Karen Shea

Karen Shea has enjoyed teaching English at Johnson & Wales University for thirty years. After teaching English in Japan for four years, she joined the ESL faculty at JWU, teaching writing, grammar, and communication skills courses to international students. In September 2016, she joined the English department, where she teaches courses focusing on composition, communication and rhetorical theory.

In 2017, Shea graduated with a Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Composition from the University of Rhode Island, where she studied the histories, theories and practical applications of writing and rhetoric, ultimately focusing her dissertation research on multiculturalism and comparative rhetoric. She is particularly interested in conducting research related to open-mindedness, experiential education, writing in the disciplines, and high vs. low context communication styles.

Helping JWU students gain confidence in their communication skills by encouraging them to consider every act of writing or speaking as a distinctive rhetorical situation has been both rewarding and educational, and Shea is honored to have the opportunity to contribute to their postsecondary academic and personal growth.

Education

• Ph.D., Rhetoric & Composition, University of Rhode Island
• M.Ed., TESL, Rhode Island College
• B.A., English, Connecticut College

Courses

• ENG1020 - Rhetoric & Composition I
• ENG1021 - Rhetoric & Composition II
• ENG1030 - Communication Skills
• ENG2135 - Voice to Power: Public Speaking and Civic Responsibility
• MCST2030 - Media Texts
• ENG3010 - Technical Editing