Professor and Chair
Office: Colvard 5058
Phone: 704.687.2086
Email:

Education

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

Areas of Interest

• Rhetoric
• Public Address
• Political Communication
• African American Orator

Bio
Dr. Leeman 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 five books: 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. He 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, the Carolinas' Communication Association's Ray Camp award for Most Outstanding Research Paper, and the Carolinas' Communication Association's Betty Jo Welch service award.

Research Projects

• Currently at work on a critical anthology of African American speeches

Teaching Courses

• COMM 6102 Professional Seminar in Communication
• COMM 6130 Textual Analysis