Kelly Whitney’s research focuses on relationships between language, power and bodies in medical and scientific discourses. Bearing in mind the material and ethical functions of rhetoric, she examines the ways human and nonhuman bodies interface and mediate publics’ beliefs about health and wellness.

Whitney teaches writing, rhetoric, and literacy courses and coordinates the professional writing minor at the Mansfield campus. She takes to heart her role as an educator at a public, land-grant institution and challenges students to study academic, professional, and civic contexts responsibly and ethically. This means that in her classes students will continue to develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills that account for the larger cultural, ethical and material effects of language. To support this larger goal, many of the in-class activities and discussions she plans are inspired by texts and events that she and students come across in daily life; therefore, students can expect to grapple with a wide range of current topics and tensions that matter to them.