Tenure and Promotion Thank-yous

I am thrilled to report that I have received tenure and promotion at Arizona State University! Starting in Fall, I will be an Associate Professor of Technical Communication.

I will be on research sabbatical in Spring 2025, writing a book that analyzes effective and ineffective implementation of AI tools in the workplace via the concepts of flourishing and vocation.

But before anything else, I want to do some thanks. I could not have gotten here without the support of innumerable people who supported me through my professional life. (I will attempt to numerate them for you.)

My tenure packet was heavily populated with co-authors: Eric Nystrom, Carolin Fleischmann, Jason Swarts, Dawn Janssen, Anya Hommadova Lu, Kristen Getchell, Pete Cardon, Haibing Ma, Jolanta Aritz, James Stapp, Claire Lauer, Matt Baker, Matt Sharp, Elise Davidson, Barbara Carradini, and David Burel. I literally could not have achieved this position without you all. In particular, Carolin Fleischmann and Barbara Carradini helped me complete grant projects that were struggling during COVID. I am eternally indebted.

I could not have created my tenure packet without help from many people. Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez gave me invaluable advice through the whole tenure process. Wendy Williams gave me materials and advice early on in the process that helped me get going. Many people read drafts, answered questions, and helped my tenure file in ways small and large: Eva Brumberger, Claire Lauer, Eric Nystrom, Chris Krycho, and Ian Moulton, among many others.

This process also could not have happened without an enormous amount of nigh-on invisible service work that people did on my behalf: deep thanks go to unknown-to-me external and internal letter writers who literally vouched for me and my work. I am honored.

For my assistant professor years at ASU, I have many to thank: Eva Brumberger mentored me when I first arrived at ASU. Claire Lauer greatly helped me through the research process at multiple points, giving me great encouragement and support at the lowest point of my pre-tenure process. Andy Mara fielded many calls where I asked him for advice. Barry Maid built the class that got me hired and then taught me how to teach it. David Burel, Kat Lambrecht, Eric Nystrom, Michael Madson, Rafael Martínez, Tatiana Batova, and Matt Baker were and are invaluable friends and supports.

For the astonishing fact that I even made it to ASU, I need to thank Mel Odom, who encouraged me to go to grad school; Derek Ross, who encouraged me to seek a doctorate; and Jason Swarts, who encouraged me to seek an academic job. Without their professional support and encouragement, I would never have even begun the process of tenure at ASU. To all my professors at OU: weird, huh? This wasn’t on my radar then either. To my professors at Auburn: thanks for taking a flier on me and my atypical application. To my professors and colleagues at NCSU: thank you for helping me build the platform that became this career.

More professional thanks go out to Judy Tarbox, Rhonda Stanton, and the rest of the Professional and Technical Writing Faculty at Missouri State University , who invited me to be a keynote speaker at their university. Nupoor Ranade, Daniel Hocutt, and Lance Cummings were co-presenters with me on the most stressful talk I ever gave. Sky Marsen and Mathew Gilllings have been wonderful co-editors with me. Mercy Harper invited me to speak on her podcast twice! Jim Dubinsky, Marilyn Buerkens, Geert Jacobs, Patty Harms, Matt Sharp, Matt Baker, Jacob Rawlins, Ashley Patriarca, and many more people from the Association for Business Communication made me feel at home throughout my assistant professor years. Lisa Whealy helped run Independent Clauses for years while I had my attention focused on research. Thank you for helping me be an assistant professor.

To all my students, past and current: thank you. Working with you is a great part of the job. Special thanks go to the students who worked on client projects in my classes, which are a great joy to run and a lot of extra work for the students.

Personal thanks go out first and foremost to my wife, Barbara Carradini, who went through every one of the highs and lows with me. Samuel and Miriam: thank you for the hugs. Mom, Dad, Joe, John, Grandma, Uncle David, Aunt Nancy, Frank, Susan, and all my extended family near and far: thank you for the unflagging love and support. Thanks in particular to Frank for admonishing all adversaries, real and imagined, on my behalf. Brian Burns, Chris Krycho, Jeff Hinton, and John Carradini were nigh-on daily discussion partners, encouragers, and mood lighteners. Peter Hamstra helped me survive COVID with daily conversations for 18 months. Herb, Dave, Rich, Robert, Dave, Frank, Carson, Brett, Alan, and many more from New Valley Church lifted my spirits with their prayers. Jamie: we made it. Herb, John, Jay, and Adam gave me a place to goof off. Cyril, John, and Hunter gave me guys to throw with. Kevin Graybeal was there for my first ace. Each of you were part of this journey with me.

Thank you to all of you reading this. So many people helped in ways that go beyond the accounting here: I could go on and on. If you’re looking for yourself here and don’t see your name, send me an email and let’s catch up. I want to thank you too.

Thanks to the inanimate objects that supported the work (in some cases, literally): coffee, tea, balsam-scented candles, comically large mugs (2), standing desks, squat racks, Sony MDR-7506s.

Finally, my greatest praise and thanks to God, for whom this was done, through whom this was achieved, and to whom all the glory for this accomplishment should go. I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible, and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. (And sabbatical.) Amen.

6 thoughts on “Tenure and Promotion Thank-yous

  1. Fantastic achievement Stephen. Your Georgia family is very happy and proud of and for you!

  2. Absolutely beautiful Stephen. You are a fine young man. I am blessed & proud to have you as my nephew. Very kind of you to mention me. You all will continue to be in my prayers. Continue to seek Him first. Keep up the good work. Many blessings.
    Much love,
    Aunt Nancy

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