Derek Handley

Derek Handley is an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM), serving as a Plan Coordinator and member of the Rhetoric, Professional Writing, and Community Engagement Core Faculty. His work bridges rhetorical studies, urban humanities, and civic engagement. He holds a PhD (2018) and MA (2011) from Carnegie Mellon University’s English department, an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh (2007), and a BA from Hampton University (1994).

Handley’s research focuses on 19th- and 20th-century African American rhetoric and literature, exploring themes like urban spatiality, citizenship, and public discourse. He investigates how marginalized communities use rhetoric to challenge systemic inequities, particularly in urban contexts. His book Struggle for the City: Rhetorics of Citizenship and Resistance during the Black Freedom Movement (forthcoming 2024) examines spatial justice and activism.

His teaching emphasizes spatial and urban rhetorics, argumentation, and community-engaged research. Courses include African American studies, writing pedagogies, and civic engagement strategies. Handley’s scholarship integrates digital humanities methodologies to explore topics like racially restrictive covenants and veteran experiences in higher education.

His work appears in journals like Rhetoric Review and Reflections: A Journal of Public Rhetoric, with recent articles addressing publics and democracy, urban development rhetoric, and stealth veterans in the classroom. He collaborates across disciplines, including dialogues with military leaders on humanities education.