Caitlin Dungan

Caitlin Dungan is an Assistant Professor specializing in writing and rhetoric at George Mason University. Their research explores the intersections of digital rhetoric, queer theory, and video game studies, with particular focus on empathy development, performativity, and embodiment in gaming contexts. They also investigate historical queer narratives in horror genres.

Dungan's dissertation There's no Way She's Straight develops a heuristic for evaluating positive queer representation in gaming. Their research analyzes linguistic features and performative aspects of narrative gaming to explore how video games can serve as tools for enhancing social empathy. They teach courses in advanced composition, digital writing, and professional writing.