Stephen Parks

Stephen Parks is a Professor at Syracuse University specializing in Composition and Rhetoric. He serves as Faculty Fellow for the Middle East/South Asian Track in the Global Studies Program, with office located at Dawson's Row 1-203. His scholarly work bridges academic research with community engagement, exploring how university resources can align with community-defined needs.

His research trajectory began with examining the history of the "Students Right To Their Own Language" movement, leading to investigations of community-university relationships. Parks founded New City Community Press in Philadelphia, inspired by UK-based worker writing initiatives, and has developed international collaborations examining working class identity.

Parks' scholarship demonstrates consistent focus on writing as a tool for social justice, examining the relationship between academic discourse and community literacy practices. His work explores how service-learning and community partnerships provide models for understanding political and social movement rhetoric in global contexts.

Among his significant human rights contributions are co-founding Syrians for Truth and Justice (documenting human rights abuses in Syria) and co-directing The Twiza Project fostering US-MENA dialogues about democracy. His editorial work as Editor of Studies in Writing and Rhetoric reflects commitment to expanding publishing frameworks that support structural intellectual changes.

• Co-Founder, Syrians for Truth and Justice
• Founder, New City Community Press
• Editor, Studies in Writing and Rhetoric
• Co-Director, The Twiza Project

As an educator, Parks advocates for multi-partner community projects that teach coalition-building for social change. He designs classroom experiences where student work is distributed among partners, creating resilient projects that continue even when individual partners face challenges. His teaching philosophy centers on creating spaces where all participants' experiences are valued equally.