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Brian Still, Ph.D.

Education | Publications | Funded Research | Teaching | Presentations |
Podcasts | Prof. Activities | Industry Experience | Workplace Publications

Education

Ph.D., English, University of South Dakota, 2005

M.A., English, University of South Dakota, 1993

A.B., English, Philosophy, William Jewell College, 1990

Publications

Books

Online Intersex Communities: Virtual Neighborhoods of Support and Activism. Amherst, NY: Cambria Press, 2008.

Refereed Articles

"The Blank-Page Technique: Reinvigorating Paper Prototyping in Usability Testing." Forthcoming (2010) in IEEE's Transactions on Professional Communication.

"More than a Decade After the Birth of Open Source, It's Time for OpenTechComm." Forthcoming (2009) in the Journal of Technical Writing and Communication.

"Guest Editors' Introduction: Online Health Communication." Co-authored with Amy Koerber. Technical Communication Quarterly. 17.3 (2008): 259-263.

"Talking to Students: Evaluating the Use of Embedded Voice Commenting for Critiquing Student Writing." Journal of Business and Technical Communication. 20.4 (2006): 460-475.

"Internal Cultural Barriers to E-Commerce Implementation: A Case Study of How Ineffective Leadership Doomed XYZ’s Online Transaction System." Co-authored with Kirk St. Amant. International Journal of Cases on Electronic Commerce 2.1 (2006): 23-45.

"Hacking for a Cause." First Monday 10.9 (September 2005).
 <http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue10_9/still/index.html>.

            Reprinted in ICFAI Journal of Cyber Law, 5.1 (February 2006): 22-35.

"A Syntactic Approach to Readability." Co-authored with Tim Giles. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication 35.1 (2005): 47-70.

Editorial Work

Special Issue on Usability Studies and Technical Communication. Co-edited with Michael J. Albers. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication. Forthcoming (2010).

Special Issue on Online Health Communication. Co-edited with Amy Koerber. Technical Communication Quarterly. 17.3 (2008).

Handbook of Research on Open Source Software: Technological, Economic, and Social Perspectives. Co-edited with Kirk St. Amant.  Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference, 2007.

Non-Refereed Publications

“A Comparison of Web-Based Collaboration Software.” IEEE Professional Communication Society Newsletter 49.8 (September 2005). <http://www.ieeepcs.org/newsletter/pcsnews_sept2005_tools.php>.

“Wireless VoIP: An Féidir leis Muid a Cheangailt le Chéile?” IEEE Professional Communication Society Newsletter 49.6 (July 2005). <http://www.ieeepcs.org/newsletter/pcsnews_july2005_tools.php>.

"Open Source Software: A Perspective for Decision-Making in a Global Age." Co-authored. Encyclopedia for Multimedia Technology and Networking. Margherita Pagani, ed. Hershey, PA: Idea Group, Inc. 2005: 791-798.

"Considering Open Source Content Management Systems." IEEE Professional Communication Society Newsletter 49.4 (May 2005). <www.ieeepcs.org/newsletter/archive/may2005/pcsnews_may2005_tools.php>.

"A Quick Look at Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)." IEEE Professional Communication Society Newsletter 49.2 (March 2005). <www.ieeepcs.org/newsletter/archive/mar2005/pcsnews_mar2005_dita.php>.

"An Open Source Primer." Internet-Based Workplace Communication: Industry and Academic Applications. Kirk St. Amant & Pavel Zemliansky, eds. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Inc., 2004: 278-298.

Reprinted in End-User Computing: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. Steve Clarke, editor. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference (2008), 239-253.

Reprinted in Global Information Technologies: Concepts, Tools and Applications. Felix Tan, editor. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference (2007), 37-51.

"Your Next Assignment: Computer Security Policy." Intercom 51.1 (January 2004): 6-9.

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Funded Research

  • Big 12 Faculty Fellowship (Visited Information Experience Lab at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2007-2008): $2,500

  • Usability Research Lab (funding to date): $23,700

 

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Teaching Experience

Assistant Professor, Technical Communication & Rhetoric
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
August 2006 to present

  • English 5386: Online Communication--Technology, Culture, and Identity
  • English 5376: Online Publishing
  • English 5373: Technical Manuals
  • English 4380: Professional Issues in Technical Communication
  • English 4369: Interaction Design
  • English 3367 & 5388: Usability Testing
  • English 3365: Professional Report Writing
  • English 3368: Web Design

Lecturer
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
August 2002 to May 2006

  • English 3365: Professional Report Writing
  • English 2311: Introduction to Technical Writing
  • English 3368: Web Design

Adjunct Instructor
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
September 1997 to December 2001

  • Rhetoric 3562: Technical and Professional
  • Rhetoric 1101: Introduction to Rhetoric
  • Rhetoric 1151: Writing in Your Major

Teaching Assistant
University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
August 1991 to May 1996

  • Taught introductory literature and beginning and advanced composition

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Podcasts

"Tackling Typical Grammar Problems." IEEE Professional Communication Society, April 11, 2008. <http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/pcs/index.php?q=node/190>.

"Dealing Proactively with Audience Questions." IEEE Professional Communication Society, January 29, 2008. <http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/pcs/index.php?q=node/129>.

Presentations

"The Blank Page Technique: Re-Employing Paper Prototyping to Encourage User Involvement in Web Site Design." International Professional Communication Conference, Montreal, Canada, July 13-16, 2008.

 

"Telling Stories about 'Bodies Like Ours': Online Intersex Activism and Community-Building." 29th Annual Meeting of the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture Association, Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 13-16, 2008.

 

“Forging Intersex Identities in Virtual Neighborhoods.” 2007 Conference on College Composition, New York, New York, March 21-24, 2007.
 

“Open Source Software (OSS) Content Management Systems.” International Professional Communication Conference, Saratoga Springs, New York, October 23-25, 2006.

 

“Open Source Software and the Future of Business: A Primer for Technical Communicators.” International Professional Communication Conference, Saratoga Springs, New York, October 23-25, 2006.

 

“Talking to Students: Using Embedded Voice Commenting via Microsoft Word to Provide Voice and Written Commentary to Student Writing.” International Professional Communication Conference, Saratoga Springs, New York, October 23-25, 2006.

 

“Internet Activism as a Means of Improving the Treatment of Intersexual Persons.” 27th Meeting of Southwest/Texas Popular Culture Association, Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 8-12, 2006.

 

“OpenTechComm: The Impact of Open Source Software (OSS) Development Philosophy on Technical Communication Education.” Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication 32nd Annual Conference, Lubbock, Texas, October 20-22, 2005.

 

“It’s More Than Just Punching Keys: Computer Loss Control.” LMCIT Loss Control Workshops, April-May, 2002.

 

“Best Practices in Computer Security.” League of Minnesota Cities Regional Meetings, September-October, 2001.

 

“Insuring Web Site Accessibility.” League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference, Duluth, MN, June, 2001 (http://www.lmnc.org/2001conf/adapresentation/index.htm).
 

“Dollars & Sense: A Pre-retirement Planning Workshop.” Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association, June 1999 - March 2000.

 

"The Poetics of Gertrude Stein." Penn State University Conference on Languages and Literature, March, 1996.

 

“W.H. Auden’s Search for Objectivity.” Louisiana State University Conference on Languages and Literature, February, 1996.

 

“Creating a Constitution for Compland: Teaching through Role Playing in the Writing Classroom.” University of Missouri Graduate Student Conference, February, 1996.

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Professional Activities & Service

  • Director, Texas Tech Usability Research Lab
  • Web Editor, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  • Administrative Committee Member, IEEE Professional Communication Society (PCS), 2006-present
  • Electronic Information Subcommittee Chair, IEEE PCS
  • IEEE-USA E-Books Editorial Review Board
  • Editorial Review Board, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  • Program Chair, 2008 IPCC in Montreal
  • Editorial Advisory Review Board, Idea Group Inc.
  • Editorial Review Board, International Journal of Open Source Software and Processes
  • Editorial Review Board, International Journal of E-Adoption (IJEA)
  • Editorial Review Board, Information Resources Management Journal (IRMJ), 2006-2008
  • Program Committee, 2007 IPCC (International Professional Communication Conference) in Seattle
  • Technology Consultant, College English Association (CEA)
  • Area Chair, Gender & Technology, Southwest/Texas Popular Culture Association
     

Memberships

  • ATTW (Association of Teachers of Technical Writing)
  • IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Professional Communication Society

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Industry Experience

Information Technology Consultant
Self-Employed, Wolfforth, TX
June 2002 to present

  • Worked with businesses and organizations to develop technology strategic plans
  • Contributed to the development of RFPs (requests for proposal) and feasibility studies geared toward technology adoption & implementation for local government and small business
  • Produced data-driven Internet applications (staff directory, contractor database)

Internet Manager/Webmaster
League of Minnesota Cities, St. Paul, MN
March 2000 to June 2002

  • Rebuilt and maintained all League and affiliate Internet sites (www.lmnc.org)
    Over 7 million hits in 2001 (2800% increase from 2000)
  • Managed project staff & budget in implementing online transaction system and document management warehouse
  • Advised local governments in evaluating and improving technology infrastructure and security, as well as developing computer policies for cities
  • Provided technical consultation in developing GovOffice (www.govoffice.com), an easy-to-use site creation and management tool designed specifically for local government (now in use across U.S. & Canada)
  • Developed numerous database-connected, interactive applications (three examples & URLs below):
    • Property Tax Calculator (www.lmnc.org/library/propsearch.cfm)
    • Census Data Profile (www.lmnc.org/census/census.cfm)
    • Bulletin (electronic newsletter-www.lmnc.org/bulletin/bulletin.cfm)
  • Wrote best practices guide for Web site development in use by municipalities across the nation
     

Information Officer
Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA), St. Paul, MN
June 1998 to March 2000

  • Webmaster for PERA Web site (www.mnpera.org)
  • Created online customer service system to receive and process requests and questions from Association membership (over 200,000 members)
  • Authored financial planning guides and retirement planning brochures distributed to all members

Network Systems Documentation Consultant
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN
October 1997 to January 1998

Developed & wrote policies and procedures for main network systems and help desk for Minnesota DNR's information technology division.

Medical Editor
Medical Arts Press, Brooklyn Park, MN
Oct. 1996 to Oct. 1997

Edited and proofread wide range of documents for medical practices in the United States

Teacher
Sylvan Learning Center, Kansas City, MO
July 1990 to August 1991

  • Taught wide variety of students in basic and advanced reading and math
  • Prepared high school students for college entrance exams

Sports Director/Broadcaster
KWJC Radio, Liberty, MO
Sept. 1986 to May 1990

  • Produced and broadcast radiocasts of more than 100 live sporting events
  • Directed all station sports programming, including staff
  • Wrote and produced sports material, advertising copy

Television Anchor/Reporter
KCCP TV
Sep. 1987 to Dec. 1989

  • Anchored live daily news program "KC Alive"
  • Produced and hosted weekly live sports program, "KC Sportstalk"
  • Wrote on-air copy, news and sports stories

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Workplace Publications  

“Best Practices: Local Government Web Development Manual.” GovOffice.com. November, 2001.

“City Computer Policies.” Minnesota Cities 86.9 (November 2001): 7-8.

“Technology Needs for Small Cities.” Minnesota Cities 86.9 (November 2001): 5-6.

"Search Engines and Your Web Site." Minnesota Cities 86.8 (October 2001): 25.

"Protecting Against Computer Viruses." Minnesota Cities 86.7 (September 2001): 25.

"Taking Advantage of Interactivity." Minnesota Cities 85.4 (May/June 2000): 25.   

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