Katherine Lavelle

Assistant Professor
Communication Studies
Office hours
4209 Centennial Hall
608.785.6698
klavelle@uwlax.edu

Specialty area(s)

Director of the Public Speaking Center (Murphy Learning Center), Advocacy & Communication Criticism, Communication and Sport, 

Brief biography

I came to UWL in 2013 and teach courses in Advocacy and Communication Criticism, the CST core, CST 110, and Communication & Sport. During the 2016-17 academic year, I was a Teaching Fellow for the Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars program. This program is a UW system program designed to promote student learning and effective pedagogical practices in the classroom.

Since Spring 2018, I have been the Director of the Public Speaking Center, which is part of the Murphy Learning Center. 


At UWL, I enjoy working with students as they develop their persuasive writing, speaking, and research skills. I think that learning how to be an advocate can be a valuable skill in a variety of career paths. When I'm not teaching or researching, I enjoy supporting my Cleveland sports teams and reading non -school books. 

Current courses at UWL

CST 322 (Communication & Sport)

CST 498 (Research Methods)

Teaching history

Other courses I have taught at UWL:

UWL 100 

CST 110: Communicating Effectively
CST 210: Presentational Speaking
CST 310: Debate

CST 315: Communication Criticism

CST 491 Special Topics (Communication and Sport)
CST 499 Senior Project

Professional history

Prior to coming to UWL - I was involved in NDT/CEDA policy debate for more than two decades. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Communication and Sport. I was elected Treasurer of IACS in Summer 2016. 

Research and publishing

My research program focuses on the representation of race, gender/sex, and nationality in sports. Some recent publications include:

Lavelle, K. (2016). No Room for Racism: Restoration of Order in the NBA. Communication & Sport, 4, 424-441. Doi: 10.1177/2167479515584046

Lavelle, K. (2015). As Venus turns: A feminist soap opera analysis of Venus Vs. Journal of Sport Media, 10-2, 1-16. 

Lavelle, K. (2014). Cullen Jones is my Friend!: Increased Diversity in Swimming through Parasocial Relationships on Facebook. In B. Brummet & A. Ishak (Eds), Sport and Identity: New Agendas in Communication (pp. 44-59). London, UK: Routledge.

Lavelle, K. (2014). “Plays like a Guy”: A Rhetorical Analysis of Brittney Griner in Sports Media. Journal of Sports Media, 9 (2), 115-131.

Lavelle, K. (2013). Guns are no Joke: Framing Plaxico Burress, Gilbert Arenas, and Gunplay in Professional Sports. In L. A. Wenner (Ed.), Fallen Sports Heroes, Media, & Celebrity Culture (pp. 179-192). New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Lavelle, K. L. (2012). Great Expectations: An analysis of the fan base for WNBA's Expect Great. In A.C. Earnheardt, P. M. Haridakis, & B. S. Hugenberg (Eds.), Sports Fans, Identity, and Socialization, (pp. 237-254). Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

Lavelle, K. L. (2010). “A critical discourse analysis of black masculinity in NBA game commentary.” The Howard Journal of Communications, 21 (3), 1-21. Doi: 10.1080/10646175.2010.3966675.

Education

Wayne State University, Ph.D. (2006)
Miami University, M. A. (2002)
John Carroll University, B. A. (2000)

Important links