Lisa Melonçon

Lisa Melonçon, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies in Clemson University’s College of Arts and Humanities. A leading scholar in rhetoric of health & medicine and technical communication, she investigates programmatic assessment, online writing instruction, accessibility, and socio-technical problem-solving.

Research Interests:

• Rhetoric of Health & Medicine: theorizing how language shapes health experience, policy, and care.
• Technical & Professional Communication: socio-technical lenses, usability, data visualization, and inclusive design.
• Program Assessment & Continuous Improvement: developing sustainable models for assignment, course, and program evaluation.
• Online Writing Instruction: accessibility, contingent-labor conditions, and effective digital pedagogies.

Her recent articles (2021-2025) reveal two dominant trajectories: (1) refining evidence-based assessment and continuous-improvement frameworks for TPC programs, and (2) expanding the rhetoric of health & medicine to encompass mental-health discourse, visualization, and interdisciplinary collaboration. A recurring theme is interrogating how communication scholarship can intervene in real-world health and educational contexts.

Editorial Leadership: Melonçon has edited multiple special journal issues, advancing accessibility research and the identity of technical communication as a field.

Advising & Grants: No specific student names, grant titles, or major sponsored-project details appear in the supplied text.

Labs & Teams: While no dedicated lab is cited, her chair role and sustained collaborative publication record suggest active leadership of programmatic and interdisciplinary teams within Clemson’s Department of Interdisciplinary Studies.