Rate My Professor Laura Vernon

Laura Vernon is a Professor in the School of Writing, Language, and Literature at Radford University, where she has taught in the professional writing program since 2013. She serves as the Professional Writing Graduate Certificate Program Coordinator, responsible for marketing, assessing the program, recruiting students, and handling administrative paperwork. Vernon's educational background includes a Ph.D. in Professional Communication from Utah State University, a Master of Professional Communication from Westminster College, and a B.A. in Journalism from Brigham Young University. She instructs undergraduate and graduate courses such as Professional Writing (ENGL 306/608), which covers organizational writing including reports, manuals, instructions, and collaborative projects; Business Writing (ENGL 307/607), focusing on rhetorical strategies for business correspondence; Proposal Writing (ENGL 406/610), emphasizing persuasive proposal development; and Professional Editing (ENGL 407), teaching grammar, copyediting, and comprehensive editing skills.

Vernon chairs the Personnel Committee in the School of Writing, Language, and Literature, coordinating meetings, course evaluations, reappointments, and tenure letters. She represents the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences as an At-Large Faculty Senate member, participating in policy reviews and votes. As a Realizing Inclusive Student Excellence (RISE) Faculty Fellow, she engages in practices to enhance student learning and success. Vernon holds a Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) Faculty Development Fellowship, leading the AI Community of Practice for faculty support in AI use. She chairs the Corridors: Blue Ridge Writing & Rhetoric Conference committee, managing website, theme, proposals, program, registration, and logistics for the Fall 2025 event. Her recent presentations include "Learning from Past Environmental Changemakers to Influence Change Today" at the Conference on Communication and Environment (June 2025), "Beginning a Journey: A Literature Review of Labor-Based Contract Grading in the Technical Communication Classroom" at The Grading Conference (June 2025), "Liberating Students to Pursue What Matters Most Through Book Groups" at the College English Association Conference (March 2025), "Starting a Community of Practice to Support Better Teaching" at the Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy (February 2025), "A Framework for Becoming GenAI Literate" at the Global Society of Online Literacy Educators Conference (February 2025), and "Nature: A Place Where Writing and Wellbeing Happen" at the Writing Innovation Symposium (January 2025). She authored "Crossing political borders: how a grassroots environmental group influenced a change in public policy" (2019) and serves as a guest editor for Technical Communication Quarterly.