Laura Allen

Laura Allen is an Assistant Professor in the Writing Department at York University's Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. Her research critically examines race through intersections of professional writing, digital media, and community literacy, with a focus on Black cultural practices and digital humanities.

Education includes:

• PhD in English (Rhetoric, Composition, Literacy) from Ohio State University
• MA in Digital Rhetoric and Professional Writing from Michigan State University
• BA in English from Spelman College

Research explores how marginalized communities navigate digital and professional spaces, emphasizing cultural rhetorics and anti-racist pedagogy. Recent work investigates AI literacies, community-based design, and Black family reunions as sites of resilience and knowledge transmission.

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on equity in communication technologies, blending ethnographic and rhetorical methods to analyze digital interfaces and cultural practices.

Awards and honors:

• Nell Ann Pickett Award for exemplary article in technical communication (2023)
• Critel Digital Media Fellowship (2020)
• CCCC Scholar for the Dream Award (2019)

Advocates for educational justice through community-engaged scholarship and mentorship.