Each year, Boise State’s Institute for Inclusive and Transformative Scholarship awards scholarships to undergraduate students based on promising research and creative activity. Students from the College of Arts and Sciences were well-represented in the spring 2026 cohort, and senior Professional and Public Writing major Kinsey Hyer was among their number.
“I wasn’t really aware of the different research opportunities—especially for non-STEM areas — so when [Associate Professor Jenn Mallette] put it out there, I jumped at the chance,” Hyer said. “We met and touched on different ideas, and she was really encouraging.”
Hyer and Mallette worked together to find a research project that aligned with her academic interests. They found an opportunity to work with a local municipality to improve technical communication practices. With the help of funding from the undergraduate research scholarship, Hyer will conduct interviews and analyze writing samples to help the organization streamline their communications.
“I was struck by her willingness to try something new and to explore new areas,” said Mallette, who will supervise Hyer’s research project. “I love the opportunity to work as a mentor with a student when they get to drive the project ideas and conduct the research, and so far, Kinsey has shown that she is more than capable!”
“It feels very empowering to be able to do research in the humanities to share my writing skills with other people. I feel really lucky to have all these tools and get an education on something that I love.”
Kinsey Hyer
Hyer had been interested in writing since high school. Coming to Boise State and joining the Department of Writing Studies showed her how to transform that interest into a potent skillset. “It sort of opened all these doors,” Hyer said. “And I didn’t even realize they were available.”
That skillset includes future-oriented training that has given Hyer and other Professional and Public Writing students experience with generative AI in workplace settings. This experience has given her the confidence to use AI tools in her work without feeling like they can replace the human element she brings.
“[Generative AI] can’t take the place of a writer,” Hyer said. “It just hits the surface, but doesn’t really go deeper.”
Hyer expects to graduate in May 2026. She plans to attend graduate school next fall and her professors, including Mallette, have helped her organize a competitive application. She was able to use material created in her Boise State classes as writing samples. The Honors College also connected Hyer with an alum who helped her navigate the application process.