Dylan B. Dryer

Overview

Dylan B. Dryer is an Associate Professor of Composition Studies and Coordinator of the Graduate Program at the University of Maine’s Department of English. His research focuses on Rhetorical Genre Studies (RGS), exploring how textual forms reflect social structures through 'uptake.' He extends this work into corpus analysis, writing pedagogy, program administration, cognition, and writing assessment. Dryer holds a Ph.D. in Composition & Rhetoric from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2007), and has held roles like Faculty Fellow at the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Institute.

Research & Pedagogy

His research emphasizes genre theory’s application in understanding institutional and public writing practices, including translingual pedagogy and multimodal composition. He has guest-edited major special issues like Composition Forum Vol. 31 on RGS and co-edits the leading journal Written Communication. Courses taught span foundational writing courses to advanced topics in rhetoric and critical theory.

Awards & Recognition

• Recipient of the Mina P. Shaughnessy Prize (MLA)
• Kenneth A. Bruffee Award (WPA)
• Richard Braddock Memorial Award (CCCC)

Professional Engagement

Active in national/international conferences, Dryer has delivered keynote addresses on transdisciplinary writing studies and linguistic ideology. He serves on editorial boards for College Composition and Communication and the CCCC Research Committee. His work bridges theory and practice, influencing writing program administration and teacher training.