We celebrated some amazing people and research last weekend at the SIGDOC Conference in St. Paul, MN:

RIGO AWARD

The winner of the Rigo Award is Dr. Natasha Jones, Associate Professor, African American and African Studies at Michigan State University. Named after the founder of SIGDOC, Joseph Rigo, this award recognizes an individual whose research, practical work, or authorship has had a significant impact on the field of documentation. Thank you, Dr. Jones, for your leadership and influence in our field!

BEST PAPER

Find them all in our open access SIGDOC26 Proceedings.

Best paper:

Zarah C. Moeggenberg, Metropolitan State University and Ailesha Ringer, Metropolitan State University: “Human Trafficking Awareness Signage as Surveillant Crisis Design”

Honorable mentions:

Reliance Enwerem, University of Central Florida; Theola Amiokhaibhor, University of Alabama; Goodness Okhumode, Purdue University: “Humoring Health Risks: Social Media Skits as Tactical Risk Communication"

AJ Siegel, University of Minnesota Twin Cities; and Caitlin Baulch, Wake Forest University: “Rapid Community Documentation: The Twin Cities’ Use of Tactical Technical Communication to Track and Combat ICE’s Operation Metro Surge"

STUDENT RESEARCH COMPETITION WINNERS

Graduate Division:

First: Lisa Thomez, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Investigating Rhetorical Convergence in Healthcare Communication: A Digital Analysis of Patient-Facing Texts

Second: Rebecca Felter, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Analyzing “Difficult Discharge” Communications Through Patient Experience Design (PXD)

Third: Aminat Oyelude, James Madison University
Localized but Limited: Cultural Assumptions and Content Strategy in Indomie’s U.S. And Nigerian Websites

Undergraduate Division:

First: Olivia Lohr, Georgia Institute of Technology
Investigating Undergraduate Science Majors’ Perceptions of Science Communication

Second: Julia Bolash and Peyton Johnson, Michigan State University
Assessing the User Perceptions of Microsoft Teams Digital Status Signals in Workplace Communication

Third: Madison Posadas Lorrigan, Brigham Young University
Focus Pocus: Redirecting Technologically Distracted Students via Artificially Intelligent Characters

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

*SIGDOC is transitioning from our SIGDOC-ANNOUNCE Listserv to a Google Group. We’ll be sending messages via both lists through the end of 2026, so please join the Google Group by then so that you don’t miss news.*

Abigail Bakke, PhD

Communications Manager, SIGDOC

Associate Professor, Technical Communication

Graduate Director, Department of English

Minnesota State University, Mankato

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