Jean Bessette

Jean Bessette is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English at the University of Vermont (College of Arts and Sciences). Her interdisciplinary work bridges rhetoric and composition, gender/sexuality studies, archival theory, and digital humanities. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh (2013) and has been recognized with awards including the Winifred Bryan Horner Outstanding Book Award (2018) and the Rhetoric Society of America Dissertation Award (2014).

Her research examines how marginalized communities, particularly lesbian collectives, leverage archives to shape identity and navigate cultural challenges. Notable works include Retroactivism in the Lesbian Archives: Composing Pasts and Futures (2018) and essays on queer historiography and digital methods. Courses taught include Feminist Critical/Rhetorical Theory, Digital Rhetorics, and Expository Writing.

• Education: Ph.D. in English, University of Pittsburgh (2013)

Bessette’s scholarship emphasizes feminist and queer approaches to pedagogy, historiography, and digital archives. Her articles explore topics like archival ethics, queer temporalities, and the intersections of sound studies with activism. Awards also include the CCCC Lavender Rhetorics Award (2017) and the UVM Excellence in Teaching Award (2018).

• Awards: Winifred B. Horner Book Award, RSA Dissertation Award, CCCC Lavender Rhetorics Award

Her work spans institutional critique, digital humanities methodologies, and the politics of memory. Bessette actively contributes to feminist and queer academic communities through teaching, publishing, and interdisciplinary collaboration.