Genre Awareness: Navigating the Landscape of Engineering Writing

Professional Development Track

with Kelly Scarff, Virginia Tech

December 5, 2025, 2:30 PM
Torgersen Hall 2150

This lecture takes a practical look at three common writing genres in engineering: the technical report, the scientific journal article, and the literature review. The features of each genre help determine how engineers share ideas, document work, and build on existing research. In the talk, we break down what makes each genre unique—how they’re structured, who they’re written for, and what challenges engineers often face when creating the documents. By the end, students will understand the rhetorical role of each of the three genres and be better equipped to write effectively for engineering audiences.

Kelly Scarff is a Collegiate Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech where she teaches courses in technical communication. She holds a PhD in Rhetoric and Writing from Virginia Tech and conducts research within environmental rhetoric, genre studies, and STEM communication. Her work has been published in Environmental Communication, Energy Research & Social Science, and elsewhere. She is the author of Beyond Consensus: How Everyday Citizens Advocate for Local Environmental Issues, forthcoming from Lexington Books.