Richard Leeman

• B.S., Shippensburg State University, 1977
• M.A., University of Maryland, 1982
• Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1990

Dr. Richard Leeman is a Professor in Communication Studies and has been a member of the faculty since 1989. He teaches undergraduate courses in Rhetorical Theory, Public Advocacy, and African American oratory, and graduate courses in Textual Analysis. He has authored, co-authored, or edited eight books:  To Reach the Nation;s Ear: A History of African American Public Speaking, The Teleological Discourse of Barack Obama, The Will of a People: Great Speeches by African Americans (with Bernard K. Duffy), The Rhetoric of Terrorism and Counterterrorism, “Do-Everything Reform:” The Oratory of Frances E. Willard, African-American Oratory: A BioCritical Sourcebook, American Voices: Encyclopedia of Contemporary Oratory (with Bernard K. Duffy) and The Art and Practice of Argumentation and Debate (with Bill Hill).   His published articles have appeared in journals such as Southern Communication Journal, Metaphor and Symbolic Activity, Argumentation and Advocacy, Howard Journal of Communication and Journal of Political Science. Dr. Leeman is past editor of the Carolinas Communication Annual. He has been the recipient of the American Forensic Association’s Daniel M. Rohrer award for best Forensics article, Southern States Communication Association’s Top Paper in Rhetoric and Public Address award, the Carolinas’ Communication Association’s Ray Camp award for Most Outstanding Research Paper, and the Carolinas’ Communication Association’s Betty Jo Welch service award.  In 2017, he received the Southern States Communication Association’s Michael M. Osborn Teacher-Scholar Award.  From 2017 to 2019, Dr. Leeman served as the President of the UNC Charlotte Faculty Council. His areas of interest include rhetoric, public address, political communication, and African American oratory. Read more about Dr. Leeman.