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EMILY BARROW DEJEU

Assistant Teaching Professor of Business Management Communication

Tepper School of Business

Carnegie Mellon University


             

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Technical and Professional Communication; Business Communication; Composition Studies; Writing Across the Curriculum / Writing in the Disciplines; Rhetorical Genre Studies; Corpus Analysis; Mixed-Methods Research Design; Digital Rhetorics; Generative AI

I use mixed-methods approaches, including corpus analysis, discourse analysis, qualitative coding, structured interviewing, and classroom-based quasi-experimental research, to analyze genres and processes of professional writing. The goal of my research is to strengthen professional writing pedagogies by offering research-informed teaching strategies.

 

My past projects involved exploring strategies for ethical business communication, analyzing rhetorics of high-growth startup versus traditional small business entrepreneurship, and developing and testing curricula that helps students learn strategies for effective civic advocacy. Current projects include researching effective, ethical applications for generative artificial intelligence in professional communication.

EDUCATION

PHD RHETORIC
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY

August 2018 - May 2022
Rhetoric Program, Department of English, Summa Cum Laude

MA RHETORIC
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY

August 2016 - May 2018
Rhetoric Program, Department of English, Summa Cum Laude

BA ENGLISH
SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATION
GROVE CITY COLLEGE

August 2000 - May 2004
English & Education Departments, Summa Cum Laude

EMPLOYMENT

ACADEMIC

Assistant Teaching Professor, Business Management Communication (2022-present)

Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

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Graduate Student Instructor (2016-2022)

Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Science, Carnegie Mellon University

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Teaching Assistant, Undergraduate Business Administration Program (2019-2021)

Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

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Assistant Director, Global Communication Center (2018-2020)

Student Academic Success Center, Carnegie Mellon University

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Research Assistant (2017-2018)

Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Science, Carnegie Mellon University

FREELANCE

Textbook Writer (Supplementary Materials) and AI Consultant (2023-present)

Bedford/St. Martin's, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers

PUBLICATIONS

REFEREED JOURNAL ARTICLES

DeJeu, E.B. (accepted with minor revisions). A Rhetorical Approach for Re-imagining Business Writing
Instruction in the AI Age. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly.

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DeJeu, E.B. (in press). Using Generative AI to Facilitate Data Analysis and Visualization: A Case Study of Olympic Athletes. Journal of Business and Technical Communication. 

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DeJeu, E.B. (in press). Style and Substance: Templates for Academic Writing as Frames for Invention. Composition Forum.

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DeJeu, E.B. (2023). Topoi of Nonprofit Proposal Writing. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906231182616

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DeJeu, E.B.  (2023). The Topoi of Small Business Entrepreneurship. Written Communication, 40(4), 1144–1184. https://doi.org/10.1177/07410883231171866

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DeJeu, E.B. (2022). The ethics of delivering bad news: Evaluating impression management strategies in corporate financial reporting. Journal of Business & Technical Communication, 36(2), 190-230. https://doi.org/10.1177/10506519211064618

EDITED COLLECTIONS

DeJeu, E.B. & Brown, D.W. (2023). Docuscope, multi-dimensional analysis, and student writing: Comparisons across tagging systems and corporea. In D.W. Brown & D.Z. Wetzel (Eds.), Corpora and rhetorically informed text analysis: The diverse applications of Docuscope (pp. 42-78). John Benjamins Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.109.03dej

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TEXTBOOKS

Wolfe, J. and E.B. DeJeu. (in press). Writing Proposals. Part of The Modular Technical and Professional Communication Series, a series of eight textbooks in press with Bedford/St. Martin’s imprint of MacMillan Learning.

PEER-REVIEWED CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

DeJeu, E.B. (2022). Disruption-focused vs. stability-focused value propositions: How startup and small business entrepreneurs create different arguments about a new venture's value. In Proceedings of the 87th Annual International Conference of the Association for Business Communication, pp. 281-283.

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DeJeu, E.B. and B. Walter. (2021). A comparative approach to teaching business style: Helping students interrogate differences between academic and business writing conventions. In Proceedings of the 86th Annual International Conference of the Association for Business Communication, pp. 268-270.

PRESENTATIONS

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS & WORKSHOPS

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  • ChatGPT in the professional writing classroom: Implications for pedagogy and policy. Panel presentation. 88th Annual International Conference of the Association for Business Communication. October 2023. Denver, CO.

  • Challenging the “founder myth”: How small business entrepreneurs use stories of community-based calling to establish credibility. 88th Annual International Conference of the Association for Business Communication. October 2023. Denver, CO.

  • Disruption-focused vs stability-focused value propositions: How startup and small business entrepreneurs create different arguments about a new venture’s value. 87th Annual International Conference of the Association for Business Communication. October 2022. Tampa, FL.

  • Four rhetorical moves for motivating teams and displaying strong leadership. 87th Annual International Conference of the Association for Business Communication. October 2022. Tampa, FL.

  • Comparing student writing across international contexts. DocuScope Symposium. June 2022. Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Rhetorical strategies for ethical business communication. 86th Annual International Conference of the Association for Business Communication. October 2021, Graduate Student Panel. Virtual Conference.

  •  A comparative approach to teaching business style. 86th Annual International Conference of the Association for Business Communication. October 2021. Virtual Conference.  

  • Introducing a novel business communications assignment. Bridges & Borders: Navigating Problems and Possibilities in Language and Culture. April 2021. Pittsburgh, PA

  • ATTW Research Conclave: Designing a professional and technical writing reference corpus. March 2020, Milwaukee, WI. (Postponed due to COVID)

  • Teaching the change proposal genre in a first-year writing course. Panel presentation. Council of Writing Program Administrators. July 2019, Baltimore, MD. 

  • The problem-solution proposal: Exploring undergraduates’ attempts to write in an unfamiliar genre. Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). March 2019, Pittsburgh, PA.

INVITED TALKS

  • Spotlight on Innovative Teaching: Adapting to Generative AI in the Classroom. December 2023. Invited presentation by the Eberly Center for Teaching and Learning.

  • Generative AI Tools for Workplace Communication: Suggestions for Effective and Ethical Use. November 2023. Invited webinar for Tepper School of Business Alumni.

  • Generative AI workshop. August 2023. Invited presentation for Tepper School of Business faculty members on suggested best practices for developing AI-related classroom policies.

  • Promise or peril? AI and your future. July 2023. Invited panel presentation at North Park Church on the affordances and limitations of generative AI in educational settings.

  • Professor Chat. October 2022. An informal ask-me-anything conversation with undergraduate business administration students, hosted by Carnegie Mellon University's American Marketing Association.

  • Mixed-methods approaches to studying professional writing. September 2021. Invited panel presentation in 76-896, Research Methods in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Stephanie Larson, Instructor. 

  • Writing negative messages that (ethically) soften bad news. April 2021. Guest lecture in 45-898, Writing for Managers, Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Beth Walter, Instructor.

  • Writing clear, concise emails that motivate employees. March 2021. Guest lecture in 45-898, Writing for Managers, Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Beth Walter, Instructor.

  • Student Publishing Panel, sponsored by the Three Rivers Society chapter of Rhetoric Society of America. March 2021. Carnegie Mellon University.

  • Academic versus business writing: Understanding fundamental differences. October 2020 and February 2021. Guest lecture in 70-340, Business Communications, Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Beth Walter, Instructor. 

  • Rhetorical strategies for nonprofit proposal writing. September 2020. Guest lecture in 76-796, Nonprofit Message Creation, Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Korryn Mozisek, Instructor.

  • Using Corpus Analysis to Shape Teaching. March 2020. Presentation for Writing & Communication Program Instructors. (Canceled due to COVID)

  • English Department Commencement Address. May 2018. Carnegie Mellon University. Viewable here, from 19:45 - 22:30.

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COMMUNICATION WORKSHOPS

I offered these campus-wide and course-specific workshops in my role as Writing Consultant & Assistant Director of Carnegie Mellon University's Global Communication Center, now called Communication Support.

  • Designing research posters. November 2020.

  • Concision for biomedical engineers. November 2020. 

    • Invited workshop for Biomedical Engineering mixed undergraduate/graduate course. 

  • Designing effective presentation slides. October 2020. 

  • Communicating psychology research to non-expert audiences. October 2020.

    • Invited workshop for Psychology graduate course.

  • Writing effective literature reviews. February 2020.

  • Making your writing clear and concise. November 2019.

  • Organizing modern languages introduction and discussion sections. October 2019.

    • Invited workshop for Modern Languages PhD students.

  • Writing the graduate school application essay: Overcoming three common pitfalls. October 2019. 

  • Making the case for your research in abstracts and introductions. March 2019.

  • Maximizing the impact of your cover letter. September 2018.

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TEACHING

TEPPER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY

Undergraduate Business Administration Program

  • 70-340, Business Communications

  • 70-345, Business Presentations (TA)

Masters of Business Administration Program

  • 45-790, Management Presentations

  • 45-898, Writing for Managers (TA)

DIETRICH COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY

Writing & Communication Program

  • 76-101, Interpretation & Argument

  • 76-107, Writing About Data

  • 76-108, Writing About Public Problems

Professional Writing Program

  • 76-789, Rhetorical Grammar

AWARDS & FELLOWSHIPS

AWARDS

FELLOWSHIPS

  • Generative AI Teaching as Research (GAITAR) Fellow, Eberly Center for Teaching and Learning, 2024, Carnegie Mellon University ($5,000)

  • Generative AI Research Fellow, Center for Intelligent Business, 2023-2024, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University ($10,000)

SERVICE

COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

  • Search Committee, New Faculty, Business Management Communication Group, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

  • Search Committee, Writing & Communication Program Assistant Director, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University

  • Global Communication Center Impact Committee, Carnegie Mellon University

FACULTY ADVISING

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