Sara Rabon

Overview

Sara is an MA/PhD student in Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture and pursuing a PhD minor in Science and Technology Studies (STS). Utilizing her transdisciplinary background, she studies how black-boxed technological design choices interact with online user communication abilities and rhetorical decisions. She hopes to provide a humanistic perspective to the world of software design and technical expertise to the world of communication, ultimately bridging the disciplines.

Research Interests

Digital Rhetoric; Network Rhetoric; Platform Studies; Science and Technology Studies; Argumentation and Forensics; Human-Computer Interaction

Education

• B.S. Computer Science, Communication Arts; University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2020

Conference Presentations

• 2025: National Communication Association (NCA), “Parasociality and the Constituted Rhetorical Audience: Donald Trump on the Adin Ross Livestream”
• 2025: Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR), “The Art of Maximizing Attention: Digital Neoliberalism and MrBeast”
• 2025: Rhetoric Society of Europe (RSE) Rhetoric in Society #9, “Trump in the Manosphere – How to Rhetorically Capture Young Men in the Digital Audience”

Teaching

• Comm Arts 200: Introduction to Digital Communication – Guest Lecturer (Spring 2025), Teaching Assistant (Fall 2025)
• Comm Arts 343: Communication in the Age of AI – Grader (Fall 2025)
• Comm Arts 262: Theory and Practice of Argumentation and Debate – Teaching Assistant (Spring 2025)
• Comm Arts 100: Introduction to Speech Composition – Primary Instructor (Fall 2024)

Service

• Wisconsin Speech & Debate Society: Assistant British Parliamentary (BP) Debate Coach (2024 – Current)
• RSA Student Chapter UW-Madison: Vice President (2025 – Current)
• NSDA, NCFL High School Debate Judge (2016 – Current)

Student Advising

• Wisconsin School of Business (WSB): Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) Graduate Advisor (Summer 2025)