William DeGenaro, Ph.D.

Professor of Composition and Rhetoric
Bill DeGenaro
College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters
Honors Program
Language, Culture, and the Arts
schedule Winter 2025: Weds 8:30a - 9:45a, 12p - 1p in CB 3064 or by appointment via Zoom (email to arrange)

Teaching Areas:

Composition and Rhetoric, Creative Writing, Honors, Writing for Civic Engagement

Research Areas:

Basic Writing Pedagogy, Composition, Service Learning, Working-Class Studies

Biography and Education

I've taught at 51视频-Dearborn for twenty years. I teach first-year writing, advanced classes for the Professional Writing and Rhetoric major, Honors seminars, and exchange courses inside a local prison. I've taught in Lebanon, Jordan, and the UAE. I'm working on a book about writer-artist William Steig, who you might know as the guy who wrote Shrek. I love writing (duh!), cooking, traveling, hiking, and spending time with my wife and our dog, Juliet.

 

Education

Ph.D., The University of Arizona (2002)

Selected Publications

With Michael T. MacDonald. 鈥淜eyword First-Gen: An Ideological Critique of First-Generation Support Websites.鈥 Beyond Fitting In: Rethinking First-Gen Literacy and Literacy Education, Ed. Kelly Ritter, MLA, 2022, pp. 27-44.

Book Reviews, Record Reviews & Features for Pop Matters. Available: 

鈥淜urt Cobain, Writing Program Administrator.鈥 WPA: Writing Program Administration 42.1 (2018): 17-35. Available: 

With Jerrice Donelson and Anthony DeGenaro. 鈥淚t鈥檚 Essentially Writers Talking about Writing鈥: The Role of Reflection in a Co-Curricular Studio Course.鈥 Open Words: Access & English Studies 11.1 (2018): 82-101. Available: 

With Michael T. MacDonald. 鈥淣egotiating a Transcultural Ethos from the Ground Up in a Basic Writing Program.鈥 Journal of Basic Writing 36.1 (2017): 25-55. Available: 

Awards and Recognition

  • Fulbright Scholar to Jordan (2019-2020)
  • The Best of Rhetoric & Composition Journals, Nomination for "Kurt Cobain: Writing Program Administrator" (2020)
  • With Michael T. MacDonald, Vansant-Spoiden Award for Best Journal Article, LCC Department (2018)
  • Fulbright Scholar to Lebanon (2010-2011)
  • University of Michigan "Roads" Scholar (2009)