College of Communication Full-time Faculty

Barbara Willard, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Email: bwillard@depaul.edu
Phone: (312) 362-7468
Office: 14 E Jackson Blvd., Suite 1812

Barbara Willard holds a joint faculty appointment in the College of Communication and in the Department of Environmental Science and Studies.  She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in communication from Florida State University and her Ph.D. in rhetorical studies from the University of Iowa.  She is on the Executive Council of the International Environmental Communication Association and is a founding board member of the Institute for Nature & Culture at DePaul University.  Her current research examines the rhetoric of landscapes as they are both read by and created by humans.  Most recently she has been exploring how the transformation of blighted urban areas into farms and community gardens become symbolic sites of empowerment and reconnection with community and the land.  She also conducts research that assists in the development of public campaigns that encourage pro-environmental behavior such as natural landscaping and support for restoration practices.  Additionally, she examines how the rhetoric of popular culture and environmental rhetoric intersect, informing and influencing cultural practice.  She has published articles and book reviews in a variety of journals including Environmental Communication, Women’s Studies in Communication, and Rhetoric Society Quarterly.  A past recipient of  DePaul’s Excellence in Teaching Award, she teaches courses in environmental studies, rhetorical studies, sustainability, and urban agriculture.