Robert Baron

Robert Baron serves as Associate Professor of Communication and Graduate Program Coordinator at Austin Peay State University's Department of Communication, specializing in digital media's impact on human communication through rhetorical theory.

His educational credentials include a PhD in Rhetoric, Scientific and Technical Communication (2012), MA in Communication Studies (2007), and BA in Political Science and Communication (2002), all from the University of Minnesota.

As a digital rhetorician, Baron investigates technology's modification of communication processes, with core expertise in social media dynamics, gaming culture as cultural texts, and digital media's rhetorical power. His work examines platform-specific rhetorical dynamics, social media's integration into daily life, and indie gaming subcultures within broader digital landscapes.

His publication trajectory demonstrates consistent focus on digital media's societal impact, analyzing internet trolling in political discourse (2018) and news spreadability through social networks (2015), revealing evolving patterns in media-technology interactions.

Baron directs the Communication Graduate Programs while maintaining active research on digital rhetoric, advising students through his coordinator role without documented grant involvement or laboratory affiliations.