معرفی
Lois Agnew is the Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost, and Chief Academic Officer at Syracuse University, alongside her role as a Professor of Writing and Rhetoric. She has served in leadership roles including Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (2022–23), Associate Dean for Curriculum and Innovation (2017–22), and Department Chair (2012–17). Her academic career spans over two decades at Syracuse University.
Agnew’s research focuses on rhetorical history and theory, particularly classical and British rhetoric, and the intersections of rhetoric with health, medicine, and disability. Her work critiques historical discourses that intertwine medical narratives with eugenic ideologies. Notable publications include Fitter, Happier: The Eugenic Strain in Twentieth-Century Cancer Rhetoric (2024) and Thomas De Quincey: British Rhetoric’s Romantic Turn (2012).
Her awards include the 2015 William Wasserstrom Prize for Graduate Teaching and the 2011 Excellence in Graduate Education Award. Agnew has led major grants, such as the NSF-funded Louis Stokes Renewal STEM Pathways (2023–2028) and the HHMI Inclusive Excellence Initiative (2018–2025), emphasizing equity in science education. She actively contributes to institutional governance through roles on the University Senate and Academic Strategic Plan committees.
Her teaching spans advanced writing courses and seminars on ancient rhetorics, disability discourse, and rhetorical historiography. Agnew’s work bridges historical scholarship with contemporary ethical and pedagogical challenges in rhetoric and composition studies.
