Sarah-Beth Long

Sarah-Beth Long is Associate Professor and Internship Director in the Department of English at Appalachian State University, where she has taught since 2015. Her academic specialty centers on Rhetoric & Technical Communications, with research bridging discourse analysis and data science methodologies. Prior to Appalachian State, she was a graduate teaching assistant at the University of South Florida, receiving the Provost’s 21st Century Teaching and Learning award.

Dr. Long holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of South Florida (2012-2015) with certificates in Instructional Design and Technical Writing, an M.A. in Literature from Mercy College (2012), an M.A. in Creative Writing with distinction from Lancaster University (2001), and a B.A. in Journalism from Florida Southern College (2000). She was the 2000-2001 Rotary Ambassadorial scholar.

Her research investigates public discourses on contentious scientific issues through computational rhetoric, focusing on climate change communication, sustainability practices, and Agent Orange legacy. She employs sentiment analysis and social network mapping to examine how social media platforms facilitate community engagement, as demonstrated in her work with the Roatan Marine Park and Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange.

Dr. Long's publication trajectory shows increasing integration of data science with rhetorical analysis, moving from traditional technical communication scholarship toward algorithmic text analysis and cross-cultural discourse studies. Her recent work emphasizes practical applications for social change through nonprofit partnerships and community-based research.

Notable recognitions include the Alma Bryant Outstanding Graduate Student Award (2014) and the competitive USF 21st Century Teaching Fellowship ($20,000). She has secured over $10,000 in Appalachian State research funding and is pursuing a $150,000 NSF grant.

Dr. Long actively mentors students through honors theses and master's committees, emphasizing real-world applications of technical communication. Her grant portfolio supports international fieldwork in Vietnam and computational social science projects examining stakeholder engagement in technical democracy.

Though not leading a formal laboratory, Dr. Long collaborates with interdisciplinary teams through professional organizations including SIGDOC and CPTSC. Her consulting work with nonprofits on social media for social change extends her academic research into practical community impact through sarahbethhopton.com.