Alex C. Parrish

Alex C. Parrish is an Associate Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication at James Madison University. His work bridges classical rhetoric, animal studies, and the rhetoric of science, focusing on biocultural paradigms of persuasion.

• Areas of Expertise: Classical Rhetoric, Animal Studies, Rhetoric of Science, Environmental Communication, Nature Writing.

Parrish’s recent publications explore the intersection of animal behavior, sensory communication, and rhetorical theory. His research investigates how non-human animals employ persuasion through gustatory, olfactory, tactile, and electroceptive modes, expanding traditional definitions of rhetoric beyond human-centric frameworks.

He is currently completing a monograph titled Animal Rhetorics: Persuasion and the Senses under contract with the University of Chicago Press. His work has appeared in journals such as Rhetoric Society Quarterly, Literature Compass, and POROI.