Hannah Ringler

Bio

Hello! I am a professor in the Humanities department at Illinois Tech, where I also direct the Communication Across the Curriculum program.

My research interests primarily focus on the interpretability of computational textual analysis and applications of technology in writing pedagogy. My background is in rhetoric, and my larger research goals are to bring the interpretive expertise of the humanities to the computational expertise of computer science to make better sense of complicated language models. In short, I am fascinated by what technological fields have done with language processing, and asking how we might use these methods productively to better understand and teach language.  I also have a strong interest in teaching students how to write in their particular fields, with a focus on STEM and first-generation students.

Outside of work, some of my favorite things include painting, kayaking, fancy food, genealogy, Russian literature, drinking tea, and hanging out with my partner, dog, and 2 black cats. 

Research

My current research projects include the following. Please freely contact me about any of these!

• Theorizing how to interpret computational models, especially of textual corpora (and in the process, figuring out what "interpret" can mean!)

• Better understanding differences and norms across disciplinary writing, particularly in computer science

• Reconsidering how to teach students communication skills in the age of generative AI

• Teaching writing and communication skills effectively to technically-oriented students (i.e., at a tech university)

• Teaching oral presentation skills to students with speech-related disabilities and anxieties

• Supporting faculty across the university in teaching communication in their disciplines