University of Houston-Downtown / Academics / College of Humanities & Social Sciences / Undergraduate Programs / English / Adam Ellwanger

Adam Ellwanger

Professor of English

Office: S1045
713-226-5577
ellwangera@uhd.edu

Scholarships

Dr. Ellwanger is a tenured professor in the English department. He received his PhD in English in 2009 from the University of South Carolina, where he specialized in rhetoric, composition, and critical theory. In addition to teaching freshman writing courses, Dr. Ellwanger teaches undergraduate courses in rhetoric and composition.

He now serves as the Graduate Director of that program and teaches some of the foundational courses for UHD’s M.A. program in Rhetoric and Composition (MARC).

PhD. University of South Carolina, English with an emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition, minors in Critical Theory and Twentieth Century Literature, 2009

M.A. College of Charleston/ Citadel, American Literature, 2003.

B.A. College of Charleston, 2000.Rhetorical theory, history of rhetoric, pedagogy, composition, discourse analysis, critical theory, cultural studies, rock and roll, ethics, political philosophy, reconciliation and punishment, apology studies, and higher education.

ENG 1301 Composition I
ENG 1302 Composition II
ENG 2312 Survey of American Literature (1865-Present)
ENG 3305 Essay Writing
ENG 3316 History of Rhetoric
ENG 3317 Studies in the Theory of Rhetoric
ENG 5317 Rhetorical Theory and Criticism
ENG 5327 Master’s Practicum in Rhetoric and Composition

Summary of Qualifications:

Dr. Ellwanger is a tenured Associate Professor in the English department. He received his PhD in English in 2009 from the University of South Carolina, where he specialized in rhetoric, composition, and critical theory. In addition to teaching freshman writing courses, Dr. Ellwanger teaches undergraduate courses in rhetoric and composition (English 3305 (Essay Writing), English 3316 (Studies in the History of Rhetoric), English 3317 (Studies in the Theory of Rhetoric)). From 2011 to 2013, he spearheaded the development of UHD’s M.A. program in Rhetoric and Composition (MARC). He now serves as the Graduate Director of that program and teaches some of the foundational courses for that degree (English 5317 (Rhetorical Theory and Criticism), English 5327 (MARC Practicum)). Aside from his focus on rhetoric and writing, Dr. Ellwanger still enjoys teaching the occasional sophomore-level course in literature: his M.A. degree was in American literature and he minored in that area during his doctoral studies. He has published research in the areas of rhetoric, writing, pedagogy, and literature, but most of his research focuses on rhetorical theory, public discourse, and political philosophy.

Ellwanger, Adam and Mike Duncan. “The Rhetoric of Moderation in Deliberative Discourse: Barack Obama’s December 1st, 2009 Speech at West Point.” Cogency: A Journal of Reasoning and Argumentation 6.1 (2014): 63-90.

Ellwanger, Adam. “Charisma as Rhetorical Technē: Community Organization and Alinsky’s Radicals.” The Review of Communication 13 (2013): 205-224.

Ellwanger, Adam. “Apology as Metanoic Performance: Punitive Rhetoric and Public Speech.” Rhetoric Society Quarterly 42.4 (2012): 307-329.

Ellwanger, Adam. “On the Possibility of the Aesthetic Life: Cather’s Tom Outland and the Experience of Loss.” Journal of Modern Literature 35.2 (2011): 52-63.

Ellwanger, Adam. “Bloom and His Detractors: The Academic Polemic and the Ethics of Education.” Pedagogy 9.3 (2009): 475-486.

Ellwanger, Adam and Paul Cook. “Introduction: ‘Twenty Years Gone, Twenty Years Strong: Revisiting the Work of Allan Bloom and E.D. Hirsch, Jr.” Pedagogy 9.3 (2009): 471-474.

Awards:

Winner, 2008 James Dickey Award for Scholarly Writing: Essay entitled "The Public Apology: Ethical Considerations."

Winner, 2008 Irene D. Elliott Award, given annually to an experienced graduate student who demonstrates excellence in teaching.

Last updated 1/13/2021 7:30 AM