Lesli K. Pace

Lesli K. Pace is a Professor and Interim Chair at Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Communication Studies, Modern Languages, and English. With nearly 30 years of teaching experience across community colleges, public institutions in Texas, Illinois, Louisiana, and Missouri, and associate faculty roles at Bar Ilan University, she brings a wealth of academic and international expertise.

• Education: Ph.D. in Communication Studies (Rhetoric and Philosophy of Communication) from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; M.A. in Rhetorical Theory and Criticism from Texas State University; B.A. in Speech Communication from Southeast Missouri State University.

Her research centers on the rhetoric of social movements, focusing on civil rights and women’s movements in the U.S., alongside themes of parenting and women in leadership. Publications span journals like Peace Studies Journal and Women and Language, with co-edited book contributions exploring feminist ontology and leadership challenges. Her recent works analyze the narrative power of visual elements in social movement discourse.

Lesli’s advocacy work since 1991 emphasizes ending violence against women and children, including participation in Take Back the Night marches and educational campaigns. She has delivered lectures at institutions such as Yale, Northwestern University, and SEMO, addressing political correctness, intersectionality, and visual rhetoric.