James Benson Wirth

James Benson Wirth is an Acting Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Washington, within the College of Arts & Sciences. His roles include teaching composition and technical writing, alongside research interests in post-WWII American Literature and digital pedagogy. He holds a Ph.D. in English (2019) and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing in Prose (2011), both from the University of Washington.

Dr. Wirth’s research focuses on integrating technology into pedagogy, particularly through Git-based workflows, open-source tools like qpdf, and Markdown-based writing practices. He emphasizes collaborative and iterative approaches to technical and academic writing. Recent work includes exploring AI integration in writing education and developing tools for LMS compatibility (e.g., Markdown to Canvas).

In 2023, he secured an AI research grant to investigate emerging technologies in writing pedagogy. His teaching philosophy centers on preparing students for professional writing environments through digital literacy, as reflected in his courses and repositories showcasing open-source projects.

He actively shares educational resources and collaborates on digital pedagogy initiatives, maintaining repositories that document his work on Git workflows, FOSS tools, and academic writing practices.