Assistant Professor of Communication
Specializing in Rhetoric, Latinidad, and Borders
Samantha Guajardo
Assistant Professor of Communication
Samantha Guajardo is an Assistant Professor of Communication at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her research examines the rhetoric of Latinidad, borders, and agency, with particular attention to the Rio Grande Valley and the U.S.-Mexico border. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Communication and Religion and the Communication Center Journal. In addition to her research, Guajardo has taught—and continues to teach—courses across the field of Communication, including: Rhetoric and Civic Controversy, Oral Communication, and Interpersonal Communication. Her pedagogy centers agency as she cultivates classroom spaces attentive to students’ lived experiences and rhetorical epistemologies.
Curriculum Vitae
This curriculum vitae presents a record of my academic work as a scholar of rhetoric and communication. It traces my research, teaching, publications, conference activity, service, and professional leadership while illustrating an enduring investment in the study of rhetoric, borders, Latiné communities, and agency.
Winner of the John Angus Campbell Teaching Award and Michael & Suzanne Osborn Fellowship (2025)
Memphis, TN
Dissertation Defense (2026)
Memphis, TN
Successful Dissertation Defense Celebration (2026)
Mercedes, TX
Teaching Philosophy
Curiosity, stewardship, and discernment define my philosophy of teaching. I regard communication as the intellectual practice where people construct knowledge, negotiate difference, and participate in public life. Accordingly, my pedagogy asks students to cultivate curiosity by approaching unfamiliar ideas with a willingness to reconsider their assumptions. I encourage stewardship by recognizing that education carries a responsibility to contribute to the intellectual growth of others and to the communities in which they live and work. Finally, I encourage discernment by strengthening students’ capacity to interpret arguments, evaluate evidence, and exercise rhetorical judgment. I aim to cultivate thoughtful individuals who understand that communication shapes how we learn, deliberate, build relationships, and assume responsibility within a democratic society.
Samantha with Her PhD Advisor, Dr. Antonio de Velasco
Disseration Defense
Pitch Workshop for The University of Memphis’s Annual Tiger Tank
Samantha and Amber “AD” Alston at The University of Memphis’s Award Ceremony
Research Statement
My research focuses on the rhetoric of Latinidad, borders, and agency. I examine how communication shapes the ways individuals and communities understand identity, belonging, and public life, particularly in places where histories of exclusion and inequality influence whose voices are heard and whose experiences are recognized. Through rhetorical criticism, I study how community activists use communication to challenge dominant narratives, cultivate collective action, and expand opportunities for civic participation.
Palm Trees of the Rio Grande Valley
JoMando Cruz’s original photograph
Mural of the Rio Grande Valley
Tim Zeltner’s original artwork
Successful Dissertation Defense Celebration (2026)
Mercedes, TX