Michigan State University

Arts and Letters College Directory

Trixie G. Smith

  • (She/Her)
  • Professor
  • Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures
Biography

Trixie Smith is Director of Graduate Programs in Rhetoric and Writing and Associate Chair, Dept of Writing, Rhetoric and Cultures.  She also directs the Red Cedar Writing Project and GALE (Global Alliances in Literacy and Engagement and serves on the faculty of the Center for Gender in Global Contexts. Since joining the faculty at MSU in August 2007, she has taught a wide range of courses. Her teaching and research are infused with issues of gender, queerness, and activism even as they revolve around writing center theory and practice, WAC/WID, writing pedagogy, and teacher training. Likewise these areas often intersect with her interests in embodiment, community and global engagement, and the idea that we’re just humans learning with/from other humans (you know, with bodies, feelings, lives outside the academy). She has served on numerous boards and committees including the CCCC Executive Committee, ECWCA, IWCA, and MiWCA and spends much of her time helping develop research and writing centers globally. Research Areas: Cultural Rhetorics, Embodiment, Queer and Feminist Rhetorics, Community Engagement, Writing Centers, WAC/WID  Education: Ph.D. in English (Comp/Rhet focus), University of South Carolina; MLIS and M.A. in English, University of South Carolina; B.A. in English and Elementary Ed., University of Mobile. Research or Academic Affiliations: MSU: Core Faculty—Center for Gender in Global Context, Alliance for African Partners, African Studies Center. Inter/national: CCCC, IWCA, IWAC, NCTE, NWP. Regional: ECWCA—Treasurer, MiWCA, MCTE

Works

Recent Publications

  • Doberneck, D. M., Smith, T. G., McNall, M. A., & Baldwin, D. (2025). Community-Engaged Write-Ins, Workshops, and Retreats: Supporting Scholarly Writing Success Through a Continuum of Professional Development. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 29(1).
  • Sanders, Nick, Floyd Pouncil, Stephanie Aguilar-Smith, Trixie G. Smith, and Grace Pregent. “Making Good on Our Promises to Language Justice: Spheres of Coalitional Possibilities Across the Disciplines.” CCC 75.2. 360-88.
  • Dixon, Elise, Trixie G. Smith, and Malea Powell. “Embodying Cultural Rhetorics Methodology through Mentorship.” Mentorship and Methodology: Reflections, Praxis, and Futures. Eds. Leigh Gruwell and Charles Lesh. Utah SUP, 2024. 25-40.
  • Brooks-Gillies, Marilee. “Everyday Assessment Practices in Writing Centers: A Cultural Rhetorics Approach.” Praxis: A Writing Center Journal 21.1.
  • Robinson-Zetzer, Rachel, and Trixie G. Smith. “I Feel It in My Body: WC Teaching and Administration as Embodied Praxis.” Threshold Conscripts: Rhetoric and Composition TAships. Eds. William J. Macauley, Jr., Leslie Anglesey, Brady Edwards, Kathryn Lambrecht, and Phillip Lovas. WAC Clearinghouse/Colorado State UP, 2022. 269-80.
  • Smith, Trixie G. “Embodiment in the Writing Center: Stories/Theories.” Our Body Of Work: Embodied Administration and Teaching. Eds. Melissa Nicolas and Anna Sicari. Utah State UP, 2022. 71-87.
  • Sanders, Nick, and Trixie G. Smith. “Reflections on award-winning books, 1985-2020: Good intentions: Writing center work for postmodern times.” Writing Center Journal 39.1-2. 421-22.
  • Meadows, Bethany, and Trixie G. Smith. “Myth Busting the Writing Center: A Critical Inquiry of Ideologies and Practices.” Praxis: A Writing Center Journal 19.1 (2022). 155-60.
  • Baldwin, Dianna, and Trixie G. Smith. “Stories of Activist Allies in the Writing Center.” Counterstories from the Writing Center. Eds. Wonderful Faison and Frankie Condon. Utah State UP, 2022. 133-44.

 

Recent Invited Talks

  • Three-day Workshop Series on Writing for International Conference on Water in Africa. University of Nigeria, Nsukka. March 2025.
  • “Planting Seeds, Cultivating Growth: Relationships across Time and Space.” Methods Panel: Striving for Equitable Research Partnerships with Feminist Ethics. Sponsored by MSU Center for Gender in a Global Context. December 6, 2024.
  • “Decolonizing Academic Literacy and Writing Centre Practices: Redefining Knowledge, Language, and Pedagogy in Higher Education—Reflections, Responses, and Transformative Trajectories. Invited panelist (1/7) for roundtable to close SAAALP Conference, 2024.  Pretoria, South Africa.
  • Writing Center Workshop Series (6-7 total workshops for university stakeholders, writing center leaders, and graduate students).  Presented three times: Botswana Open University—Gaborone, April 2024; Botswana Open University—Maun, April 2024; University of Botswana, May 2024).
    1. Writing Centers: Who, What, How
    2. Clients’ Identities and Languages: Effects on Writing and Responding
    3. Theory into Practice
    4. Active Listening, Emotion, and Empathy
    5. Working Across Disciplines and Modalities
    6. Introduction to Writing Centers
  • “The Value of a Writing Center in Teaching and Learning in Tertiary Education.” Botswana International University of Science and Technology. Palaype, Botswana. May 2024.
  • “WACky Writing: Using our Voices for Change.” W.K. Kellogg Biological Station K-12 Partnership Spring Workshop. March 19, 2024. With Jill Hoort for RCWP.
  • Global Leadership Impact Summit. “Laying the Ground Work: What the Work of Establishing Global Partnerships Looks Like Online (Fireside Chat).” With Godson Gatsha. December 6, 2023.
  • University of Botswana, Communication and Study Skills Unit. “Supporting Both Student and Faculty Writers.” With Teresa Mastin, October 10, 2023.
  • Strand Spotlight Speaker: Educator/Peer Educator Identities & Intersectionalities: engaging student identities; race, class, gender, disciplinary cultures, learning other ways, engaging cultural wealth, funds of knowledge, inclusion, belongingness  neurodiversity, social emotional learning, ACTLA Conference. April 2023.
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