Heather Adams

Heather Adams is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), cross-appointed in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She serves as Director of the Humanities Network and Consortium. Adams holds a Ph.D. in English from Pennsylvania State University and additional degrees from Bread Loaf School of English, University of Maryland, and University of Mount Union. Her research focuses on feminist rhetorical analysis of reproduction, pregnancy, and their intersections with affect, gender, race, and class. Key works include Enduring Shame: A Recent History of Unwed Pregnancy and Righteous Reproduction (2022) and the co-edited volume Inclusive Aims: Rhetoric’s Role in Reproductive Justice (Parlor Press). Her teaching spans courses like Feminist Rhetorics and Pedagogy and Rhetorics of Health and Medicine. Adams’ research also encompasses advocacy, visual rhetorics, and intersectional feminist methodologies.

Her recent publications (2019–2022) explore decolonial rhetoric, algorithmic agency, and health justice pedagogy. She emphasizes undergraduate research initiatives and digital humanities projects. Adams advocates for ethical research frameworks responsive to marginalized participants, particularly in feminist scholarship. Her work bridges literary analysis with contemporary social justice concerns, emphasizing embodied experiences and institutional critique.