Dr. Greg Cavenaugh

Greg Cavenaugh’s path as an educator has been shaped by his interest in two specific areas of communication: religious and spiritual discourse, on the one hand, and critical theory approaches to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, on the other hand. These two interests have occasionally converged, such as in the series of presentations he has given at various Unitarian Universalist churches in central Florida. These presentations have addressed a wide range of issues, including how to become a welcoming congregation for LGBTQ+ identities as well as other topics associated with spiritual discourse such as Zen approaches to communication ethics and the history of autumnal ritual observances in honor of the dead. He is thrilled to join a strong, humanities-focused faculty in the Department of Rhetoric and Communication Studies, where he teaches courses in rhetorical theory, ritual in contemporary society, and critical theory approaches to representation of superheroes. A lifelong geek gamer and fan of complex board games and tabletop roleplaying games, Dr. Cavenaugh is looking forward to introducing a new course for first year students called “Geek Chic,” focusing on ethnographic research into the evolving phenomenon of geek culture in the 21st century.