Phyllis Ryder

Phyllis Ryder is the Executive Director of the University Writing Program and an Associate Professor of Writing at George Washington University's Columbian College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on writing for social change, university-community partnerships, and academic writing pedagogy. She collaborates with DC nonprofits, librarians, and educators to develop service-learning curricula and study student writing practices.

Her work emphasizes the role of rhetoric in shaping public discourse, particularly through her 2011 book Rhetorics for Community Action. She co-leads studies on Writing Center impacts and chairs the 2021 Conference on Community Writing Local Host Committee. Awards include multiple Faculty Service Awards (Honey W Nashman Center) in 2011, 2014, and 2015.

Ryder's research spans public writing theory, democratic rhetoric, and educational equity. Her articles address topics like mass incarceration, global activism, and digital publics. She advocates for pedagogies that bridge academic writing with civic engagement, emphasizing interdependence and reciprocal community relationships.