USU Doctoral Student Wins National Award for Study on International Student Tax Challenges

LOGAN, Utah — Utah State University doctoral student Dorcas Anabire has been named a recipient of the 2025 Graduate Research Award from the Association of Teachers of Technical Writing for her dissertation-in-progress, “Filing Income Taxes in the United States: Challenges for International Graduate Students.”

The ATTW Graduate Research Award is one of the most prestigious honors in the field of technical and professional communication, recognizing graduate students whose work shows promise for advancing both theory and practice.Anabire’s innovative and much-needed research into the complexities international students face while filing income taxes in the U.S., an issue she says is far more widespread — and overlooked — than many realize.

“The survey results made it clear that this wasn’t a niche issue but a widespread challenge,” said Anabire, now in her third year of the Technical Communication and Rhetoric doctoral program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “For many international graduate students, filing U.S. taxes is unfamiliar, overwhelming and sometimes even frightening.”

Her project began as a research internship in the summer of 2024, during which she administered surveys to graduate students at five Utah universities.

What she found was striking: international students on F-1 and J-1 visas often struggle to navigate tax systems, encountering confusing language, unclear documentation and little institutional support.

That work laid the foundation for Anabire’s dissertation, which now includes document-directed interviews and usability testing of tax-related resources developed specifically for international students.

“This award is not just a recognition of my work, but a recognition of the participants’ stories and the urgent need for institutional support,” Anabire said. “Many participants have said things like, ‘Thank you for doing this work. Not everyone understands our struggles.’ That sentiment drives this research forward.”

USU became a clear choice for her doctoral work after she encountered a book co-authored by CHaSS Associate Dean Rebecca Walton. Discovering that she was a faculty member in the program sealed the decision.

“USU stood out for its supportive faculty and meaningful research opportunities,” Anabire said. “When I visited campus and met the people here, I knew this was the right place for me.”

Anabire plans to pursue a tenure-track faculty position after graduation, where she can continue her work as a teacher and researcher committed to equity and access in higher education.

“This work is about more than just scholarship,” she said. “It’s about making sure that the students behind the data are heard, supported and seen.”

She also expressed her gratitude to her adviser, her dissertation committee, the TCR faculty and peers, the Center for Intersectional Gender Studies and Research, and USU’s Department of English, which helped fund key components of her research.