Paige Hermansen
Associate Professor

Biography

Professor Wyatt Paige Hermansen joined the faculty at Westfield State University in 2016. Specializing in rhetoric, writing studies, and composition pedagogy, Dr. Hermansen teaches courses in composition, grammar, and English education. Their research interests include the transition from high school to college writing, the rhetoric of education policy, and discourse analysis.

Dr. Hermansen serves as Coordinator of the Composition Program and Faculty Liaison for Early College Programs. In these roles, they support writing instruction across the university, provide professional development opportunities for faculty, and help strengthen partnerships between secondary and postsecondary education. They also serve on the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College (MA4EC) Educator Advisory Council, contributing to statewide conversations about early college teaching, partnerships, and student success.

A longtime advocate for expanding access to higher education, Dr. Hermansen teaches dual enrollment courses through Westfield Promise, an initiative that enables local high school students to earn college credit. They have taught students at Westfield Technical Academy, Westfield High School, and Springfield High School of Commerce and particularly value the opportunity to help young writers develop their confidence and college-level writing skills.

Dr. Hermansen is also committed to supporting future educators through the development of accessible, publicly available teaching and learning resources. They have created an extensive collection of instructional videos, study guides, and preparation materials for the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL), including the Communication and Literacy Skills and English subject-area examinations. Originally developed to support English education students at Westfield State, these resources have reached aspiring educators across Massachusetts and beyond, with instructional videos receiving more than 125,000 views on YouTube.

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Hermansen has helped develop Westfield State's First Year Journey Peer Mentor program, which supports students as they transition to university life. As a Peer Mentor Advisor, they work with student mentors to foster academic success, belonging, and meaningful engagement within the university community.

Education

  • Ph.D., English (Rhetoric and Composition), University of Arkansas, 2016

  • M.A., English Literature and Creative Writing, Western Washington University, 2009

  • B.A., English, The University of Texas at Austin, 2006

Courses Taught

Composition and Writing

  • ENGL 101: Composition I

  • ENGL 204: Rhetoric & Research

  • ENGL 303: Persuasive Communication

  • ENGL 634: Introduction to Rhetorical Criticism

Language and English Education

  • ENGL 206: Principles and Applications of Grammar

  • ENGL 383: Issues in the Teaching of Writing

Early College and Dual Enrollment

  • ENGL 101: Composition I (Westfield Promise)

  • Writing Workshop: Urban Education Summer Bridge Program

Areas of Research

Composition pedagogy

Discourse analysis

Rhetorical criticism

History and theory of rhetoric

The rhetoric of education policy

Publications

Courchesne, J., DiGrazia, J., & Hermansen, W. (2025). Fumbling toward co-territorialized spaces: Composition pedagogy and dual enrollment. *Composition Studies*, 52(2).

Hermansen, P. (2014). "There was no one coming with enough power to save us": *Waiting for "Superman"* and the rhetoric of the new education documentary. *Rhetoric & Public Affairs*, 17(3), 511–539.

Hermansen, P. (2014). "It is essentially her own": Authenticating discourse, institutional authority, and narrative agency in *The History of Mary Prince*. In L. Way (Ed.), *Representations of Internarrative Identity*. Palgrave Macmillan.

Professional Service

University Leadership and Service

  • Coordinator, Composition Program, Westfield State University
  • Faculty Liaison for Early College Programs, Westfield State University
  • Peer Mentor Advisor, First Year Journey Program, Westfield State University
  • Faculty Advisor, Persona: The Art & Literary Journal of Westfield State University*(2018-present)
  • Co-Chair, NECHE Standard 4 Committee and Member, NECHE Steering Committee (2022-2023)

Professional and Statewide Service

  • Member, Early College Educator Advisory Group, Massachusetts Alliance for Early College (2025–present)
  • Co-Chair, Lavender Rhetorics Award for Excellence in Queer Scholarship Selection Committee, Conference on College Composition and Communication (2025)
  • Member, James Berlin Dissertation Award Selection Committee, Conference on College Composition and Communication (2019, 2023, 2024)
  • Member, CCCC Social Justice at the Convention Committee (2025)
  • Member, CCCC Task Force on Online/Social Media Engagement for Academic Purposes (2024)

Community Service

  • Commissioner, Northampton Human Rights Commission (2025-present)

Honors and Awards

  • John F. Nevins Outstanding Educator Award Nominee, Westfield State University (2026)
Headshot of Wyatt Paige Hermansen.