Biographical Statement:
- Ph.D. (1997) in Rhetoric and Professional Communication, ESL Minor, Purdue University
- B.A. (1989) and M.A. (1991) in English, North Carolina State University
I am Professor in the NMSU English Department. I have been at NMSU since 2001, and I have previously taught at Ohio University and La Universidad San Francisco de Quito. I was born in Idaho but have lived in many places, including four years in Ecuador.
Research and Consulting Interests:
Dr. Thatcher’s research and consulting focus on cross-border, U.S.-Latin American rhetorical theory, practice, and research methods. He also maintains a strong interest in ESL and L2 writing, with a specific focus on Spanish-English academic writing; currently, he is developing curriculum in English composition classes that are best suited to native Spanish speakers. He is writing a book on U.S.-Mexico border rhetoric and writing, using the Human Capability Approach as a theoretical and practical foundation for assessing cross-border rhetoric. He is a founding member of La Asociación Latinoamericana de Retórica and is founder and Editor-in-chief of the online, peer-reviewed journal, Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Globalization He routinely works at Mexican universities, including El Colegio de Chihuahua where he is an active member of the doctoral program in research.
Teaching Interests:
Dr. Thatcher teaches a variety of graduate courses including
- ENGL 665: Intercultural Rhetoric
- ENGL 519: Modern Rhetorical Theory
- ENGL 548: Composition Research
- ENGL 601: Qualitative Research
His favorite undergraduate course is ENGL 211: Intercultural Writing.
Publications (journals):
- Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Globalization. Peer-reviewed, online journal using open source software.
Publications (books):
- (2012). Intercultural Rhetoric and Professional Communication: Technological Advances and Organizational Behavior. IGI-Global Press.
- (2010). Thatcher, Barry and St. Amant, Kirk (co-editors). Teaching intercultural rhetoric and technical communication: Theories, curriculum, pedagogies, and practices. Baywood Publishing.
- (2008). Thatcher, Barry and Evia, Carlos (co-editors). Outsourcing Technical Communications. Baywood Publishing.
Publications (selected articles):
- (2014). Thatcher, Barry, Medina-Lopez, Kelly, and Montoya, Omar. “Writing and rhetoric along the U.S.-Mexico Border.” Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Globalization 6: 56-87.
- (2010). “Understanding digital literacy across cultures.” In (eds.) Spilka, Rachel. Anthology of digital literacy for technical communication: 21st Century Theory and Practice. Routledge Press.
- (2010). “Reading and writing new media across cultures: Issues of fit, reciprocity, and cultural change.” In (eds.) Kalmbach, Jim and Ball, Cheryl, Reading and writing new media. Hampton Press Series New Dimensions in Computers and Composition.
- (2008). Thatcher, Barry. “U.S.-Mexico Border Rhetorics.” In (ed.) Andrew Woods, The Borderlands: An encyclopedia of culture and politics on the U.S.-Mexico Border. Greenwood Press.
- (2006). “Intercultural rhetoric, technology, and writing in Mexican maquilas.” Special Technology Transfer Edition of Technical Communication Quarterly 15(3): 383-405.
- (2005). “Situating L2 writing in global communication technologies.” Computers & Composition 22(3):279-295.
- (2004). “Rhetorics and communication media across cultures.” Journal of English for Academic Purposes 3: 305-320.
Contact: bathatch@nmsu.edu or 575-646-1529
