Nora K. Rivera

Nora K. Rivera is an Assistant Professor at the Department of English, Texas Tech University, specializing in Technical Communication & Rhetoric. Born in the US-Mexico Borderlands, her work bridges technical communication, cultural rhetorics, translation, and cross-cultural UX in transnational contexts.

• Education: Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition (University of Texas at El Paso), MA in Spanish Literature and Linguistics, MBA in Marketing.

Research Interests: Rivera examines how Indigenous approaches to UX challenge colonial frameworks in technical communication. She explores language rights, decolonizing pedagogies, and collaborative translation practices across Mexico, Peru, and the U.S. Current book projects include a testimonio collection by Indigenous interpreters and a localization study for legal systems involving digital glossaries in eight Indigenous languages.

Publication Trends: Rivera’s work emphasizes social justice in technical communication, focusing on linguistic equity, decolonial design, and Indigenous knowledge systems. Her articles address AI ethics, community-led UX, and feminist methodologies in crisis-driven communication programs.

• Scientific Awards:
  • 2025 ATTW Best Article Award
  • 2025 CCCC Technical Communication Award
  • 2024 IEEE James M. Lufkin Award
  • 2023 STC Frank R. Smith Award
  • 2022 NEH Summer Fellowship
  • 2020 CPTSC Antiracist Grant

Labs & Teams: Rivera contributes to the UX Lab at Texas Tech, integrating community-based learning and digital tools to address language marginalization. Her research collaborates with Indigenous language speakers and transnational teams to prototype digital legal resources.