Bio


Chris Kamrath teaches writing and rhetoric. He also serves as the Director of the Bing Honors College and Coordinator for Writing in the Major. Chris received a Ph.D. from the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University. Previously, he taught at the University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University. At Stanford, his recent classes have focused on the debates surrounding citizenship and claims-making; public policy discourse; journalism and new media technologies; and the distractions of contemporary media.

Chris Kamrath’s research focuses on media and the circulation of writing in the public sphere. He is interested in how advocates--particularly voices that challenge the status quo--gain the public’s attention. Chris is currently working on a book project, entitled Left Icons: Self-Fashioning and the Cultural Memory of American Radicals. This project explores how some early-twentieth century radicals created myths about themselves and the way these activists used such stories to get attention for radical causes. His articles have appeared in Public Culture; Mediations; Culture, Theory & Critique; Communication and Critical-Cultural Studies; and several edited volumes.

Academic Appointments


  • PWR Advanced Lecturer, Writing and Rhetoric Studies

Administrative Appointments


  • Director, Bing Honors College (2022 - Present)
  • Coordinator, Writing in the Major (2021 - Present)
  • Coordinator, Bing Honors College (2021 - 2022)
  • Writing Specialist, Political Science & International Relations (2019 - 2020)
  • Course Coordinator, Writing & Rhetoric 1, Program in Writing & Rhetoric (2016 - 2019)

Current Research and Scholarly Interests


SPECIALIZATION: Citizenship and Political Dissent, Media History, Cultural Memory, the Role of Cultural Identity and Self-Fashioning in Rhetoric

All Publications