YRC Organizing Board – Young Rhetoricians' Conference

The YRC Organizing Board is comprised of volunteer nominees elected for a 2-year term of service, per our bylaws. Brenda Sanfillipo and Avantika Rohatgi became Co-Presidents for 2024, welcoming new Co-Vice Presidents, Sara Nuila-Chae and Crystal Mueller. Our Notetaker/Facilitator is Dan Curtis-Cummins, and our Treasurer/Facilitator is Clara Weygandt.

We are always looking for people who would like to help carry the traditions forward, and volunteer to help organize these fun, re-energizing future conferences. If you’d like to volunteer in the future, show up next year and/or reach out to youngrhetconf@gmail.com.

You can learn more about the positions, elections, and volunteer opportunities on the Elections & Volunteering page.

Name	Role	Bio
Avantika Rohatgi	Co-President	Dr. Avantika Rohatgi is currently a faculty member in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at San Jose State University. She earned her Ph.D. in American Literature from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India. Her educational background also includes an M.A. in British Literature and a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics from Indiana University, Bloomington. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Rohatgi has been fervently dedicated to promoting the concept of global citizenship through her instructional work at institutions such as San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, Indiana-Purdue, and Butler Universities. Her commitment to her field is exemplified by her numerous published articles, and she has been recognized with an esteemed author award for her book, Global Rights and Perceptions. Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr. Rohatgi maintains an active engagement with various human rights organizations. She has showcased her scholarly work by presenting papers, as well as serving as a chair and moderator for multiple sessions at the YRC. Moreover, her involvement extends to leadership roles, including participation in organizational committees for noteworthy events such as the Conference on College Composition and Communication at San José State University, the USACLALS/MELUS Conference in San Jose, CA, and the South Asian Writers Series at Butler University. Contact Avantika at ___.
Brenda Sanfillipo	Co- President	Brenda Sanfilippo has an M.A. in Germanic Languages and Literature from UCLA as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in Literature from the University of California Santa Cruz, where she studied contemporary war literature and film. Since 2014, she has taught in the UCSC Writing Program, Literature Department, Porter College, and Stevenson College. In addition, she teaches workshops on supporting student veterans and understanding veterans’ rhetorical practices. She also belongs to faculty learning communities on online pedagogy and anti-racist teaching practices. In her teaching, she focuses on equitable and accessible pedagogy, both online and onsite. She is currently working on a project to teach writing students how to use accessibility features such as Alt-Text in their compositions. Students will learn to compose with accessibility in mind, so that their writing can be more inclusive and reach broader audiences. Her work has been recognized with awards for accessibility leadership and excellence in teaching. In her free time, she likes to hang out with her husband and kids, read novels, and spend time at the ocean. Contact Brenda at _____ .
Sara Nuila-Chae	Co-Vice President	I am recent graduate of the M.A. Composition program, building upon my completed M.A. in Literature at SFSU. I received my B.A. in English with a minor in Writing from UC Merced. Because of my passion for Literature, I am interested in the ways in which literary analysis can be brought into the Composition classroom. My research interests include contemporary Mixed-Race Literature and American Autobiography. I have taught first-year composition courses at SFSU and currently work as an Adjunct Instructor at Skyline College and University of San Francisco. Contact Sara at ___.
Crystal Mueller	Co-Vice President	Crystal Mueller holds a PhD in English Language and Literature from Marquette University. She directs the Writing Center, coordinates Developmental Writing, and teaches a wide array of English courses at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Her research investigates intersections of learning and identity in different forms of assessment. Contact Crystal at muellec@uwosh.edu .
Dan Curtis-Cummins	Notetaker	Dan Curtis-Cummins is in his eighth year of teaching First Year Writing at San Francisco State University, where he actively innovates various critical, active, and anti-racist pedagogies in collaboration with colleagues in the Writing Program, and across campus in various disciplines. Dan earned a B.A. at UC Santa Cruz in Sociology (focusing on Sociology of Knowledge), followed by two Masters’ Degrees at SFSU in Education (2012), then Composition (2016). Since then, he has led and participated in multiple professional development efforts through SFSU’s English Department and CEETL (the Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning), regularly partnering with friend and colleague, Jolie Goorjian. Their work together includes publishing an Open Educational Resource textbook for composition, readingandwritingyour.world (check it out and use it!). In addition to teaching three First-year Writing courses, in this role as Director of Experimental College at SFSU, Dan facilitates bi-weekly teacher support groups, oversees the Club and student organizing efforts, and publishes a bi-weekly Newsletter across campus, the Critical Active Teacher (CAT). See exco.sfsu.edu to learn more, collaborate, and start an EXCO at your university! Contact Dan at dcc123@sfsu.edu .
Clara Weygandt	Facilitator; Treasurer	Clara Weygandt is a teacher, writer, naturalist & caregiver. She has a BA in Environmental Studies with a focus in Natural History from the University of California Santa Cruz, and a MS in Environmental & Nature writing from the University of Montana, Missoula. She has worked with peregrine falcons, surveyed for spotted owls, & endangered plants, done vegetation mapping for the USFS Fire Sciences lab, & worked as a botanical ranger in Lassen Volcanic National Park. She cared for her parents through dementia & cancer, & has taught critical thinking and writing at UCSC’s Rachel Carson College for 12 years. She presented at YRC in 2018 & 2021 with her friend & colleague Tiffany Wong. Contact Clara at claraweygandt@gmail.com .