Deanna Shoemaker

Deanna Shoemaker is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Monmouth University, specializing in Performance Studies and Critical Pedagogy. She serves as advisor for CommWorks: Students Committed to Performance and teaches courses like Co-Curricular Practicum in CommWorks (CO 266) and Communication, Culture, and Community (CO 509).

• Ph.D. in Communication Studies (Performance Studies, Gender Studies), University of Texas at Austin
• M.A. in Communication Studies (Performance Studies, Rhetoric), University of Texas at Austin
• B.F.A. in Acting (Theatre Conservatory), Webster University, St. Louis, MO

Her research focuses on the performance of identity through autoethnographic methods, exploring intersections of gender studies and social justice. She investigates collaborative directing, critical pedagogy, and performative writing as tools for transformative education.

Recent publications highlight her work in prison education, community-based performance, and service-learning frameworks. Her research spans performance art, autoethnography, and social activism, often critiquing systemic inequalities.

• Scholarly Recognition: Urban Coast Institute Faculty Enrichment Grant (2018-2019), Research Sabbatical (2017-2018), Service Learning Faculty Fellowship (2016-2017)
• Honors: Invited Keynote at Critical Autoethnography and Activism Conference (Monash University, 2017)

Shoemaker integrates practical wisdom and collaborative research in her teaching, partnering with organizations like Interfaith Neighbors and the Visiting Nurses Association. She is also a choreographer and performer with Siren Arts, creating works like Sonic Drawing: Lines in the Sand that bridge performance theory and social justice.