writing and rhetoric

In this conversation, Tony interviews Jamie Lee Marks (Senior Analyst in the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s Office of Tribal and Indigenous Peoples) about her agency’s efforts to advise the U.S. President and Congress on national preservation policy and more. Marks describes the unique challenges while writing in this realm; why ChatGPT cannot do her job; and how inspiring it is to “be around people who are working on their life’s passion in a way that helps to support the American public.”

Evan Maroun advises future med students about the unspoken communication rules for health professionals. He and Tony discuss challenges and tips for various forms of medical communication–from the patient interview to research papers–and explore why lucid communication is so foundational to ethical research and clinical practice. 

Maroun, a UF graduate, is a first-year medical student at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Medicine, with a keen interest in anesthesiology. Feel free to contact him at: em2086@mynsu.nova.edu.

Six educators share their insight into teaching writing alongside AI. With varying attitudes–from enthusiasm to skepticism–these university teachers offer perspectives that cut beyond the obvious on facilitating the use of ChatGPT in the classroom. 

0:46– Dr. Zea Miller (University of Florida) explains why ChatGPT is revolutionary and why its future role in education is so pivotal. 

6:58– Dr. Edmond Y. Chang (Ohio University) contextualizes this moment in a long line of teaching with new technologies like word processessors and Wikipedia. 

13:53– Dr. Lilly Campbell (Marquette University) clarifies ChatGPT’s strengths and weaknesses in writing instruction and suggests how first-year writing courses can utilize it effectively. 

25:20– Dr. Emily Bald (University of Florida) frames this moment as an opportunity for instructors to question and re-assess their true educational goals when teaching writing in disciplines such as medical science.

36:38– Dr. Thomas Salem Manganaro (University of Richmond) points out ChatGPT’s failings when it comes to analyzing literature. 

50:22– Dr. Reine Azzi (Lebanese American University) shares why she enthusiastically uses AI in the classroom and offers strategies for doing so productively. 

Dennis McCarty explains how “bullshit” operates in public communication and why it’s integral to identify its strategies. He also gives advice on public speaking as he and Tony discuss the errors of pre-canned speeches; the underrated usefulness of audience analysis and humor; what celebrities taught us during the pandemic; and why Q&A is so difficult. McCarty is an Assistant Instructional Professor in the University of Florida’s Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication.  

Stevi Costa, Grants Manager of Seattle Rep – the Pacific Northwest’s largest nonprofit theatre – describes the exciting challenges of writing donors to help her nonprofit grow, offering tips for navigating the particular hurdles involved in the grant writing process.