Zhaozhe Wang

Zhaozhe Wang (pronunciation: “jaw-juh”) is an Assistant Professor of Writing Studies in the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy. He specializes in rhetoric and writing studies; particularly, his interests span areas such as multilingual writing and literacy, transnational rhetorics, and rhetorical/cultural studies of social media.

When learning English as a second language in China, Zhaozhe was captivated by the ways in which the structure of language subtly shapes as well as reflects how one perceives the world. He realized that language is infinitely powerful in (re)inventing ourselves and (re)constructing realities. Hoping to understand how the power of language operates through written communication in different academic, public, and cultural spheres—writing classrooms, language curriculum, Higher Ed institutions, and digital social media—Zhaozhe embarked on an interdisciplinary journey and earned a master’s degree in rhetoric and composition at the University of Maine and subsequently a PhD degree in second language studies and rhetoric and composition at Purdue University. His most recent research projects include an ethnographic inquiry into the literacy practices of international students and the theorization of a rhetoric of disconnect, where he looks into the increasingly prevalent internet control regimes across the globe and explores the fragility of digital rhetorical circulation under different forms of information governmentality.

Zhaozhe believes in the power of language in transforming students’ literacy development in higher education, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. His goal in the classroom is to cultivate a rhetorical sensibility in his students that will empower them to effectively and responsibly communicate across institutional and sociocultural contexts. His dedication to enriching students’ learning experience has been recognized with numerous awards. Serving on the Executive Committee of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC), the world’s largest professional organization for researching and teaching writing, Zhaozhe is committed to advocating for multilingual and international students, teachers, and scholars.