Cody Reimer

reimerc@purdue.edu // 763.300.9678
codyreimer.com // E4356 451st Ave Menomonie, WI

Rhetoric
Tech Comm
Digital Media
Game Studies

Education
PhD in English at Purdue University, 2015
Primary emphasis: Rhetoric and Composition
Secondary emphases: Professional Writing, Rhetoric, Technology, and Digital Writing
Dissertation: Big-Data Fueled Design: Rapid Iteration and Constructing Compelling

Systems

Committee: Samantha Blackmon (chair), Patricia Sullivan, Michael Salvo, Nathan Johnson
MA in English, St. Cloud State University, 2010
Thesis: Crafting a Machinima-Centered Composition Course
Committee: Matt Barton (chair), Judith Kilborn, Chris Jordan
BA in English, University of Minnesota, Morris, 2005
AA, North Hennepin Community College, 2003

Research
Dissertation

My research unites game studies and technical communication through a case study of the
game League of Legends. The gaming industry is at the bleeding edge of system design and
iteration, yet the scholarship on game design ignores these ongoing development practices,
and while technical communication scholarship discusses topics relevant to games, such as
usability, user-centered design, and participatory design, the tech comm discipline has largely
ignored game studies. By studying one of the most popular online games in the world and the
design philosophy and development practices that support it, I outline a set of best practices
from which we can learn to better create compelling systems. The study involves mapping out
the complex ecology of system design and its stakeholders in order to trace how design
decisions are made. Such work has promise in how we construct courses and other systems.

Publications
Reimer, Cody and Adam Strantz. Crowdsourced Dataveillance: Reddit, Doxxing, Viral
Communication, and the Boston Bombing Manhunt. Itineration. ISSN 2169-561X online
Reimer, Cody. Athletics and Agn in Roman Rhetoric. Rhetoric Review. (Under Review)
Reimer, Cody. Play to Order: What Huizinga has to say about Gamification,
Games+Learning+Society 7.0 Conference Proceedings, 2011

Other Publications

Competitive Games video log series, Writer and Animator, 2010

Rhetoric and Composition WikiBook, Contributor and Editor, 2008

Awards and Honors

Purdue Research Foundation Research Grant, Year-Long Fellowship for 2014-2015
Crouse Emerging Scholar in Professional Writing Scholarship, Purdue 2014-2015
Grace L. Smart Award for Best Essay on Rhetoric, Purdue 2012
John Quincy Adams Award for Excellence in History of Rhetoric, Purdue 2011
Challenges Our Cherished Notions in Empirical Research, Purdue 2011
Quintilian Award for Excellence in Teaching FYC, Purdue Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011
Distinguished Thesis Finalist, St. Cloud State University 2010
Person of the Year, Time magazine 2006

Presentations
Technical Writing and Digital Rhetorics

Systems of Silence, Systems of Voice. CCCC, Spring 2014. Indianapolis, IN

Anonymity, Autonomy, and Antagonism: Analyzing Anonymous Activism. CCCC, Spring
2012. St. Louis, MO
The TOWN Project: Student-Driven Collaborative Learning through Social Media. CCCC
Computer Connection, Spring 2012. St. Louis, MO
Heed the Squiggles: New Media Composing Tools and the Making of Meaning. Minnesota
Colleges & Universities English and Writing Conference, Spring 2010. Saint Paul College

Games, Rhetoric, and Pedagogy

Include Me; Exclude Me: Diversity, Learning, and Games Post-#GamerGate.

Games+Learning+Society 11.0, Spring 2015. University of Wisconsin, Madison
Warriors, Legends, and Griefers: 3 Cases of Politics and Ethics in Networked, Social, and
Online Environments. GPACW, Fall 2014. St. Cloud State University
Game Design and Play as Composition Pedagogy. WIDE-EMU, Fall 2012. Michigan State
University
Play to Order: What Huizinga has to say about Gamification. Games+Learning+Society 7.0,
Spring 2011. University of Wisconsin, Madison
From Meat-Space to Leet-Space: Tracing Classroom Shifts into Virtual Worlds. Computers &
Writing, Spring 2011. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Looking for Group: Social Constructivist Theory in World of Warcraft. Computers & Writing,
Spring 2010. Purdue University
Decoding Discourse: Making Meaning in MMORPGs. Great Plains Alliance for Computers
and Writing, Fall 2009. St. Cloud State University
The MultiModal Classroom: Old Lesson Plans in New Ways. Minnesota Colleges &
Universities English and Writing Conference, Spring 2009. University of Minnesota

Other Presentations

Writing Center Workshop. Leading Effective Classroom Discussion. Purdue University,

Spring 2014
Invited Speaker. Games as Texts. North Hennepin Community College, Spring 2010
Guest Presenter. Tolkiens Influence on Games. St. Cloud State University, Spring 2010
Guest Presenter. Arthurian Myth Appropriation. St. Cloud State University, Spring 2009

Teaching Experience
Graduate Courses

Teaching with Technology (ENGL 505T), Purdue University, 4 sections

This graduate level course was a requirement for incoming instructors within the writing
program at Purdue. The course helped instructors learn to incorporate the technologies,
pedagogies, and strategies necessary to meet specific technology goals for their first-year
composition courses. Mentoring extended to instructors beyond their first year, ensuring they
had the technical knowledge necessary to properly prepare their students for the 21st century
workplace.

Technical Communication Courses

Professional Writing Research (ENGL 203), Purdue University, 2 sections

This course functioned as the research methods section for the Purdue Professional Writing
undergraduate major. It established a vocabulary and base-line knowledge in empirical
research, particularly in mixed methods. Assignments were scaffolded to cover both primary
and secondary research, culminating in students carrying out their own empirical pilot study.
Technical Writing (ENGL 421), Purdue University, 1 section
This course focused on teaching how to communicate technical material to multiple audiences
spanning various degrees of expertise. Students learn how to present technical material in
user-centered visual and written formats. The course covered popular technical writing topics
such as technical description, instruction-writing, and usability testing.
Technical Writing Online (ENGL 421Y), Purdue University, 1 section
This course covered the same technical writing principles and content as the brick-andmortar classroom course, but met entirely online. As such, I worked to improve my online
pedagogy while developing materials to make this online course a success.
Business Writing (ENGL 420), Purdue University, 3 sections
This course emphasized writing practices necessary for producing effective business letters,
memos, reports, and collaborative projects in professional contexts. My approach specifically
targeted market research, developing and maintaining professional ethos, and collaborative
writing.

Rhetoric and Composition Courses

First-Year Composition (ENGL 106), Purdue University, 3 sections

The traditional FYC at Purdue features syllabus approaches which emphasize different ways
to think about writing. I taught two semesters using the UR@ approach, which introduced the
concept of cultural nodes through which to examine current events. Students explored
multiple contexts and rhetorical ideas in learning to compose at the college level. The other
semester I employed the Digital Rhetorics approach, which highlighted the importance and
benefits of multimedia composing practices.

First-Year Composition: Learning Community (ENGL 106), Purdue University, 1 section

This course featured the Digital Rhetorics syllabus approach, but also happened to be
partnered with the Global Engineering Learning Community. The learning community paired
with an international FYC course and an introductory engineering course to improve the
shared students experience and raise important issues about global engineering
communication.
Engaging Public Discourse (ENGL 108), Purdue University, 2 sections
This accelerated FYC course featured a service-learning component, requiring students to
work with a community partner while they developed critical writing and analytical skills
typical of a first-year composition course. Both sections employed a student-initiated service
approach, wherein students sought their own service opportunities and wrote papers based
on their service experiences.
Intro to Rhetorical and Analytical Writing (ENGL 191), St. Cloud State University, 4 sections
This course emphasized analytical reading, writing, and critical reasoning for a variety of
rhetorical purposes, including argumentation (broadly conceived), and practice in developing
ideas, insights, and claims through use of both personal observation/experience and external
texts and perspectives.

Internships

Tolkien Literature (ENGL 321), St. Cloud State University, 1 section

This auditorium-sized lecture course, taught by Glenn Davis, covered medieval texts and their
connection to Tolkiens works and required multiple interns. Interns monitored and
administrated online discussion, assisted in the creation and facilitation of classroom group
work, and delivered a presentation to the class.
Arthurian Literature (ENGL 321), St. Cloud State University, 1 section
This auditorium-sized lecture course, taught by Glenn Davis, focused on various Arthurian
and texts and required multiple interns. Interns monitored and administrated online
discussion, assisted in the creation and facilitation of classroom group work, and delivered a
presentation to the class.

Professional Experience
Academic

Co-Editor The Writing Instructor, December 2011 issue

For this anniversary edition, I used HTML to format and prepare the authors articles for the
Drupal-based online journal. I also uploaded and hosted PDF files of the authors articles from
the journals first issue.
Content Creator Gates Grant for the Purdue OWL, Fall 2011-Spring 2012
As a content creator for The Online Writing Network (TOWN) Bill and Melinda Gates grant
project, I worked with Linda Bergmann and Janet Alsup to produce, design, and test writing
samples, social media pedagogy, and website mechanics.

Industry

Technical Writing Intern Interactive Intelligence, Summer 2013

My work at ININ consisted of updating, revising, and combining technical documents of
various genres, including technical specifications, installation & configuration guides, and
quick-ref guides.
Grant Writer Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Spring 2010-Fall 2010
As a grant writer, I worked with various tribal offices to discern their needs, then sought and
applied for relevant funding from various government and non-government sources.

Web Consultant St. Cloud State University, Summer 2008-Fall 2008

This position required I map, troubleshoot, and perform limited usability-testing on the School
of Graduate Studies website for its revision and eventual redesign.
Document Designer St. Cloud State University, Spring 2008-Fall 2008
In this position, I worked with the Director of Graduate Admissions, a graphic artist, and
various program heads to redesign and update their graduate program brochures.

Service
Mentor IC@P Mentor Meetings, Purdue University, 2013-2015
Worked with administrators and other mentors in Introductory Composition at Purdue in
monthly meetings to improve graduate student teaching.
Member PW Core Meetings, Purdue University, 2013-2014
Worked with administrators and those teaching Professional Writing undergraduate core
courses in weekly meetings to improve PW undergraduate teaching.
Volunteer New Community School, Lafayette, IN, 2014
Taught pre-kindergarten children procedural logic and basic programming through analog
and video games in an afterschool class.
Emcee GradSEA, Purdue University, 2014
Hosted the Graduate Student of English Associations annual fundraiser/variety show.

Technology
Proficiencies

Adobe Design Suite: Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat Pro, Dreamweaver

Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint
Freeware: Audacity, Open Office, Scribus, Drupal, Wordpress
Other: Prezi, Blackboard, iMovie, GarageBand, Windows MovieMaker, LucidChart, Weebly
Markup: HTML, CSS

Introduced Incoming Instructors to New Technologies through Teaching the Following 505T
Modules
Making the Most of Your Lab Days
Plagiarism Concerns and Technology
Electronic Research and Documentation
Exploring the Deeper Power of Word and PPT
Visual Rhetoric and Visual Literacy
Terminology
Visual Rhetoric and Visual Literacy
Introduction to Adobe InDesign
Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons
Working with Photoshop
Designing Websites: Wordpress, Wix
Designing Websites: CSS and HTML
Designing Websites: Dreamweaver

Making Videos: Windows Movie Maker

Making Videos: iMovie
Collaborative Online Texts
Exploring Adobe Acrobat Pro
Recording Audio: Audacity
Recording Audio: GarageBand
Creating and Assessing Multimedia
Assignments
Infographics and Data Visualization
Composing 140 Characters at a Time
ESL and Teaching with Technology
Game Theory and Persuasive Gaming
Electronic Teaching Portfolios

Graduate Coursework
Composition and Pedagogy

Introduction to Composition Theory (Patricia Sullivan)

Teaching First Year Composition (Thomas Rickert)
Issues in Composition: Classical Period to the Renaissance (Richard Johnson-Sheehan)
Issues in Composition: Modern Period (Patricia Sullivan)
Issues in Composition: Postmodernism (Jennifer Bay)
Empirical Research in Writing (Patricia Sullivan)
Hutton Lectures in Rhetoric and Composition, 2010 (Linda Bergmann)
Hutton Lectures in Rhetoric and Composition, 2012 (Thomas Rickert)
Hutton Lectures in Rhetoric and Composition, 2014 (Samantha Blackmon)
Teaching College Writing (Richard Dillman)
Computers, English, and Pedagogy (Judith Kilborn)
Introduction to Writing Center Theory and Practice (Carol Mohrbacher)

Rhetoric and Research

Public Rhetorics (Thomas Rickert)

Rhetoric and Posthumanism (Thomas Rickert)
Rhetorical Methodologies (Patricia Sullivan)
Topics in Rhetoric (Matt Barton)
The Rhetoric of Style (Donna Gorrell)
Bibliographic Strategies (Judy Dorn)

Technical Communication

Professional Writing Theory (Michael Salvo)

Professional Writing Practicum (Michael Salvo)

Games and Media Studies

New Media Studio (Samantha Blackmon)

Writing in Virtual Worlds (Samantha Blackmon)
Computers, Language, and Rhetoric (Patricia Sullivan)
Topics in New Media (Kevin Moberly)

Professional Affiliations
Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW)
Rhetoric Society of America (RSA)
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC)

References
Dr. Samantha Blackmon; blackmos@purdue.edu; 765.430.8131
Dr. Patricia Sullivan; sullivanatpurdue@gmail.com; 765.427.5978
Dr. Michael Salvo; salvo@purdue.edu; 765.337.3203