Jacqueline Jones Royster

Professor Emerita

Member Of:
  • School of Literature, Media, and Communication
  • ADVANCE IAC
  • Digital Integrative Liberal Arts Center
Office Location:
Old Civil Engineering (OCE) - G17

Overview

Dr. Royster, former Dean of Georgia Tech's Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts (2010 – 2019), is Professor of English in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication.

A graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, Royster earned an M.A. and D.A. in English from the University of Michigan. Her research centers on rhetorical studies, literacy studies, women’s studies, cultural studies, areas in which she has authored and co-authored numerous articles and book chapters.

She is the author or co-author of four books: Southern Horrors and Other Writings: The Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1997), Traces of a Stream: Literacy and Social Change among African American Women (2000), Profiles of Ohio Women, 1803-2003 (2003), and Feminist Rhetorical Studies: New Horizons in Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy Studies (2012).

She is the co-editor of two books: Double-Stitch: Black Women Write about Mothers and Daughters (1991) and Calling Cards: Theory and Practice in the Study of Race, Gender, and Culture (2005), and the editor of an anthology for college writing courses, Critical Inquiries (2003).

She was consulting writer for Writer’s Choice, a textbook series for grades 6 – 8, and co-editor of Reader’s Choice, a literature series for grades 9 – 12, both published by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech in 2010, Royster served as Senior Vice Provost and Executive Dean of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University (OSU).

Selected External Grants:

  • Mellon Foundation (PI) - $1 Million (2017-2019)
  • Ford Foundation (PI) - $80,000 (2018-2019)
  • National Center for Civil and Human Rights (co-PI) - $97,000 (2019)

Current and Recent Projects: Dr. Royster is currently focused on three book projects:

  • Woman’s Era:  Mapping the Terrain of Nineteenth Century African American Women's Leadership and Activism
  • Memoirs, Letters, and Autobiographies of Women during the American Civil War
  • A Community-Centered Model for Campus-Community Engagement

Professional Associations:

  • Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition
  • Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC)
  • National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
  • Modern Language Association (MLA)
  • Rhetoric Society of America (RSA)
Education:
  • D.A. in English, University of Michigan
  • M.A. in English, University of Michigan
Awards and
Distinctions:
  • 2014 Winifred Bryan Horner Outstanding Book Award for Best Book for Feminist Rhetorical Practices: New Horizons for Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy Studies (co-authored with Gesa E. Kirsch). Coalition of Women Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition
  • 2014 Fellow of the Rhetoric Society of America for scholarship in rhetorical studies that is remarkable for its quality and quantity and for sustained contributions to the RSA which have improved the organization.
  • 2014 Global Ambassador Award by Alliance Française d’Atlanta for significant contributions to Atlanta through French language and culture, for being a global ambassador for the city, and for special service to Africa-Atlanta and the African-Francophone community.
  • 2015 Atlanta 5X5 Profile, Women@the Frontier (identified by a collaboration of Women@the Frontier, Invest Atlanta, and the City of Atlanta as a role model, influencer, and visionary in the Atlanta area: http://www.womenatthefrontier.org/jacqueline-jones-royster/ ; http://www.womenatthefrontier.org/jacqueline-jones-royster-2/
  • 2016 Leadership Excellence Award by Georgia Institute of Technology for outstanding leadership, collaboration and innovation
  • 2017 Leaders and Legends: Pioneer Award by Georgia Institute of Technology Black Alumni Organization
  • 2018 Outstanding Faculty Woman of Distinction from the Georgia Tech Women
Areas of
Expertise:
  • Cultural Studies
  • Digital Humanities
  • Literacy Studies
  • Rhetorical Studies
  • Women’s Studies

Interests

Research Fields:
  • Communication
  • Digital Humanities
  • Literacy Studies
Geographic
Focuses:
  • United States
  • United States - Georgia
Issues:
  • Campus-Community Engagement
  • Cross-Cultural Engagement
  • Cross-Cultural Understanding
  • Development of Literacies
  • Ethical Practices in Contemporary Contexts
  • Future of the Liberal Arts
  • Impacts and Consequences of Race/Ethnicity
  • Inequality, Inequity, and Social Justice
  • Language and Popular Culture
  • Preservation of Community Histories
  • Qualities of Public Discourses
  • Women’s Leadership

Courses

  • INTA-3803: Special Topics
  • LMC-4102: Senior Thesis