Kristine Warrenburg Rome

Kristine Warrenburg Rome is an Associate Professor of Communication at Flagler College since 2009. She specializes in rhetorical theory and criticism, focusing on communication ethics, race, public memory, and social movements. Her research explores ethical transformation through communication interactions in historical and cultural contexts, including her influential work on Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 speech following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.

Education: Ph.D. in Human Communication Studies (Rhetoric and Communication Ethics) from the University of Denver (2009), M.A. in History (U.S. History) from Butler University (2003), and B.A. in Communication Arts and Sciences from DePauw University (1999).

Teaching spans courses on media ethics, social movement rhetoric, and cultural criticism at Flagler and institutions like Wittenberg University. She has received the Henry Flagler Award for Excellence in Teaching (2021-2022) and a Dean’s Award for Leadership and Service (2012-2013).

Research emphasizes racial rhetoric, public memory, and ethical dialogue. Notable studies include the 17th & Broadway Indianapolis community's peaceful response to RFK's announcement of MLK's assassination and aesthetic arguments beyond logic. Recent work explores music (e.g., Phish) and dialogue across differences.

Awards highlight her teaching and service. She advises undergraduate research, leads community-integrative education initiatives, and contributed to campus sustainability and study abroad programs.