Bryan Crable

Bryan Crable is the Founding Dean of the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media at Seton Hall University. Previously, he served as Professor of Communication/Rhetorical Studies and Founding Director of the Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society (WFI) at Villanova University. His research focuses on rhetorical theory, rhetorics of race, and whiteness studies, with notable works including Ralph Ellison and Kenneth Burke: At the Roots of the Racial Divide (2012) and the forthcoming White Sacraments. He has been recognized for his teaching with awards such as Villanova’s 2021 Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award.

Education: Ph.D. (Communication and Philosophy) and M.A. from Purdue University. His academic career spans over two decades, with significant contributions to scholarship on Ralph Ellison, Kenneth Burke, and the intersection of communication and social justice. He actively engages in public discourse through op-eds and podcasts, addressing issues like systemic racism and white supremacy.

His research lab, the Waterhouse Institute, emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to communication and society. Crable’s work bridges theory and practice, often incorporating student insights into his publications. Future projects include completing White Sacraments, which retheorizes white supremacy through archival analysis of Ralph Ellison and Jane Ellen Harrison.

• Teaching Awards: Villanova’s 2021 Outstanding Faculty Mentor, Nominations for NCA’s top teaching award, 2016 Honors Program Mentor Award
• Key Roles: Dean at Seton Hall, Former Director of WFI, Editor of scholarly volumes
• Labs/Teams: Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society (Villanova)