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Eisenhart_100w

faculty

Christopher Eisenhart

Professor

English & Communication

Contact

508-910-6468

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Liberal Arts 301

Education

Carnegie MellonPhD
Carnegie MellonMA
Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityBA

Teaching

Programs

Teaching

Courses

The study and contemporary application of ancient Greek and Roman rhetorical theory. Students will apply rhetorical theory in ongoing analyses of a wide range of communication media (written, spoken, visual) and in their own writing.

Intensive writing course emphasizing an advanced critical approach to a topic in writing, writing studies, communications or rhetoric. Through readings, class discussions, independent research, and writing assignments, students will practice refining analytic and persuasive content.

This course examines the problems, principles, and techniques of writing effectively in science and technology for both the general public and specialized audiences. Emphasis will be on evaluating technical language and jargon; understanding the needs of various audiences; learning research techniques; and developing interview and validation strategies that help writers clarify trends, theories, patterns, and perspectives. Students will be expected to write articles about newsworthy events for scientific and technical journals.

Students will work in teaching or teaching-related activities in the field of writing, including tutoring programs or writing centers in public or private schools or special summer programs, under the supervision of an on-site supervisor and the direction of a faculty sponsor who teaches ENL 630, ENL 631, or ENL 632. Emphasis will be placed on the quality of instructional materials produced by the student; programs created, updated, or redesigned; and written report of goals. No student shall receive credit for this course for work done as a teaching or graduate assistant, unless in connection with a project assumed in addition to the regular duties of that position.

First semester. Graded CR/NC (upon approval of completed thesis or project).

Research

Research interests

  • Rhetoric
  • Style
  • Professional, Technical, and Political Communication
  • Discourse Analysis

Professor Eisenhart teaches courses in style, rhetoric, grants writing, document design, science and technology writing, and frequently teaches our graduate thesis research course.  Since completing an undergraduate degree in creative writing and political theory, he alternated between work in technical communications and teaching English before pursuing his Phd in Rhetoric at Carnegie Mellon, where he also completed a post-doctoral fellowship.  Professor Eisenhart recently co-edited and contributed to a volume of studies with Barbara Johnstone, Rhetoric in Detail (2008).

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