., Grieggs, P., & Sarraf, K.S. (2017, March). “Greetings” from the void: Communicating while under cyber attack. Workshop presented at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Cybersecurity Weekend, Indiana, PA.

Rafoth, B.A., Grieggs, P., & Sarraf, K.S. (2017, December). “Greetings” from the void: Communicating while under cyber attack. Workshop presented at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Cybersecurity Weekend, Indiana, PA.

Sarraf, K.S. (2012). The ghost as audience in “The Spanish Tragedy.” Paper presented at the meeting of the English 620 Renaissance Drama Conference, Harrisonburg, VA.

Sarraf, K.S. (2016). Journaling and yoga. Workshop presented at Bethlen Communities, Ligonier, PA.

Sarraf, K.S. (2015). Journaling for wellness. Workshop presented at Bethlen Communities, Ligonier, PA.

Sarraf, K.S. (2015). Facebook Tips & Tricks. Workshop presented at Bethlen Communities, Ligonier, PA.

Sarraf, K.S. (2015). Skype and Facetime. Workshop presented at Bethlen Communities, Ligonier, PA.