Melissa Stone is an assistant professor in the Rhetoric and Technical Writing program. Her research interests are at the intersection of rhetorical studies and technical communication with a specific focus on reproductive health, material feminist theory, and science & technology studies. Dr. Stone also has experience with teaching technical and professional communication, rhetorical studies, feminist and queer theories, and first and second-year writing.
Teaching and Research Areas
- Technical and professional communication
- Rhetorics of health and medicine
- Rhetorics of reproductive justice
- Rhetorical histories and theories
- Feminist and queer theories
- Posthumanism and new materialism
- Writing pedagogies
- UX studies and usability methods
Education
- Ph.D. Communication, Rhetoric & Digital Media from North Carolina State University (2021)
- M.A. English from University of North Carolina Wilmington (2016)
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies from University of North Carolina Wilmington (2016)
- B.A. Communication Studies from University of North Carolina Wilmington (2008)
Special Issue Editorships
Burry, J.W. & Stone, M. (Forthcoming 2025). Edited special issue: “Down home, down the street”: Examining rural health in the rhetoric of health and medicine. Rhetoric of Health and Medicine, vol. 8.
Selected Publications
Peer Reviewed Articles and Book Chapters
Glover, R. & Stone, M. (2024). Mobile safety apps: A material feminist orientation to precarious mobilities. Mobilities.
Stone, M. & Beare, Z. (2024). Choice, Shame, and the Neoliberal Affective Politics of Nurx’s App-Based Reproductive and Sexual Healthcare. In Rights and Justice for All: Rhetorics of Reproductive Politics. Eds. Heather Adams & Nancy Myers. Manuscript under review.
Stone, M. (2023). Diffractive Menstruation: Toward a Technical-Rhetorical Perspective of Menstrual Health Technologies. Women’s Studies in Communication, 46.3, 312-331.
Stone, M. & Beare, Z. (2020). Infographic and Keywords Statement on Technical Rhetorics and Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Rights, and Reproductive Health. Special Issue: Rhetorics of Reproductive Justice in Public and Civic Contexts. Eds. Maria Novotny, Lori Beth De Hertogh & Erin Frost. Reflections, 20(2), 19-25.
Stone, M., Ranade, N. & Hannah, M. (2020). DIY Feminist Pedagogies: Making Feminist Practices More Apparent in Technical Rhetorics Classrooms. Focus Issue: Feminism and Visual Culture on Feminist Pedagogies. Ed. Clara Bradbury-Rance. MAI: Feminism & Visual Culture, article no. 5.
Stone, M. (2019). ‘Like regular underwear, but so much better.’: How Thinx Can Create Feminist Embodied Subjects through the Enduring Legacy of OBOS. Special Issue: Rhetorical Pasts, Rhetorical Futures: Reflecting on the Legacy of Our Bodies, Ourselves, and the Future of Feminist Health Literacy. Eds. Sara DiCaglio & Lori Beth De Hertogh. Peitho 21(3), 676-689.
Peer-Reviewed Dialogues
Novotny, M., De Hertogh, L., Arduser, L., Hannah, M., Harper, K., Pigg, S., Rysdam, S., Smyser-Fauble, B., Stone, M., Yam, S.S. (2022). ‘An Emerging Subfield of an Emerging Field’: Situating Rhetorics of Reproductive Justice within Rhetorics of Health and Medicine. Rhetorics of Health and Medicine, article no. 5.
Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceedings
Beare, Z. & Stone, M. (2021). By Queer People, For Queer People: Folx, Plume, and the Promise of Queer UX. SIGDOC ’21 Proceedings of the 39th ACM International Conference on the Design of Communication: Article no. 4.
Glover-Rijkse, R., Stone, M., Fletcher, M., Eapen, G. (2020). “Mediating Precarity Through Mobile Apps.” Association of Internet Researchers. Selected paper.
Pigg, S., Hannah, M. & Stone, M. (2018). Teaching Information Design that Emphasizes Data: Revisiting Professional Writing Outcomes and Assignments. SIGDOC ‘18 Proceedings of the 36th ACM International Conference on the Design of Communication: Article no. 4.
Book Reviews
Stone, M. (2022). Book Review: Persuasive Acts: Women’s Rhetorics in The Twenty-First Century, Edited by Shari J. Stenberg & Charlotte Hogg, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2020. Computers and Composition, Vol. 63.
Conference Presentations
Glover, R. & Stone, M. (June 2024). “Location-aware mobile technologies for women’s safety.” International Communication Association. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Stone, M., Beare, Z., Johnson, G., and Smith, A. (June 2022). “Our Bodies, Our Apps: Discussing Best Practices for mHealth App Navigation.” Computers and Writing Conference. Hybrid conference.
Beare, Z. & Stone, M. (Oct. 2021). “By Queer People, For Queer People: Folx, Plume, and the Promise of Queer UX.” SIGDOC ’21 ACM International Conference. Hybrid conference.
Catá, A., Stone, M., and Ranade, N. (June 2021). “Extending Conversations in Design, Ergonomics, and I.T. to Make UX Inclusive.” Association of Teachers of Technical Communication Conference. Online conference.
Glover-Rijkse, R. & Stone, M. (Oct. 2020). “Mobile Safety Apps: A Feminist Material Orientation to Precarious Mobilities.” Association of Internet Researchers Conference. Online conference.
Title: Assistant Professor
Department: Department of English
Email address: Email me