Technical communications professional
Writer | editor | Researcher | consultant
Luciana M. Herman, Ph.D.
About Me
I’m a Jersey City, NJ born, Cleveland, OH raised, current Germany resident, Italian-American, Army wife who earned my B.A. in English from the University of Dayton, my M.A. in English Literature from Cleveland State University, and my Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). My professionalization began by teaching English (Composition, Literature, Technical Writing, etc.) at the undergraduate level in 2003 and continued at a number of colleges and universities across the United States while dutifully supporting my husband who serves our nation on active duty.
As a researcher, my areas of interests include, but are not limited to: technical communication, user experience (UX), user-centered design (UCD), rhetoric of health and medicine, veterans studies, and cultural and digital rhetorics.
In addition to my research, I am a writer/editor for the Command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and a professional materials consultant with The COMMIT Foundation. In the latter role, I love interacting with my clients and helping them translate their lived experience into language that appropriately, professionally, and proudly represents them. Maintaining their authorial integrity and agency while cultivating their comfort with the writing process and their finished product drives my consulting practices.
Outside my professional interests, I’m a devoted mom to my two young children and adorable pup, avid reader, foodie, sports enthusiast, and dog lover. You can usually find me spending quality time with my family, playing board games, watching sports, reading with my kids, cooking up a storm, having a dance party, hand writing thank you notes, making to-do lists, walking my dog, or playing catch in the back yard.
Professional Materials Consulting
Developing professional materials is a deeply personal and often tedious process. Each genre (e.g., résumé, cover correspondence, social media presence, personal statement, etc.) has a different purpose and audience; as writers, we start by interpreting why we’re writing and to whom.
In my consulting practice, I aim to collaborate with you in honing your writing to satisfy the correct purpose and audience and to ensure your comfortability with how your written products represent you in your stead.
The Professional Materials Tips document (linked below) helpfully guides writers and offers links to examples and resources. Check it out!
Research
In my dissertation study, I developed mixed-methods study to canvas the veteran-as-patient experience accessing healthcare via www.va.gov.
Through this work, I learned how www.va.gov functions rhetorically as a non-human actor, posing challenges to and facilitating users’ navigation and access to healthcare, and how the web space impacts their agency.
I endeavor to continue this work by adding more healthcare communication and design research to my portfolio; ultimately, my goal is to work in government service, specifically with the VA, in building and assessing healthcare spaces and programs to better care for our service-connected community.
Areas of research interest include:
- Technical Communication
- User Experience (UX) / User-Centered Design (UCD)
- Rhetoric of Health and Medicine
- Veterans Studies
- Cultural & Digital Rhetorics
- Material (Space) Rhetorics
Publications
professionalization
Teaching
Beginning my professional career teaching composition in the college classroom challenged and matured me. I have taught English at numerous institutions and at several levels (graduate, undergraduate, secondary, and elementary) and use my lessons learned in my research and consulting practices.
The University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso, TX | Undergraduate & Graduate
University of Saint Mary | Leavenworth, KS | Undergraduate
United States Military Academy at West Point | West Point, NY | Undergraduate
Holy Angels of the Hudson Valley | Highland Falls, NY | Elementary
Central Texas College | Fort Hood, TX | Undergraduate
Temple College | Temple, TX | Undergraduate
Holy Trinity Catholic High School | Temple, TX | Secondary
Columbus State University | Columbus, GA | Undergraduate
University of Phoenix | Remote | Undergraduate
Texas A&M University, Central Texas | Killeen, TX | Undergraduate
Lorain County Community College | Elyria, OH | Secondary & Undergraduate
Cleveland State University | Cleveland, OH | Undergraduate
University of Dayton | Dayton, OH | Undergraduate
