Research & Community Engagement in Writing & Rhetoric
Find out more about the Department of Writing & Rhetoric's faculty research and community engagement
Honoring Excellence and Impact
Our faculty are leaders in innovative research that pushes the boundaries of writing and rhetoric through their critical perspectives. They engage deeply with topics ranging from discourse analysis and digital communication to social justice and rhetorical theory. Their work is widely published in leading academic journals and has earned prestigious awards and fellowships that recognize their scholarly excellence and influence within the field. Beyond academia, faculty actively collaborate with community partners to apply research in meaningful ways that foster public dialogue and social impact.
Greenfield Farm Writers Residency
John T. Edge leads the university’s effort to create the Greenfield Farm Writers Residency on the property formerly owned by Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Faulkner. With grants and donations from The Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation, the Mississippi legislature, the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation, Ouida and Wayne Drinkwater, the university, and others, retreat-style writers compound will nurture writers who have ties to Mississippi. Writers will stay an average of two to three weeks at no charge and stipends of $1,000 per week will be awarded to those using the overnight studios.
"This is a visionary investment in the work of writers who live in Mississippi or take inspiration from Mississippi," he said. "Greenfield Farm will serve the state as a humanities laboratory, where we will both steward current residents and welcome home creative expatriates who want to do bold work."
Read Greenfield Farm Writers Residency Moves Forward and Read Greenfield Farm Support Tops $4 Million for more.
John T. Edge
Director MS Lab, Founding Director SFA, and Writer in Residence in Writing and Rhetoric
TrueSouth
John T. Edge, Director MS Lab, Founding Director SFA, and Writer in Residence in Writing and Rhetoric, also writes and hosts TrueSouth, an Emmy Award-winning TV series that features Southern food and culture. The four-time James Beard Award winner, John T. Edge and his executive producer, two-time New York Times best-selling author and ESPN senior writer Wright Thompson, create episodes about the South that usually revolve around two restaurants in one location. TrueSouth is Broadcast on the SEC Network and ESPN and is streamed via ESPN, Hulu, and Disney.
Isom Fellowship
Don Unger, Assistant Professor of Writing & Rhetoric, argues the PPC’s grassroots approach offers valuable insights for addressing poverty and limited opportunity in Mississippi today. From 1965 to 1974, the Poor People’s Corporation (PPC) provided financial and technical support to over a dozen Black-owned cooperatives across Mississippi. Its work challenges dominant Civil Rights narratives that focus on male leaders in northern cities, instead highlighting the leadership of Black women in small towns like Prairie, Canton, and Indianola.
St. Amand Outstanding Teaching Award
Karen Forgette, Senior Lecturer in Composition and Rhetoric & Assistant Chair, has received the 2025 St. Amand Outstanding Teaching Award, honoring her excellence as a non-tenure-track faculty member. Known for her collaborative and student-centered teaching style, Forgette has inspired both peers and students since joining the university in 2005. Her approach emphasizes vulnerability, shared writing, and empowering students to find their voices. Praised as a role model and favorite professor, she fosters confidence and joy in writing across disciplines, aiming to equip students with the tools to communicate with purpose and clarity.
The Communication Studies Article of the Year Award
Dr. Ashley Jones-Bodie received a prestigious recognition, The Communication Studies Article of the Year Award from the journal, Communication Studies, a national publication. Her research examined a hospital’s rhetoric in response to the wrongful death of some newborns. How can an organization respond in this type of extreme situation? The findings support the use of atonement even in an extreme situation and provide evidence of the mirroring of atonement in media narratives.
Read more about Methodist Hospital’s Rhetoric of Atonement: Examining an Organization’s Response to NICU Overdoses.
Dr. Ashley Jones-Bodie
Associate Professor of Speech Communication and Communication Across the Curriculum Coordinator
Research Improves College Courses
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Distinguished Article Award
Dr. Ashley Jones-Bodie, Associate Professor of Speech Communication and Communication Across the Curriculum Coordinator, received the Distinguished Article Award from the Basic Course Division of the National Communication Association for her study on how students navigate introductory speech communication courses. Drawing from nearly 1,400 responses across three universities, the article revealed that students rely heavily on both institutional resources and informal support systems like friends and family. The findings highlight the importance of recognizing personal networks as part of the academic experience and offer insight into how faculty can better support student learning.
Read "Where Do You Turn? " Here -
University Study Hints Debate Skills May Lessen Negative Impact of AI
Debate teaches more than argumentation as it fosters deep understanding, research skills, critical thinking, and empathy, according to Jacob Justice and Brett Bricker in Argumentation and Advocacy. Their research highlights how debate helps students write, speak, and think independently, which are skills at risk in the age of AI. While AI may streamline writing, it often reduces accuracy and comprehension. In contrast, debate requires nuanced thinking, quick responses, and perspective-taking, all of which AI currently lacks. Justice and Bricker advocate for expanding debate in schools and integrating it across curricula to build better thinkers and more empathetic students. Their next research will explore how AI might support debate.
Read "University Study Hints Debate Skills May Lessen Negative Impact of AI" Here -
Researchers Study Implications of Google Smart Compose
A study led by Robert Cummings at the University of Mississippi examined whether Google Smart Compose influences academic writing. Involving 119 participants split between standard word processors and Smart Compose users, the study found no significant differences in writing length, structure, or complexity. However, participants took longer to accept AI suggestions than to edit or reject them, suggesting a desire to maintain personal voice and ownership. The findings indicate that AI tools may not drastically change how people write in short, timed tasks, and the research team plans to continue exploring how humans and AI can co-write while preserving individual expression.
Read "Researchers Study Implications of Google Smart Compose" Here
'One Prayer Away' Published Book
Lauren Fortenberry has released her debut book, One Prayer Away (Zondervan, 2024), a 90-day devotional offering messages of healing, hope, and faith aimed at women. Inspired by her personal struggles, especially her father’s cancer diagnosis in 2018, the book reflects a spiritual journey grounded in daily prayer and trust in God. Fortenberry began her writing journey through a blog that gained national attention and now brings that voice to her classroom. Praised by colleagues for her teaching and compassion, she is considering future writing projects and remains thankful for the supportive community in Oxford. The book is available at major retailers, including Square Books, and as an audiobook recorded by the author.
Lauren Fortenberry
Instructor in Writing and Rhetoric
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News You Can Use: Parents Have Vital Role in Helping Kids Navigate AI
Marc Watkins, director of the Mississippi AI Institute and lecturer in Writing and Rhetoric, urges parents to better understand generative AI to guide their children. As students increasingly use tools like ChatGPT for schoolwork and emotional support, Watkins warns of risks such as reduced critical thinking and emotional dependence on AI. He encourages parents to talk early and often about AI, stay informed, and discuss the difference between cheating and using AI responsibly. Open family conversations and clear guidance can help students use these tools ethically and thoughtfully.
Read "News You Can Use: Parents Have Vital Role in Helping Kids Navigate AI" Here -
Ole Miss Experts Instruct Public School Teachers on AI Best Practices
Founded in 2023, the Mississippi AI Institute trains educators to use generative AI responsibly. Led by Marc Watkins, Stephen Monroe, and Guy Krueger, the institute has worked with over 90 UM instructors and hosted K–12 workshops, including one at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. Its hands-on sessions offer practical tools, ethical guidance, and classroom strategies, earning strong praise from educators. The institute is positioning Ole Miss as a leader in AI education.
Read "Ole Miss Experts Instruct Public School Teachers on AI Best Practices" Here