Steph Ceraso

Steph Ceraso is an Associate Professor of Digital Writing & Rhetoric at the University of Virginia in the Department of English within the College of Arts and Sciences. She maintains an active research agenda at the intersection of sound studies, digital rhetoric, and composition pedagogy, with a particular focus on sensory and multimodal approaches to writing instruction.

• Ph.D. in English from University of Pittsburgh (2013)
• M.A. in English from University of Vermont (2006)
• B.A. in English from Washington and Jefferson College (2004)

Her research interests span Composition Pedagogy and Theory, Digital Rhetoric, Sound Studies, Multimodality, and Sensory Studies. Ceraso's work explores how embodied listening practices can transform writing instruction and composition theory, arguing for more sensory-rich approaches to multimodal composition. Her scholarship demonstrates how sound and sensory experiences can enhance rhetorical awareness and writing development.

Her publications reveal a consistent trajectory exploring the relationship between sound, writing, and embodied experience. Recent work examines the rhetoric of academic labor ('Ticking Clocks: Rhetorics of Tenure and (In)Fertility', 2023) while earlier scholarship established foundational work in sensory composition pedagogy, including her award-winning article '(Re)Educating the Senses' (2014) and her book 'Sounding Composition' (2018).

• NEH Mayo Distinguished Teaching Professorship (2022-2025)
• Richard Ohmann Award for Outstanding Article in College English (2015)
• Andrew Mellon Dissertation Fellowship (2012-2013)
• English Department's Distinguished Teaching Award (2012)
• Elizabeth Baranger Excellence in Teaching Award (2011)

Ceraso maintains an active presence in the scholarly community through conference presentations at venues like the Conference on College Composition and Communication. Her work bridges theoretical scholarship with practical pedagogy, developing innovative approaches to writing instruction that incorporate sensory and multimodal elements. She has secured significant funding for her teaching through the NEH Mayo Professorship and has demonstrated excellence in both research and teaching throughout her career.