We are launching Season 3 with a very special episode. In this interview with Kim Campbell, I embark on a journey to understand how academia is preparing the next generation of technical communicators. My aim is to spotlight how the Department of Technical Communication at the University of North Texas, in particular, is collaborating with the practitioners of the profession to bring a hands-on experience to the students and prepare them for the real world. Kim touches upon the disconnect that exists sometimes between academia and the industry, and how a collaboration between the two is the need of the hour for the betterment of the profession and the community at large.  

Some questions we touch upon:

• What are the drawbacks of having tech comm housed in a humanities department?
• What's the objective of an academic partnership with the corporate world?
• One of the biggest challenges that academics face is studying what's happening at organizations in our field. Why is this access critical and what can be done about it?
• What does success look like in academia?

Guest Bio

Kim Sydow Campbell, Ph.D., is a linguist who has been studying workplace language for more than 30 years. She joined the Department of Technical Communication at the University of North Texas in 2016, where she now serves as Director of Corporate Relations, promoting constructive interactions among industry professionals, students, and faculty. When she isn't doing research or teaching, you'll find her cooking, watching movies, swimming, or just hanging with her family and fur babies. You can connect with Kim on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimsydowcampbell/.