- Assistant Professor
- Professional and Public Writing
- Email: leah_heilig@uri.edu
- Office Location: Roosevelt Hall, Room 324
Biography
Leah Heilig is an Assistant Professor of Writing and Rhetoric. She received her Ph.D. in Technical Communication and Rhetoric from Texas Tech University in 2020, where she taught courses in technical communication, professional writing, and first-year writing and rhetoric. Leah’s a military brat who’s lived in Germany, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota, and Texas before moving to Rhode Island.
Research
Leah’s research looks at the relationships between technical communication, disability studies, user experience, information design, and technology, with a focus on accessibility. Her current work argues that neurotypical thinking supports ableism in communication design, and investigates how the experiences of users with non-physical disabilities could be better centered and valued in design practices and scholarship. Other research interests of Leah’s include rhetorics of mental illness/madness, health communication, writing in the disciplines, and veterans studies.
Education
- Ph.D., Technical Communication and Rhetoric, Texas Tech University, 2020
- M.A., Rhetoric and Writing, St. Cloud State University, 2015
- B.A., English: Literature with Political Science minor, St. Cloud State University, 2012