Biography
Matthew Morris received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, where his focus was rhetoric and political communication. His dissertation was an analysis of the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street's populist rhetoric and how various media influenced each group's organization and argumentation. He received his Master's degree from the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, where he wrote a thesis on the conspiracy rhetoric of the 9/11 Truth movement. He spent undergrad and most of his 20s in Shreveport Louisiana, where he developed a love for film, literature, and music.
Research Interests
Social Movements, Populism, Conspiracy Rhetoric, Media and Technology. American Studies
Teaching Interests
Rhetorical theory, especially psychoanalytic and poststructuralism. His coursework was largely a balance of Kenneth Burke, the Frankfurt School, and French theory such as Foucault, Lacan, and Deleuze. Social movements, political communication, and conspiracy rhetoric.