Ryan Skinnell '07
Writing and Rhetoric
Ryan Skinnell is an Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Composition and an Assistant Writing Program Administrator in the Department of English at San Jose State University. Dr. Skinnell earned his MA in English (with a concentration in Rhetoric and Composition Theory) at CSUN in 2007 and his PhD in rhetoric, composition, and linguistics at Arizona State University in 2011. He teaches courses in writing and rhetoric courses at all levels, and his research focuses primarily on public rhetoric—how politicians, public figures, and average citizens use persuasive language to influence public policy. Dr. Skinnell is the author or editor of five books, including Conceding Composition: A Crooked History of Composition's Institutional Fortunes(Utah State University Press, 2016) and Faking the News: What Rhetoric Can Teach Us About Donald J. Trump, (Societas, 2018). He has also published numerous essays in academic and popular outlets on rhetoric, writing education, political speech, and demagoguery.
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