Hi! I’m Lee, an Assistant Professor of Rhetorical Communication at SUNY Geneseo and I am committed to banishing banality, one speech at a time. I have taught thousands of students about public speaking, politics, and culture. I am a Safe Zone Trainer through the OUT Alliance of Rochester, NY, a #blacklivesmatter ally, and an advocate for neurodivergent and high needs learners.

My research has appeared in Philosophy & Rhetoric, Quarterly Journal of Speech, Communication Currents, and Women’s Studies in Communication (forthcoming) and has one two awards from the National Communication Association including Outstanding Debut Article (2016).

I also host the RhetoricLee Speaking podcast, analyzing culture cliches, political punditry, and whatever was on Netflix at 3am and interview authors for the New Books Network podcast. My TEDx Talks analyzing Beyoncé’s”Formation” and Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” are available on my YouTube channel, along with a few attempts at stand-up comedy.

In my “spare time” I am an instructor for the Harvard Debate Council’s Summer Workshop and the Georgetown Debate Council’s Summer Institute. Previously, I was curriculum coordinator for the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIPS) Public Speaking, Advocacy, and Leadership Institute and advised the Loud ‘n Clear Public Forum at the University of Georgia.

I received my PhD in Rhetorical Communication from the University of Georgia in 2015 and an MA in Communication from SUNY Brockport in 2008. My first book, “Syntaxing the Social: Rhetoric, Form, and Feeling in US Political culture” is due out later this year