Graduate Student Spotlight: Wesley Mathis
Department: English
Degree: Technical Communication and Rhetoric PhD
Research project: Re-interpreting Bodies of Water: Designing Technical Solutions for Bear Lake in a Rhetorical Climate of Risk
Faculty Mentor: Jared Colton
Why did you choose this research project?
I felt I needed to work on something that mattered to my home community. Understanding how we all (citizens, scientists, lawmakers) communicate about water really matters right now.
What motivates you to study your area of research?
My son and daughter. Knowing that they are going to have to live much longer in the physical and political climate that I leave behind motivates me to do work on projects that will make a difference. Research is hard, but when I think of them, it's not that hard.
What do you want to do after you earn your degree?
I'd love to teach/research at a land-grant institution. I want to be involved in community-based research, making sure that the high-level thinking that happens on campus leaves the institution and influences the world (via legislation, policy, or human behavior).
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about choosing your field of study?
Make friends in other disciplines. The relationships and friendships that have been most beneficial to me and my research have come from persistent emailing, putting notes on professors' doors when I can't get a hold of them, and also a serendipitous encounters at campus events. Find those organizations and people on and off campus that share your interests and go to their events, support their efforts. The great thing about technical communication and rhetoric is that it can really benefit other fields and organizations whether they recognize it or not, but they wont recognize it until they trust you.