Faculty by Research Specialization

English Faculty Research Interests

Nikki Giovanni at podium laughing

The Department of English is proud to offer faculty specializing in subdisciplines across literary studies, technical and professional writing, and creative writing.

Click the tabs below to explore our faculty by research interest.

African American Literature

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Katie Carmichael , bio
Associate Professor, 407 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, katcarm@vt.edu
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Gena E. Chandler , bio
Associate Professor and Associate Chair, 313 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-6919, gechandl@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu

American Indian Literature

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Katie Carmichael , bio
Associate Professor, 407 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, katcarm@vt.edu
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Joe Eska , bio
Professor, 429 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, eska@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu
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Rebecca Weaver-Hightower , bio
Professor, 427 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061 | rebeccawh@vt.edu

American Literature, Early

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Rebecca Weaver-Hightower , bio
Professor, 427 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061 | rebeccawh@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu
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Gena E. Chandler , bio
Associate Professor and Associate Chair, 313 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-6919, gechandl@vt.edu

American Literature, Later

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu
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Gena E. Chandler , bio
Associate Professor and Associate Chair, 313 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-6919, gechandl@vt.edu
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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu

Asian American Literature

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu

Comparative Literature

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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu

Composition

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Derek N. Mueller , bio
Professor of Rhetoric and Writing, 315 Shanks Hall , 181 Turner Street NW , Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-1738 | dmueller@vt.edu
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Megan Weaver , bio
Collegiate Assistant Professor and Director of GTA Education, 216 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-6212 | mmweaver@vt.edu

Creative Nonfiction

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu
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Jeff Mann , bio
Associate Professor, 210 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, jemann2@vt.edu
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Matthew Vollmer , bio
Professor and Director of the M.F.A. in Creative Writing Program and the Undergraduate Creative Writing Program, 403 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8322 | vollmer@vt.edu

Digital Humanities

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu
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Derek N. Mueller , bio
Professor of Rhetoric and Writing, 315 Shanks Hall , 181 Turner Street NW , Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-1738 | dmueller@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu

Drama and Performance

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Katharine Cleland , bio
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Director of the M.A. in English Program, 406 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-7728, kcleland@vt.edu
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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu

Early Modern and 18th Century Literature

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Katharine Cleland , bio
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Director of the M.A. in English Program, 406 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-7728, kcleland@vt.edu
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Kenneth Hodges , bio
Professor, 209 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, klhodges@vt.edu
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Su Fang Ng , bio
Professor, 435 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW Blacksburg, VA 24061, ngsf@vt.edu
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Andrew Wadoski , bio
Associate Professor and Director of the Literature Program, 241 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, awadoski@vt.edu

Fantasy and Science Fiction

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Katharine Cleland , bio
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Director of the M.A. in English Program, 406 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-7728, kcleland@vt.edu
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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu
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Rebecca Weaver-Hightower , bio
Professor, 427 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061 | rebeccawh@vt.edu

Fiction

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu
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Gena E. Chandler , bio
Associate Professor and Associate Chair, 313 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-6919, gechandl@vt.edu
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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu
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Jeff Mann , bio
Associate Professor, 210 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, jemann2@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu
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Rebecca Weaver-Hightower , bio
Professor, 427 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061 | rebeccawh@vt.edu

Film and Visual Culture

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu
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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu
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Rebecca Weaver-Hightower , bio
Professor, 427 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061 | rebeccawh@vt.edu

Gender, Sexuality, and Queer Studies

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu
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Katie Carmichael , bio
Associate Professor, 407 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, katcarm@vt.edu
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Katharine Cleland , bio
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Director of the M.A. in English Program, 406 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-7728, kcleland@vt.edu
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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu
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Su Fang Ng , bio
Professor, 435 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW Blacksburg, VA 24061, ngsf@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu

Irish Studies

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Charlene Eska , bio
Professor, 312 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, ceska@vt.edu
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Joe Eska , bio
Professor, 429 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, eska@vt.edu
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Rebecca Weaver-Hightower , bio
Professor, 427 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061 | rebeccawh@vt.edu

Jewish Studies / Religion and Literature

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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu

Latinx Studies

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Katie Carmichael , bio
Associate Professor, 407 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, katcarm@vt.edu

Medical Humanities

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Kelly Pender , bio
Chair and Professor, 303 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-7785 | pender@vt.edu

Medieval Literature

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Charlene Eska , bio
Professor, 312 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, ceska@vt.edu
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Joe Eska , bio
Professor, 429 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, eska@vt.edu
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Kenneth Hodges , bio
Professor, 209 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, klhodges@vt.edu
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Su Fang Ng , bio
Professor, 435 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW Blacksburg, VA 24061, ngsf@vt.edu

Modern British Literature

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Gena E. Chandler , bio
Associate Professor and Associate Chair, 313 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-6919, gechandl@vt.edu
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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu
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Rebecca Weaver-Hightower , bio
Professor, 427 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061 | rebeccawh@vt.edu

Philology, Grammar, and Linguistics

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Katie Carmichael , bio
Associate Professor, 407 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, katcarm@vt.edu
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Charlene Eska , bio
Professor, 312 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, ceska@vt.edu
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Joe Eska , bio
Professor, 429 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, eska@vt.edu

Poetry

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Gena E. Chandler , bio
Associate Professor and Associate Chair, 313 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-6919, gechandl@vt.edu
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Katharine Cleland , bio
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Director of the M.A. in English Program, 406 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-7728, kcleland@vt.edu
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Jeff Mann , bio
Associate Professor, 210 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, jemann2@vt.edu
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Su Fang Ng , bio
Professor, 435 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW Blacksburg, VA 24061, ngsf@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu
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Sophia Terazawa , bio
Visiting Assistant Professor, 425 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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Andrew Wadoski , bio
Associate Professor and Director of the Literature Program, 241 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, awadoski@vt.edu

Postcolonial Literature

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu
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Gena E. Chandler , bio
Associate Professor and Associate Chair, 313 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-6919, gechandl@vt.edu
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Rebecca Weaver-Hightower , bio
Professor, 427 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061 | rebeccawh@vt.edu

Professional Writing

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Carolyn Commer , bio
Associate Professor and Ph.D. Program Director, 416 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, ccommer@vt.edu
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Julie Gerdes , bio
Assistant Professor, 355 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, jgerdes@vt.edu
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Derek N. Mueller , bio
Professor of Rhetoric and Writing, 315 Shanks Hall , 181 Turner Street NW , Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-1738 | dmueller@vt.edu

Rhetoric Studies

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Carolyn Commer , bio
Associate Professor and Ph.D. Program Director, 416 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, ccommer@vt.edu
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Julie Gerdes , bio
Assistant Professor, 355 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, jgerdes@vt.edu
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Derek N. Mueller , bio
Professor of Rhetoric and Writing, 315 Shanks Hall , 181 Turner Street NW , Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-1738 | dmueller@vt.edu
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Kelly Pender , bio
Chair and Professor, 303 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-7785 | pender@vt.edu

Romantic and Victorian Literature

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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu
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Rebecca Weaver-Hightower , bio
Professor, 427 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061 | rebeccawh@vt.edu

Science and Technology Studies

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu
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Julie Gerdes , bio
Assistant Professor, 355 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, jgerdes@vt.edu
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Derek N. Mueller , bio
Professor of Rhetoric and Writing, 315 Shanks Hall , 181 Turner Street NW , Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-1738 | dmueller@vt.edu
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Kelly Pender , bio
Chair and Professor, 303 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-7785 | pender@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu

Theory and Criticism

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu
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Carolyn Commer , bio
Associate Professor and Ph.D. Program Director, 416 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, ccommer@vt.edu
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Derek N. Mueller , bio
Professor of Rhetoric and Writing, 315 Shanks Hall , 181 Turner Street NW , Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-1738 | dmueller@vt.edu
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Kelly Pender , bio
Chair and Professor, 303 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-7785 | pender@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu

Writing Theory and Practice

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James Dubinsky , bio
Associate Professor, 413 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-1939, dubinsky@vt.edu
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Derek N. Mueller , bio
Professor of Rhetoric and Writing, 315 Shanks Hall , 181 Turner Street NW , Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-1738 | dmueller@vt.edu
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Kelly Pender , bio
Chair and Professor, 303 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-7785 | pender@vt.edu
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Megan Weaver , bio
Collegiate Assistant Professor and Director of GTA Education, 216 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-6212 | mmweaver@vt.edu

Women's Literature

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Silas Cassinelli , bio
Assistant Professor, 417 Shanks Hall 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, smooncass@vt.edu
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Gena E. Chandler , bio
Associate Professor and Associate Chair, 313 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-6919, gechandl@vt.edu
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Shoshana Milgram Knapp , bio
Associate Professor, 227 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, dashiell@vt.edu
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Su Fang Ng , bio
Professor, 435 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW Blacksburg, VA 24061, ngsf@vt.edu
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Ashley Reed , bio
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, 405 Shanks Hall, 180 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231-8650 | akreed@vt.edu
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Rebecca Weaver-Hightower , bio
Professor, 427 Shanks Hall, 181 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061 | rebeccawh@vt.edu