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Joanne R Gilbert, Ph.D.

Joanne R Gilbert, Ph.D.

Professor of Communication
Joined Alma College Faculty in 1994
SAC 328
(989) 463-7054
Office Hours: MW 10:30-12:00, 1:30-2:30 and by appointment

Joanne Gilbert is Professor of Communication at Alma College where she teaches courses in Interpersonal Communication, Intercultural Communication, Performance, Humor, and many other areas of the field. She is deeply committed to service learning and often includes student-community interaction in her classes.

Dr. Gilbert’s book, Performing Marginality: Humor, Gender, and Cultural Critique was published by Wayne State University Press in 2004, and has been featured on WCMU Public Television, WGVU Public Radio, KZSC Public Radio, an in The Chronicle of Higher Education and invited presentations at colleges and universities around the country. Her scholarly work on gender and performance-- focusing on the relationship between humor and power, autobiographical and cultural performance, advocacy, and the discourse of marginalized groups-- has appeared in journals and edited volumes such as Text and Performance Quarterly, Modern Rhetorical Criticism, and others.

Dr. Gilbert’s own performance background includes: acting, directing, and performing professional stand-up comedy. Additionally, she is a Communication Consultant to groups and individuals nationwide, providing training in presentational and interpersonal communication skills. She is the recipient of the 2000 Michigan Campus Compact Faculty Staff Community Service-Learning Award, the 2003 Alma College Posey Award for Faculty Excellence, the 2007 Omicron Delta Kappa Faculty Excellence Award, and the 2009 Athena Award (given by the Gratiot Area Chamber of Commerce).

Education

  • Ph.D., Communication, The University of Texas at Austin (1994)
  • M.A., Speech Communication, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1986)
  • B.A., English, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1984)

Research Interests

Advocacy, humor, autobiographical and cultural performance, and the discourse of marginalized groups

Recent Courses Taught

  • Performing Advocacy.  FYS 013.
  • Interpersonal Communication.  COM 301.
  • Human Communication: Messages and Meaning.  COM 101.
  • Performing Advocacy.  COM 280E.
  • Seminar in Communication Theory.  COM 450.
  • Intercultural Communication.  COM 220.
  • Humor, Culture and Communication.  COM 280E.
  • Seminar in Communication Inquiry.  COM 350.

Directed Student Presentations and Achievements

Selected Book Publications

Selected Articles

  • Joanne R Gilbert.  "Why I Feel Guilty All The Time: Performing Academic Motherhood."  Women’s Studies in Communication.  2008. 31 (2), 203-208

Selected Reviews

  • Joanne R Gilbert, Ph.D..  Review of Just the Funny Bits, by Terry Galloway.  Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies.  2:3, 1-4.  November 2006.

Selected Creative Works

Recent Presentations

Awards, Honors, Recognitions

Service to the College

Service to the Community

Service to the Profession

  • Associate Editor (Peer Review) for Text and Performance Quarterly , 2000-2004.
  • Editorial Board Member (Peer Review) for Women’s Studies in Communication
  • Chair, Performance Studies Division
  • External reviewer for tenure/promotion decision at Oakland University
  • Reviewer for Humor and Gender; Gender and Humor
  • Reviewer (endorsement solicited) for Rebels Wit Attitude
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The Alma College Percussion Ensemble performed at the prestigious Centrum Jazz Festival, an international festival in Port Townsend, Wash., in July 2007. Alma was the only college group invited to perform. "It's a huge honor," says faculty director Dave Zerbe. "You can't apply to perform there; they seek you out."

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Student Profile

Jason Latz

Jason Latz
Graduation: 2008
Major: Education
From: Elsie, Michigan
Interests: Sports, Habitat for Humanity

Spring Term courses offer students opportunities to break out of the “Alma Bubble.” Off-campus study, especially in a foreign country, shows you how you relate to the rest of the world and how the rest of the world views American people, politics and policies. You can then integrate your real world experiences into your academic programs and your future career.

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