Somehow you have stumbled across the website of me, Kristen Miller. I am a PhD student in the English Department at Auburn University, an adjunct professor of English at Columbus State University, and also karate instructor, pool player, scuba diver, Rock Band player, and moderator/staff member on the Guitar Hero/Rock Band website Scorehero. This site is essentially an expanded version of my CV, reflecting much of the same information but providing more about my non-academic endeavors (of which there are many), particularly my non-academic writing and my artwork, which are not represented at all on my CV. You will also find a lot more detail about some of my other interests outside of academia. If you didn't come to this site for academy-related reasons, you probably came here because you know me from Rock Band; there's a page about that, now, too.

Current Writing Projects
Dissertation - Rhetoric and the Composition of Film (revising chapters 1-4; composing & revising chapter 5 in June, defending in July)

"Gaming as a Woman: Gender Difference Issues in Video Games and Learning," to be presented at the 2010 Computers and Writing Conference.

Abstract: There have been many calls to use video games as instructional tools in the classroom, but one oft-ignored aspect of implementation of these plans is that males and females may interact with video games quite differently from one another, and this can certainly have a bearing on whether or not incorporation of video games into learning can be effective. Data I collected in May of 2009 about the habits of 650 (mostly competitive) players of one game, Rock Band, and the resulting gender differences that emerged closely resemble Elizabeth Flynn's conclusions about gender differences in writing in her 1988 work "Composing as a Woman." This paper outlines those gender differences among Rock Band players, particularly in players' narratives about learning and playing with others and participating in affinity groups, and it discusses possible relevancies for plans to incorporate video games into learning.

Upcoming Conference Presentations

2010 Computers and Writing Conference, Purdue, May 2010

Other Upcoming Events
June 5 & 6 - Auburn 9-Ball City Tournament (Playoff to determine Auburn representative to national championships in Las Vegas)
Late July - Battle of Atlanta karate tournament
August 9th - Graduation
October 1-2 - Southern Open karate tournament
December 3-4 - Year End Nationals karate tournament