Carolyn Commer

Carolyn Commer is an Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Director of the Ph.D. Program in the Department of English at Virginia Tech's College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. She holds a B.A. from The Evergreen State College, an M.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John's College, Annapolis, and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric from Carnegie Mellon University.

Her research focuses on:

• The rhetoric of higher education policy and institutional advocacy
• Historical developments in rhetorical traditions
• Writing pedagogy and classroom practices
• Intellectual Risk-Taking (IRT) in academic environments

She is the author of Championing a Public Good: A Call to Advocate for Higher Education, which analyzes rhetorical strategies for defending the public value of universities.

Commer teaches courses in ancient/modern rhetoric histories, critical theory, and professional/technical writing. She actively seeks collaborations on higher education advocacy and pedagogical research.