John Gordon

Welcome

I am an educator and researcher dedicated to helping students navigate and critically engage with the modern technologies. I teach across both undergraduate and graduate programs at the David Eccles School of Business and the College of Humanities at the University of Utah, where my courses focus on statistics, databases, data analytics, computer programming, code studies, rhetoric, writing, and artificial intelligence. My teaching philosophy blends hands-on technical training with broader discussions about the social, ethical, and cultural dimensions of digital systems. Drawing from over 40 years of professional experience in industry, I infuse every course with real-world knowledge and skills that prepare students not only for academic success, but for the evolving demands of today’s workforce.

I am especially committed to helping students develop career-ready competencies, such as problem-solving, data literacy, and effective communication, alongside critical thinking about the impact of technology in society. Many of my courses emphasize project-based learning, collaborative work, and interdisciplinary exploration, bringing together students from many different disciplines to solve real-world problems. Whether introducing business students to SQL for data-driven decision-making or guiding humanities scholars through the social implications of algorithms, I strive to create inclusive learning environments where technical expertise and critical inquiry intersect. My goal is to empower students with the practical skills and critical frameworks they need to succeed across diverse industries and disciplines.

Research

My current research focuses on Small Language Models (SLMs) as Rhetorical Agents. I examine how algorithms, data, and artificial intelligence shape—and are shaped by—social forces, particularly through the lens of SLMs. My work explores the sociotechnical analysis of code, data, algorithms, and AI, investigating how these technologies participate in the negotiation of meaning and power within contemporary digital systems. Drawing from Code Studies, Critical Theory, and Digital Humanities, I analyze how generative AI and SLMs impact creativity, labor, and authorship, while also engaging with foundational topics such as databases, NLP, and programming languages.

A key influence in my research is Bruno Latour’s Actor-Network Theory (ANT), which reframes technology not as passive infrastructure but as an active participant—or "actant"—within complex sociotechnical networks. Informed by ANT, I conceptualize SLMs and algorithms as entities that possess rhetorical agency not through conscious intention, but through their embeddedness within networks of designers, users, datasets, interfaces, and institutional frameworks. This perspective allows me to examine how both human and nonhuman actors contribute to shaping discourse, decision-making, and knowledge production in digital contexts.

By combining theoretical insights from Latour with practical investigations into data systems and language models, my work bridges computational systems and humanistic inquiry to address critical issues of equity, transparency, and accountability. I aim to uncover not only how these technologies operate, but how they participate in the construction of social meaning and exert influence within broader cultural, political, and economic systems.

Publications

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