Talisha Haltiwanger Morrison

Dr. Talisha Haltiwanger Morrison serves as Director of the OU Writing Center, Director of the Edith Kinney Gaylord Expository Writing Program, and Associate Professor of Writing at the University of Oklahoma. She is also an affiliate faculty member in the OU English Department, where she contributes to the academic community through teaching, administration, and research. Her leadership extends across campus through strategic partnerships with OU Libraries, the OU Graduate College, Diversity Enrichment Programs, the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity office (UReCA), and Cosmic Flora, a local community wellness space.

Dr. Morrison earned her Ph.D. from Purdue University, which provided the foundation for her scholarly work in composition and rhetoric, writing center studies, and Black feminist theory. Her research and administration interests span writing center theory, mentorship, community-based writing, and Black feminist studies. Her work particularly focuses on intersectional approaches to mentoring and administration, with an emphasis on racial justice in educational spaces. She examines how Black women navigate predominantly white institutions, the experiences of writing center tutors, and the implementation of anti-racist practices in writing center administration. Her scholarship consistently centers the voices and experiences of marginalized communities, particularly Black women, within academic spaces.

Dr. Morrison's publications reveal a consistent trajectory toward addressing racial justice in writing center theory and practice. Her work moves from personal narratives about Black women's experiences in writing centers toward more systemic analyses of how writing centers can become sites of racial justice. She has increasingly focused on practical applications of Black feminist theory in writing center administration and tutor training, culminating in her co-edited volume "Writing Centers and Racial Justice: A Guidebook for Critical Praxis" (2023) and her forthcoming work "Social Justice in the Center: A Guide for Writing Tutors."

Dr. Morrison's scholarly contributions have been recognized with significant awards in her field:

• Nominated for 2020 Council of Writing Program Administrators (CWPA) Outstanding Scholarship Award
• Winner of 2019 International Writing Centers Association (IWCA) Outstanding Book Award

As an administrator, Dr. Morrison centers the mentoring, support, and professional development of student consultants. She regularly presents at national and international conferences including the Conference on College Composition and Communication, the Conference on Community Writing, and the International Writing Centers Association Conference. Her collaborative approach to scholarship is evident in her numerous co-authored works and edited collections that bring together diverse voices in the field of writing center studies.

Dr. Morrison leads the OU Writing Center, which serves as a hub for writing support across the University of Oklahoma. Under her direction, the center has expanded its reach through partnerships with various campus units and community organizations. She has fostered relationships with OU Libraries, the OU Graduate College, Diversity Enrichment Programs, and the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity office (UReCA), creating a robust network of support for student writers across disciplines.