Debbie Hawhee

Debbie Hawhee is a Professor at Pennsylvania State University with joint appointments in the Department of English, Communication Arts and Sciences, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her research spans histories and theories of rhetoric, emphasizing bodily and material dimensions, sensation, and feeling. She has also explored intersections between environmental rhetoric, animal studies, and communication.

• Email: dhw112@psu.edu

Her work has been supported by two National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) fellowships. She served as editor of the international journal Rhetorica (2018–2021) and authored influential books such as *Moving Bodies: Kenneth Burke at the Edges of Language* and *Rhetoric in Tooth and Claw: Animals, Language, Sensation*.

Research Focus

Debbie Hawhee’s research centers on rhetorical theory, with a unique emphasis on corporeal and material dimensions of communication. Her scholarship bridges classical rhetoric (e.g., ancient Greek athletics, Kenneth Burke’s work) with contemporary issues like the climate crisis. Key subfields include sensory studies, animal rhetorics, and gendered communication.

Scientific Awards & Recognition

• Rhetoric Society of America Fellow (2020)
• RSA Book Award (2018)
• NCA Diamond Anniversary Book Award (2010)
• Douglas W. Ehninger Distinguished Rhetorical Scholar Award (2017)
• NCA Rhetorical and Communication Theory Division Distinguished Scholar Award (2017)

Her work has been published in leading journals including Rhetorica, Quarterly Journal of Speech, and College English. She is also co-author of the widely used textbook Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students.