Janine Butler

Janine Butler serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Liberal Studies at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), Rochester Institute of Technology. Her teaching portfolio includes Writing Seminar, Leadership and Accessible Technology, and Science, Technology, and Values, where she emphasizes critical thinking, rhetorical strategies, and accessible communication practices for diverse learners.

Dr. Butler's academic credentials span foundational and advanced studies in rhetoric and writing:

• BA in English (Language, Writing, and Rhetoric; minor in Philosophy), University of Maryland
• MA in English (Writing Studies), Montclair State University
• PhD in Rhetoric, Writing, and Professional Communication, East Carolina University

Her research centers on captions as critical accessibility infrastructure, examining multimodal communication and embodiment through rhetorical, pedagogical, and experiential lenses. She investigates how caption design impacts Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences across digital media, live performances, and educational contexts, advocating for socially just communication practices that center accessibility as an ongoing communal process.

Analysis of her 2017-2024 publications reveals a cohesive scholarly trajectory focused on captioning's rhetorical dimensions. Her work systematically explores caption integration in video composition, live performance, and television while addressing broader implications for digital equity, multilingual accessibility, and embodied learning. This research bridges composition studies, deaf studies, and media theory, establishing captions as dynamic sites for rhetorical invention and social change.

Scientific awards were not documented in the provided materials.

Dr. Butler's mentorship philosophy emphasizes reciprocal learning between educator and students, reflected in her course designs that cultivate leadership through accessible technologies. While specific grant funding and advisee details remain unspecified, her Leadership and Accessible Technology course demonstrates active engagement with real-world accessibility advocacy, including legal frameworks and emerging technologies like CART services.