Rosa Eberly

Rosa Eberly is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at Pennsylvania State University, jointly appointed in the Department of Communication Arts & Sciences and the Department of English. She directs the Intercollege Minor in Civic and Community Engagement and is recognized as a leader in her discipline.

Education:

• B.A., Pennsylvania State University, 1984
• M.A., University of Chicago, 1987
• Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1994

Rosa Eberly's research spans histories and theories of rhetoric, publics theory, public memory, sound studies, and theories of identity. She has focused on intersections between rhetoric, violence, and public memory, particularly in public education contexts. Additional interests include classical rhetoric (Isocrates, Theophrastus), free speech and democracy, aural rhetorics, and rhetoric-poetics relationships.

Her scholarly contributions include curating Harry Shearer’s Le Show archive for the Library of Congress American Archive of Public Broadcasting, which was the centerpiece of the 2023 CAS Summer Symposium. She has authored Towers of Rhetoric: Memory and Reinvention and Citizen Critics: Literary Public Spheres, co-edited A Laboratory for Public Scholarship and Democracy and The Sage Handbook of Rhetoric, and co-authored The Elements of Reasoning, 2d ed..

Rosa Eberly actively teaches courses exploring rhetoric’s role in violence, public memory, and deliberative practices. Her work bridges academic rigor with public engagement, reflecting her commitment to civic discourse and community-based scholarship.