Trent is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at the University of Texas at Austin.

Trent studies how communities organize around sonic phenomena, and how researchers can support their rhetorical goals.

Trent is an Assistant Director of the Digital Writing and Research Lab, and a Senior Research Associate for the Mellon-funded AVAnnotate project. Trent is an Edward Guiliano Global Fellow through the Modern Language Association (2024-2025). His research has been supported by the Initiative for Digital Humanities, UT Austin’s Humanities Institute, and the Rapoport Center’s Sissy Farenthold Fund for Peace and Social Justice.