Katlyn O'Shaughnessy
Katlyn O'Shaughnessy is a rhetoric Lecturer at the University of Iowa and the director of the Department of Rhetoric’s Professional Development Practicum (PDP), a semester-long training program for all new rhetoric instructors. She received her PhD in American Literature here at the University of Iowa, with a focus on gatekeeping and transgression in historically parochial communities like science fiction. Recently, she has extended her interest in the culture of the academy toward an examination of trauma-sensitive pedagogy, working to research and advocate for trauma-informed teaching and administrative practices across the University. Her first love is being in the classroom and connecting with her students, and she is inspired by her Midwest upbringing and background as a first-generation college student. Her goal is to support the Department of Rhetoric in offering an inclusive, welcoming, and academically grounding experience to all first-year undergraduate students. She teaches Rhetoric, Honors Rhetoric, Speaking and Reading, and the graduate course Public Speaking for Academics. She also partners with Iowa Digital Engagement and Technology, Rhetoric’s multimodal design hub.