Celeste Michelle Condit (born October 26, 1956) is an American professor and scholar of

rhetorical criticism Rhetorical criticism analyzes the symbolic artifacts of discourse—the words, phrases, images, gestures, performances, texts, films, etc. that people use to communicate. Rhetorical analysis shows how the artifacts work, how well they work, and how ...

. Her work focuses on the rhetoric of

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

, the

human genome The human genome is a complete set of nucleic acid sequences for humans, encoded as DNA within the 23 chromosome pairs in cell nuclei and in a small DNA molecule found within individual mitochondria. These are usually treated separately as the n ...

, and

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

. In 2018, the Public Address Conference described Condit as "a pioneer in understanding and improving public communication about

genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar wor ...

." She currently holds the role of Distinguished Research Professor at the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

Early life and education

Condit attended

Idaho State University , mottoeng = "The truth will set you free" , established = , former_names = Academy of Idaho(1901–1915)Idaho Technical Institute(1915–1927)University of Idaho—Southern Branch(1927–1947)Idaho State ...

where she studied Speech (now Communication, Media and Persuasion). Graduating in 1977 with highest honors, Condit then enrolled in the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

's Speech Communication Department, where she received both her M.A. (1980) and Ph.D. (1982) in Rhetorical Studies.

Career

Following graduation from the University of Iowa, Condit was hired at

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

, where she served as an assistant professor from 1982 to 1985. She was then hired by the University of Georgia in 1985, where she continues to teach and research today. She was awarded a full professorship in 1994, with a research agenda focused on discourses of science and biology, including genetics and their relationship with social change and stability. As a result of her interdisciplinary research, Condit has been published in several journals from various disciplines such as rhetoric, communication, genetics, medicine, science, and women's studies. Condit has presented her research at the

National Communication Association The National Communication Association (NCA) is a not-for-profit association of academics in the field of communication. Organization NCA is governed by the Legislative Assembly, which meets during the NCA Annual Convention. Between annual me ...

(NCA) and the Association for the Rhetoric of Science, Technology and Medicine (ARSTM). She is the author of several books and over 100 journal articles. Condit has also co-edited three volumes, and she is currently working on her fourth book, ''9/11s Angry Public Rhetorics: The Role of Emotion in Global Relations.'' From 1998 to 2001 she served as co-editor of ''

Women's Studies in Communication ''Women's Studies in Communication'' is a feminist journal. It was first published in 1977 and is the journal of the Organization for Research on Women and Communication. It is published by Taylor & Francis. From 2014 until 2017, Joan Faber McA ...

'', along with feminist scholar Bonnie J. Dow. As a professor, Condit currently teaches undergraduate courses in Science Communication, Communication in Government, and Rhetoric and Society. She also leads graduate seminars in Burkean Theory, Rhetorical Theory, and the Rhetoric of Economics. She has received teaching awards, such as: the Faculty Excellence Award (2006; 2014) and the Lothar Tresp Outstanding Honors Professor (2001).

Bibliography

* ''Decoding Abortion Rhetoric'' (1990) * ''Crafting Equality: America's Anglo-African Word'' (1993, with John Louis Lucaites) * ''The Meanings of the Gene: Public Debates about Heredity'' (1999) * ''9/11s Angry Public Rhetorics: The Role of Emotion in Global Relations'' (TBA)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Condit, Celeste Michelle American rhetoricians University of Georgia faculty Tulane University faculty Idaho State University alumni University of Iowa alumni People from Pocatello, Idaho Living people 1965 births