Travis A. Rountree

Dr. Travis A. Rountree is an Assistant Professor in the English Department at Western Carolina University (WCU), located within the College of Arts and Sciences. He holds a PhD from the University of Louisville, an MA in English from Appalachian State University (with a certificate in Appalachian Studies), and a BA in English from James Madison University (with a minor in American Studies). His research focuses on queer archival methodologies, Appalachian rhetorics, and public memory, with publications in The North Carolina Folklore Journal, Journal of Southern History, and Appalachian Journal. He is currently completing a manuscript titled Hard to See Through the Smoke: Rhetorical Remembering of the 1912 Hillsville, Virginia Courthouse Shootout, under contract with the University Press of Kentucky.

• Teaching: Introductory composition, graduate courses in composition and rhetoric, integrating archiving and place-based pedagogy.
• Research: Explores intersections of queer studies, Appalachian cultural history, and public memory through archival and rhetorical frameworks.

Dr. Rountree resides in Sylva, NC, and maintains an active lifestyle including running, weightlifting, and gardening. His personal interests include old-time, bluegrass, and country music. He can be reached via email at trountree@wcu.edu or through his personal website travisrountree.com.