Nicole Barnes

Nicole Barnes is an Instructor in the School of Communication Studies at James Madison University. She holds a BA in English from Clarion University, a MA in Literature and Rhetoric from SUNY Binghamton, and a PhD in Public Communication from Georgia State University.

Her research examines gender roles in media and culture, with a focus on representations of the housewife in Cold War rhetoric and public memory. Notable work includes analyzing the 'Kitchen Debate' and Lucille Ball's HUAC testimony, leading to the 2022 Feminist Scholar of the Year award. She currently explores absence as a recovery tool in public memory sites.

Barnes teaches courses such as Rhetorical Methods (SCOM 381), Communication Research Methods (SCOM 280), and Presentational Speaking (SCOM 242). She has presented at national conferences and twice received top paper awards in her division.

Her academic contributions bridge feminist theory, rhetorical analysis, and historical contexts, emphasizing how gendered narratives shape cultural understanding.