Dear Colleague(s),
I’m writing to invite you to share information with your students and colleagues about our graduate programs in Rhetoric and Professional Writing (MA) and Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement (PhD) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). Please feel free to circulate the information below to anyone you think might be interested and a good fit!
Our MA program in Rhetoric and Professional Writing and PhD program in Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement are housed in the English Department at UWM and are interdisciplinary programs that provides students with a broad background in rhetoric and writing studies while offering students opportunities to apply that knowledge in pedagogical, professional, and/or community spaces. According to their individual interests and goals, students can develop in-depth knowledge of community engagement, composition pedagogy, contemporary rhetorical theory, cultural rhetorics, professional writing, rhetorics of science and medicine, technical communication, or writing program administration. We encourage students to critique existing theories and practices and develop new disciplinary approaches. Most importantly, the rhetoric concentrations aim to develop a community of researchers, teachers, writers, and administrators who support each other’s work, share ideas, and participate in shaping our program goals.
Current projects by faculty are as follows:
Dr. Maria Novotny is working on a project that considers the language used to describe families formed via embryo donation, and to identify rhetorical approaches to counter the harmful effects of assisted reproductive health policymaking and legislative regulations.
Dr. Rachel Bloom-Pojar is currently working on a project with promotores de salud (health promoters) who work with reproductive and sexual health education in Wisconsin.
Dr. Shevaun Watson is working on a project that uncovers the complex ways that racism and problematic notions about race in America are promulgated by the heritage tourism industry featuring the South, slavery, and the Civil War.
Dr. Derek G. Handley is working on a digital humanities project that comprehensively maps all racial covenants in Milwaukee County as well as uncovering the Black resistance to such discrimination and its impact in shaping racial justice movements today. 
To learn more about our programs, please check out our website and Admissions guidelines. We’re also excited to share that GRE scores are not required for admission to programs in English at UWM.
We also encourage potential applications to attend one of the following:
UWM Graduate School Virtual Information Session
Thursday, October 17, 5:30-7pm CDT
https://uwm.edu/graduateschool/virtualinfosession/
Prospective students should register to receive the link to join. Application fee waivers can be offered to attendees.
UWM Graduate School Open House (In-person for those in Milwaukee area)
Union, Wisconsin Room
Thursday, November 7, 5-7pm
https://uwm.edu/graduateschool/openhouse/
Prospective students should register to receive a packet at the event that includes an application fee waiver
If you or your students have questions about the program, please feel free to contact Dr. Derek G. Handley at handledg.
Best,
Derek
Derek G. Handley, Ph.D, MFA
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Affiliated Faculty, Department of African and African Diaspora Studies
Affiliated Faculty, Urban Studies Program
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Curtin Hall, Room 509
Research Projects:
https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-09775-6.html