At Clemson University, I serve as Director of the Writing Lab and Senior Lecturer in the Department of English, where I lead initiatives that strengthen writing support across the university. In this role, I have expanded online and graduate-level writing services, developed material to aid in the transition of first-generation college students, and broadened our reach to disciplines beyond English, ensuring that writers from every field have access to responsive, research-informed guidance. I also direct the Writing Fellows Program—a selective fellowship that prepares students to mentor their peers through ENGL 4980 (ENGL 6980 for graduate students), a course I designed to cultivate empathetic, adaptable tutoring practice.
I earned my Ph.D. in Composition and Rhetoric from the University of Kansas. My research focuses on Indigenous rhetorics, writing center theory, and transformative works. My scholarship, administration, and teaching are deeply intertwined; I view each as a site for inquiry. This approach shapes my leadership style—collaborative, data-informed, and grounded in pedagogies that empower both students and staff.
In the classroom, I emphasize writing as an iterative, social process. I help students develop rhetorical agility and confidence by focusing on collaboration, genre awareness, and responsiveness to various audiences. My courses invite students to bring their own experiences and stories into their work, connecting academic writing to the broader worlds they inhabit. In recognition of my teaching and service, I received both the Dean’s Outstanding Lecturer Award and the Holman Teaching Award in 2024.
Before joining Clemson, I served as Assistant Director and Professional Tutor at the Georgia Tech Communication Center, where I coached students in Industrial and Systems Engineering to communicate complex ideas with precision and clarity. Drawing on that experience, I continue to build bridges between disciplines in the Clemson University Writing Lab—supporting undergraduate and graduate writers, staff, and faculty as they compose across genres and professional contexts.
As a teacher, scholar, and leader, I am committed to creating spaces where writers learn through collaboration, reflection, and engagement with real audiences. Whether mentoring Writing Fellows, leading workshops, or teaching composition and rhetoric, I strive to foster the habits of mind that sustain effective, ethical communication within and beyond the academy.
For more information about my professional works, including published papers and presentations, please check out my curriculum vitae.
Chelsea J. Murdock, PhD 