DAMIEN SMITH PFISTER
439 Oldfather Hall
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE, 68510
dpfister2@unl.edu
EDUCATION
University of Pittsburgh, Department of Communication, Pittsburgh, PA.
Ph.D. (2009). Concentration in rhetorical theory, public argument and deliberation, and media studies. Dissertation: Toward a Grammar of the Blogosphere: Rhetoric and Attention in the Networked Imaginary. Dissertation committee: Gordon R. Mitchell (chair), John Lyne, Barbara Warnick, Gregory Crowley.
M.A. (2004). Graduate coursework in rhetoric of social movements, rhetorical theory, and qualitative methods.
University of Alabama, Department of Communication Studies, Tuscaloosa, AL.
B.A. (2000). Double major in Communication Studies and Political Science.
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Communication Studies, Lincoln, NE.
Assistant Professor, (August 2009-). Teach and advise graduate and undergraduate students; conduct research; participate in faculty governance through departmental and university committees.
University of Pittsburgh, Department of Communication, Pittsburgh, PA.
Visiting Instructor (2008-09)
Andrew Mellon Predoctoral Fellow (2007-08)
Teaching Assistant / Teaching Fellow (2002-07)
Assistant Debate Coach (2002-05)
Acting Director of Debate (Fall 2004)
Research Assistant and Webmaster, Communication Across the Curriculum (2003-04)
Provost Humanities Fellow (2002)
Wake Forest University, Department of Communication, Winston-Salem, NC.
Co-Facilitator, Ben Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Institute (Summer 2006-07)
Instructor, South Eastern Europe Leadership Youth Initiative (Summer 2003-05)
IMPACT Coalition, New York City, NY.
Lead Facilitator & Curriculum Planner, Coalition Instruction and Training Institute (2001-03)
Director of Debate at Pace University (2001-02)
Assistant Program Director, New York Urban Debate League (2000-02)
PUBLICATIONS
Articles
• “Navigating Dangerous Deliberative Waters: Shallow Argument Pools, Group Polarization and Public Debate Pedagogy in Southeast Europe,” second author with Gordon R. Mitchell, Georgeta Bradatan, Dejan Colev, Tsvetelina Manolova, Gligor Mitkovski, Iva Nestoro, Milena Ristic, and Gentiana Sheshi, Controversia: An International Journal of Debate and Democratic Renewal (Fall 2006), 69-84.
Reviews
• Review of Axel Bruns and Joanne Jacobs (eds.), Uses of Blogs (New York: Peter Lang, 2006) on Resource Center for Cybercultural Studies, February 2007, <http://rccs.usfca.edu/bookinfo.asp? BookID=366&ReviewID=480>.
• Review of Eric MacGilvray, Reconstructing Public Reason (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2004) in Rhetoric and Public Affairs (Spring 2007), 152-4.
Proceedings
• “RealClimate.org and the Nichification of Democracy” in Engaging Argument: Selected papers from the 2005 NCA/AFA Summer Conference on Argumentation, ed. Patricia Riley (Washington, D.C.: National Communication Association, 2005), 234-42.
• “The Public Debater’s Role in Advancing Public Deliberation: Towards Switch-Sides Public Debating” with Jane Munksgaard in Critical Problems in Argumentation: Selected papers from the 2003 NCA/AFA Summer Conference on Argumentation, ed. Charles Willard (Washington, D.C.: National Communication Association, 2003), 503-9.
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
Invited Talks
• “Blogging, Information Technology, and Democracy.” Presentation to the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School for Public and International Affairs class on Information Technology. August 30, 2006.
• “The Blogosphere.” Presentation to the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School for Public and International Affairs class on Digital Governance. January 30, 2006.
• “Communication Across the Curriculum: Web Resources.” Presentation to the University of Pittsburgh Department of Communication Teaching Practicum. September 17, 2003.
• “Towards an Open Source Pedagogy.” Presentation to the University of Pittsburgh Department of Communication Agora. October 3, 2003.
Conference Papers
• “Cyberseriality.” Co-presented with Sarah Ryan at National Communication Association, Chicago, IL, Nov. 10-14, 2009.
• “Argumentative Pathologies and Deliberative Legitimation Processes.” Top student paper in American Forensics Association Division presented at National Communication Association, San Diego, CA, November 21-24, 2008.
• “Translation Station: RealClimate’s Recontextualization of Expertise.” Presented at National Communication Association, San Diego, CA, November 21-24, 2008.
• “Flooding the Zone.” Presented at National Communication Association, San Diego, CA, November 21-24, 2008.
• “Hyperpublicity.” Paper presented at National Communication Association, Chicago, IL, November 14-17, 2007.
• “Consistency.” Paper presented at National Communication Association, Chicago, IL, November 14-17, 2007.
• “Environmental Documentaries.” Paper co-presented with Carly Woods at National Communication Association, San Antonio, TX, November 16-19, 2006.
• “Blogging and Critical Publicity.” Paper presented at the Blogging and Online Journalism Conference hosted by Ohio University, Athens, OH, April 7-9, 2006. Travel funded by competitively awarded grant.
• “Blogosphere or Blogistan?: Blogs and Open Source Politics.” Paper presented at National Communication Association, Boston, MA, November 17-20, 2005.
• “Towards Consideration as a Deliberative Decorum.” Paper presented at National Communication Association, Boston, MA, November 17-20, 2005.
• “Reforming Climate Discourse: Engaging Public Scholarship to Transform Policy Practices.” Paper co-presented with Carly Woods at the American Studies Association, Washington, DC, November 4, 2005.
• “RealClimate.org and the Nichification of Democracy.” Paper presented at Alta Argumentation Conference, Alta, UT, August 4-7, 2005.
• “Filtering Through the Rhetorical Situation in a Mass-Mediated Age.” Paper presented at National Communication Association Conference, Chicago, IL, November 9-13, 2004.
• “A Blog Effect: Salam Pax and the Mediation of War.” Paper presented at National Communication Association Conference, Chicago, IL, November 9-13, 2004.
• “Communication Across the Curriculum: Developing Web Resources.” Paper presented at National Communication Association Conference, Miami, FL, November 10-13, 2003.
• “The Public Debater’s Role in Advancing Deliberation: Towards Switch-Sides Public Debate.” Paper presented with Jane Munksgaard at Alta Argumentation Conference, Alta, UT, August 2-4, 2003.
SELECT HONORS
Fall 2007-Spring 2008, Andrew Mellon Predoctoral Fellowship
Fall 2002-Spring 2003, University of Pittsburgh Provost Humanities Fellowship
Spring 2002, Urban Director’s Award, IMPACT Coalition
Spring 2002, Friend of the New York Urban Debate League, NYUDL
Spring 2000, Semifinalist at CEDA Nationals Debate Tournament, 20th speaker
Spring 1999, Senior Academic Achievement Award, Department of Communication Studies
Spring 1999, Scott Pejaver Debater of the Year Award, Southeast Region
Spring 1998 & 1999, Academic All American Debate Team, Cross Examination Debate Association
SERVICE
National
• NCA-Forum Advisory Board, 2008-present. Assists in planning and executing public engagement spotlights at annual National Communication Association conference.
Graduate School @ Pitt
• Moderator, Professional Development Agora Series, October 31, 2008.
• Agora Committee, 2007-2008.
• Graduate Curriculum Committee, 2006-2007.
• Search Committee, non-tenure stream Communication Across the Curriculum lecturer position. Spring 2006.
• Facilitator, College in High School Professional Development for local high school teachers. David Lawrence Hall. April 22, 2006.
• Coordinator, “Documentaries and Debate” public debate series. March 22, 29, April 5, 12 2006.
• Participant, Public Debate against British National Team, October 17th, 2005 on the proposition “Gitmo has got to go.”
• Participant, Public Debate at SEEYLI 2005 on “The war on terror is working.”
• Participant, Public Debate against Robert Balling at 2005 National Debate Tournament on “The public debate on global warming is systematically distorted.”
• Mentor for Young Writer’s Conference for Knoxville Elementary. Cathedral of Learning. 2002-2006.
• Judge, Annual College in High School SPAR Debate Tournament. 2003-2007.
• Facilitator, College in High School Professional Development for local high school teachers. David Lawrence Hall. April 19, 2004.
• Judge, 4th Annual Oratory Competition. Cathedral of Learning. April 24, 2004.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
• National Communication Association (NCA). Member of Rhetorical and Communication Theory, Public Address, and Human Communication and Technology Divisions.
• Schenley Park Debate Authors Working Group (DAWG).
TEACHING
Graduate
• Contemporary Rhetorical Theory
• Communication and Culture (Spring 2010)
Undergraduate
• Networked Politics
• Communication and Culture (Spring 2010)
Advising
• Doctoral Advisees (Ph.D. in progress): Scott Church (co-directing with Ron Lee).
• Reader on dissertation committees (Ph.D. in progress): Kittie Grace, Brent Yergensen, Kane Click, Aaron Duncan, Getachew Dinku.
PRESS
• “Scuffle Turns to Kerfuffle in Winter Park,” by Susan Jacobson, Orlando Sentinel, November 13, 2009. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-winterpark-20091112,0,642879.story?track=rss. Quoted as expert on digital media and political communication.
• “Rating the YouTube Debate Questions,” blog post in Off the Bus/The Huffington Post on July 27, 2007 by Ross Smith, reporting the results of the only systematic study ranking the quality of the questions asked at the CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Primary debate in July 2007. Research conducted by Gordon Mitchell, Damien Pfister, and Kurt Zymlicka. Available online at <http://www.huffington post.com/ross-smith/rating-the-youtube-debate_b_58059.html>.
• “YouTube Debate Questions Go Global,” blog post in Off the Bus/The Huffington Post on July 20, 2007 by Ross Smith, highlighting the role of Ben Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Initiative students in developing questions for the CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Primary debate. Available online at <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ross-smith/youtube-debate-questions-_b_57125.html>. Cited as expert in forming questions for public debates.
• “Group Wants Hall Named After Colbert,” Andy Medici, Pitt News, November 10, 2006, <http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/ 2006/11/10/News/Group.Wants.Hall.Named.For.Colbert-2451436.shtml?norewrite 200611101008&sourcedomain=www.pittnews.com>. Interviewed as expert on social networking.
• “To Dine or Not to Dine?,” Lisa Cunningham, Pitt News, March 24, 2006, <http://media.www.pittnews .com/media/storage/paper879/news/2006/03/24/News/To.Dine.Or.Not.To.Dine-1784742.shtml>. Reviewed public debate on the documentary Supersize Me hosted by my Spring 2006 Debate class.
• “Digital Citizen Episode 3: Internet on the Last Frontier, Blogging,” Digital Citizen, Jan 5, 2006, <http://www.digital-citizen.org/2006/01/05/digital-citizen-episode-3-internet-on-the-last-frontier-blogging/>. Interviewed as expert on blogging.
