Kelly Pender

Kelly Pender is a Professor and Chair of the Department of English at Virginia Tech, within the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. She is also an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society.

Her research centers on rhetorical theory and the rhetoric of science, technology, and medicine. She explores how discourse shapes understanding in scientific and medical contexts, particularly in areas involving genetic risk and ethical care. Her work bridges humanities and interdisciplinary science studies.

Kelly Pender is the author of two significant scholarly books: Techne, From Neoclassicism to Postmodernism and Being at Genetic Risk: Toward a Rhetoric of Care. These works reflect her deep engagement with historical and contemporary rhetorical frameworks in technical and medical domains.

• Professor of English, Virginia Tech
• Chair, Department of English
• Affiliate Faculty, Department of Science, Technology, and Society

She has no listed scientific awards in the provided text. There is no mention of graduate students she may have advised or grants she has led. No laboratory or research team is referenced, though her interdisciplinary work suggests collaboration across fields.