Meet the Contributors
Ornelas | Rice | Cole | Maher
David Ornelas
David Ornelas is a doctoral student in the Technical Communication and Rhetoric program at Texas Tech University. David takes an interdisciplinary approach that engages multiple fields rather than just focusing heavily on one particular field of study. His research explores queer rhetorics, professional and technical communication, digital rhetoric, visual rhetoric, generative artificial intelligence, inclusive pedagogy. He teaches first-year writing and general studies courses in San Diego, California, supporting first and second-semester students’ transition to college. His work appears in Programmatic Perspectives, Kairos, Transgender Studies Quarterly, and edited collections. As a queer student and scholar, he advocates for an inclusive classroom that welcomes and values ideas from all students.
See https://www.linkedin.com/in/david1904/
Dr. Rich Rice
Dr. Rich Rice is a Professor of Technical Communication and Rhetoric at Texas Tech University whose teaching and research explore grant writing, rhetoric, technology, and global communication. He is co-author of Writing Grants, Building Care: A Community-Centered Approach, an open educational resource, and co-author of Grant Writing Using Rhetoric and Technology, forthcoming in the ATTW Book Series on Technical Communication and Routledge. Through GrantWriting.Solutions, Rice provides practical resources for students, educators, researchers, and community organizations, approaching grant writing as a rhetorical, collaborative, and community-centered practice. See https://richrice.com.
Ronald Cole
Ronald Cole is a specialist in scientific and technical communication. His areas of interest include technical writing, medical rhetorics, grant writing, and lifebooks (a specialized document often used in the foster care system). He has been the primary grant writer on many successful proposals including those funded by Cigna Foundation, OKI Regional Council of Governments, and the US Federal Government. He is an instructor at the University of Cincinnati. See https://cincinnati.discovery.symplectic.org/COLERO/teaching
Lauren Maher
Lauren N. Maher is Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at FirstDay Foundation and a Ph.D. student in Technical Communication and Rhetoric at Texas Tech University. She brings more than 20 years of experience in grant development, proposal strategy, technical writing, and high-stakes organizational communication across nonprofit, government, and emergency management settings. Her research examines grant writing as rhetorical practice, with current work focused on asset-based rhetoric, ethical uses of AI, and how professional writing shapes organizational care. She is a coauthor of Grant Writing Using Rhetoric and Technology and has taught and presented on grant writing in both academic and professional settings.