معرفی
Dr. Michele Kennerly is an Associate Professor at Pennsylvania State University, holding joint appointments in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences and the Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies. She is affiliated with the College of the Liberal Arts. In addition to her teaching and research, she has held significant leadership roles, including President of the American Society for the History of Rhetoric (2019–2021) and Secretary General of the International Society for the History of Rhetoric (2020–2025). She is also a member of the Leadership Board for the Colloquium for Ancient Rhetoric and the Advisory Board of Brill's book series International Studies in the History of Rhetoric. Alongside Damien Smith Pfister and Casey Boyle, she co-founded and co-edits the University of Alabama Press series Rhetoric + Digitality. Her work bridges classical rhetoric with contemporary digital and media studies.
Education: Michele Kennerly received her B.A. from Austin College in 2004, followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in 2006 and 2010, respectively. Her academic journey reflects a deep engagement with classical and rhetorical studies, culminating in her current interdisciplinary research.
Research Interests: Dr. Kennerly’s research focuses on rhetorical theory and its historical reception, particularly in the ancient Mediterranean world and their modern resistive interpretations. She explores how classical texts and concepts influence contemporary discourse, including their roles in automation discussions, queer film adaptations, and medieval rhetorical practices. Her current projects include analyzing invocations of ancient Athens in automation discourse and examining the rhetorical strategies in Jane Campion’s film adaptation of The Power of the Dog and 13th-century Italian notary Brunetto Latini’s works. She emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, integrating rhetoric with poetics, informatics, and media studies.
Her scholarly contributions span classical rhetoric, digital humanities, and media studies. Recent work highlights the intersection of ancient rhetorical theories with modern technologies and cultural phenomena, such as automation, digital networks, and film. She critically examines how historical concepts are reinterpreted in contemporary contexts, reflecting her commitment to linking past and present rhetorical practices.
- Outstanding Teaching Award for Tenure-Track Faculty (2021)
At Penn State, she directed the graduation-required communication course for six years and the undergraduate program in Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS) for three years. She mentors students in collaborative and independent research on the history of rhetoric. Her grants and leadership roles underscore her pedagogical and scholarly impact.
Labs/Teams: She contributes to projects like Ancient Rhetoric + Digital Networks and collaborates on the Rhetoric + Digitality book series. She actively engages with academic societies and editorial boards to advance interdisciplinary rhetoric studies.
