Disturbing Argument (PDF)

Catherine H. Palczewski, Ph.D., is a Professor of Communication Studies and Affiliate Faculty in Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Northern Iowa, USA, where she also served as the Director of Debate from 1994-2009. She received her B.S., M.A, and Ph.D. from Northwestern University where she also competed in policy debate. She was a member of the 1987 US team, and in 1999 served as coach of the team, that participated in the Committee on International Discussion and Debate tour of Japan. She recently completed her term as co-editor for the American Forensic Association journal Argumentation and Advocacy. Her work has appeared in that journal, as well as in the Quarterly Journal of Speech, Communication Studies, NWSA Journal, and The Southern Communication Journal. She received the Francine Merritt Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Lives of Women in Communication, the Iowa Regents Award for Faculty Excellence, the University of Northern Iowa College of Humanities and Fine Arts Faculty Excellence Award, the George Ziegelmueller Outstanding Debate Educator Award, and the Rohrer Award for the Outstanding Publication in Argumentation. Her work tends to focus on how marginalized groups rhetorically construct their messages to gain access to, and be legible in, the dominant public sphere.