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Rachel Avon Whidden
Assistant Professor
Communication

Phone 847-735-5128
E-mail rwhidden@lakeforest.edu

Specialization
Critical History of Rhetoric
Rhetoric and Public Controversy
Argumentation Theory
Rhetoric of Science and Religion

Interests
Discourse on Miracles
The Intelligent Design Controversy
Rhetoric of Belief in an Age of Science

Education
Ph.D in Communication Studies, University of Iowa
M.A. in Communication, Wake Forest University
B.A. in History and Communication, Wake Forest University

Courses Taught
COMM 110: Introduction to Communication
COMM 235: Rhetoric and Speech
COMM 350: Topics in Communication (Rhetoric of Experience, Rhetoric of Scientific Controversy)
COMM 420: Senior Seminar (Visual Rhetoric)

Articles
Whidden, Rachel Avon.  “Making the Impossible Possible: Arguing Miracles From the Realm of Science.”  In Selected Papers from the Second Tokyo Conference on Argumentation.  Tokyo, Japan: Japan Debate Association, 2004.

Whidden, Rachel Avon.  “Manufacturing Controversy: Intelligent Design and the Ohio Science Standards.”  In Selected Papers from the Thirteenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation.  Washington, D.C.: NCA, 2004.

Avon, Rachel and Randy Hirokawa.  “The Rhetoric of the Precautionary Principle.”  In Arguing Communication and Culture: Selected Papers from the Twelfth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation. Washington, D.C.: NCA, 2002.

Invited Talks
“Miracles Discourse and the Move from Rhetoric as Figuration to Rhetoric as Argumentation.”  Paper to be presented at the Rhetoric Society of America Conference.  Memphis, TN, May 26-29, 2006.

 “Toward a New Culture of Fact: The Simultaneous Reception of ‘The Passion of the Christ’ and ‘Fahrenheit 9/11.’” Paper presented to the Religious Communication Association at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association.  Boston, MA, November 17-20, 2005.

“Eloquence, Argumentation, and the Rehabilitation of Rhetoric in David Hume’s Political Writings.”  Paper presented to the American Society for the History of Rhetoric at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association.  Boston, MA, November 17-20, 2005.

“Miraculous Rhetoric and the Evolution of Evidence.”  Paper presented (in absentia) at the 15th biennial congress for the International Society for the History of Rhetoric (ISHR).  Los Angeles, CA, July 13-16, 2005.

“Permission to Believe: Legitimizing the Miraculous for Public Consumption.”  Paper presented to the Religious Communication Association at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association.  Chicago, IL, November 11-14, 2004.

“Rhetoric of Science and Public Policy.”  Paper presented to the division of the Argumentation and Forensics Association at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association.  Chicago, IL November 11-14, 2004.

“Making the Impossible Possible: Arguing Miracles From the Realm of Science.”  Paper presented at the Second Tokyo Conference on Argumentation.  Tokyo, Japan, August 3-5, 2004.

“Rhetorical Studies Disciplinary Responsibility.”  Paper presented at the meeting of the Rhetoric Society of America.  Austin, Texas, May 27-30, 2004.

“Appearance, Probability and the Changing Role of Eikos.”  Paper presented to the American Society for the History of Rhetoric at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association.  Miami Beach, FL  2003.

“Intelligent Design and Science Education:  The Case of the Ohio Public Schools.”  Paper presented to the American Association for the Rhetoric of Science and Technology at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association.  Miami Beach, FL 2003.

“The Creation of a Controversy: Intelligent Design and Scientific Ethos.”  Thirteenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation.  Alta, UT, 2003.

“Is There A Rhetorical Tradition?”  Paper discussed at the first annual meeting of the Alliance of Rhetoric Societies, Evanston, IL, September 11-14, 2003.

“Appropriating Common Sense Philosophy in Eighteenth Century Rhetoric:  A Re-examination of George Campbell’s Rhetorical Project.”  Paper presented to the American Society for the History of Rhetoric at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association.  New Orleans, LA 2002. 

“The Process of ‘Re-making America’: Employing the Declaration of Independence as Rhetorical Strategy.”  Paper presented to the Public Address Division at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association.  New Orleans, LA 2002.

“Rhetoric and Moral Action in Isocrates’ Nicocles.” Paper presented to the American Society for the History of Rhetoric at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association.  Atlanta, GA 2001.

“The Rhetoric of Precaution in the Debate over the Measles Vaccination of the Yanomamo.”  Paper presented to the American Association for the Rhetoric of Science and Technology at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association.  Atlanta, GA 2001.

“The Rhetoric of the Precautionary Principle.”  Paper presented at the Twelfth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation, Alta, UT 2001.

Awards and Honors
Recipient, Seashore Dissertation Completion Fellowship for the Humanities, University of Iowa.