Human–AI writing, done deliberately.

I’m a Professor of Technical Communication at the University of North Texas, where I’ve been on the faculty since 2009 and recently served as department chair. My research uses corpus linguistics and quantitative methods to study technical and scientific writing — how it’s produced, assessed, and taught — and, increasingly, how generative AI is reshaping writing across professional and creative settings.

As I step back from administrative leadership into a full-time research and practice footing, I’m using this space to share that work in the open — and to take on consulting, coaching, and speaking across the writing and communication fields I work in.

That range is hands-on. I’ve taught writing with AI in academic, professional, and creative-writing contexts, at every level — from university courses and faculty workshops, to professional teams adopting AI, to Sudowrite’s beginner-through-advanced classes and author-community workshops where writers profile their own voice with corpus tools (Voyant, AntConc) and build voice-matched AI prompts and fine-tunes. It’s the same stylometric method behind my research, pointed at creative craft.

Current role

Professor of Technical Communication (2023–present), and former Chair of the department (2022–2026). As chair, I led the department’s strategic growth and its statewide visibility in AI and innovation — including a $350,000 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board contract to develop the Adapting to Innovation Playbook, and the launch of a B.A. in Content Strategy plus undergraduate certificates in Artificial Intelligence in Professional Communication and Writing in the Sciences. Recognized with the College Outstanding Department Chair Award (2025).

Research

I study writing where it can be measured: building corpora of real student and professional texts, then analyzing them to understand variation, error, and what actually makes technical prose work. Recent threads run straight into AI — data-driven learning, authorship and style, and the practical use of large language models in professional communication.

• Frank R. Smith Award for Outstanding Journal Article, Society for Technical Communication (2020)
• National Science Foundation — Collaborative Research: Evaluating a Data-Driven Approach to Teaching Technical Writing to STEM Majors, $295,246 (2017–2020)
• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) — Adapting to Innovation Playbook, $350,000 (2025)
• 14 refereed journal articles in Technical Communication, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, JBTC, and others

Selected publications

• Friess, E. & Boettger, R. K. (2021). Identifying commonalities and divergences between technical communication scholarly and trade publications (1996–2017). Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 35(4), 407–432.
• Boettger, R. K. & Friess, E. (2020). Content and authorship patterns in technical communication journals (1996–2017). Technical Communication, 67(3), 239–252. (Frank R. Smith Award.)
• Boettger, R. K. & Wulff, S. (2019). Gender effects in student technical writing — a corpus-based study. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 62(3), 239–252.
• Boettger, R. K. (2024). From technical communicator to AI whisperer: The rise of prompt engineering. Intercom, 71(2), 22–25.

Editorial

• Editorial Board Member, Technical Communication Quarterly (2018–present)
• Editor, Wiley-IEEE Press Series in Professional Engineering Communication (2017–2020)
• Deputy Editor-in-Chief, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (2015)

Education

• Ph.D., Technical Communication & Rhetoric, Texas Tech University (2008)
• M.A., Technical Communication, Texas Tech University (2004)
• B.A., Communication, University of Texas at San Antonio (2002)
• Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach (2023–present)
• Fictionary Certified StoryCoach

The full CV has the complete record of publications, funded research, presentations, teaching, and service.