Lauren Cagle, Ph.D.
Director, TFISE
Director, KYCC
Dr. Lauren Cagle earned a B.A. in English from Rhodes College in 2007, followed by an M.A. in English from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2012 and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition with graduate certificates in Professional and Technical Communication and Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of South Florida in 2016.
Since joining UK in 2016 as assistant professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies, Dr. Cagle has demonstrated a deep commitment to interdisciplinary research, teaching and service. She co-founded the Kentucky Climate Consortium in 2018 and has directed it since 2019, while also leading UK’s Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program from 2023 to 2025.
Dr. Cagle served as President of the Association for the Rhetoric of Science, Technology and Medicine from 2020 to 2021 and remains on its Board of Directors. She also serves on the editorial board of Technical Communication Quarterly.
Her mentorship and research explore how technical and scientific rhetoric can improve environmental outcomes and include more people in environmental decision-making. Her work involves long-standing partnerships with organizations including the Kentucky Division for Air Quality, Kentucky Geological Survey, UK Recycling and The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky.
Research Interests:
- Environmental Rhetoric
- Climate Change Communication
- Disability Studies
- Feminist Ethics
- Technical Communication