Dr. M Kelly Carr

Dr. Kelly Carr is the department chair and an associate professor of communication. Her research explores Supreme Court decisions within their broader public contexts, focusing on arguments about affirmative action, academic freedom, and, most recently, health care. Her forthcoming book manuscript, entitled “The Rhetorical Invention of Diversity: Supreme Court Opinion, Public Arguments, and Affirmative Action,” examines archival materials of a landmark 1978 affirmative action case to explore the internal negotiations and public influences behind the final decision. Carr has presented her findings at numerous professional conferences, including those for the National Communication Association, the Alta Conference on Argumentation, and the International Society for the Study of Argumentation. Her works have appeared across disciplines and genres, including the Baltimore Sun, Law & Politics Book Review, College Education Association Magazine, and on Baltimore public radio’s The Anthony McCarthy Show. Before joining UWF in 2016, Carr taught in the School of Communications Design at the University of Baltimore. She teaches communication principles and rhetorical theory to undergraduate and graduate students.