The Value of Undergraduate Research
We are so pleased to announce the plenary speakers for our 2025 Naylor Workshop on Undergraduate Research, Drs. J. Michael Rifenburg and Kristine Johnson. Their new publication, A Long View of Undergraduate Research, will help the field to see the deep value of undergraduate research not only for students while in college, but beyond. It also provides a deeper understanding, through the lived experience of undergraduates, of the intellectual engagement that undergraduate research fosters.
J. Michael Rifenburg
A former undergraduate researcher, J. Michael Rifenburg serves as professor of English at the University of North Georgia. He authored The Embodied Playbook: Writing Practices of Student-Athletes (Utah State University Press, 2018), Drilled to Write: Becoming a Cadet Writer at a Senior Military College (Utah State University Press, 2022), and, with Kristine Johnson, A Long View of Undergraduate Research: Alumni Perspectives on Inquiry, Belonging, and Vocation (Routledge/Elon 2024). He is a recipient of the University System of Georgia Regents’ Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Award and serves as president-elect of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Kristine Johnson
Kristine Johnson is a former undergraduate researcher and professor of English at Calvin University. At Calvin, she serves as the university rhetoric director, enjoys collaborating with undergraduate researchers, and teaches courses in linguistics, composition pedagogy, and first-year writing. With J. Michael Rifenburg, she authored A Long View of Undergraduate Research: Alumni Perspectives on Inquiry, Belonging, and Vocation (Routledge/Elon 2024). Her work has been published in various journals including College Composition and Communication, The Journal of Writing Assessment, and Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education. She currently serves as associate editor of Pedagogy: Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture.