Welcome! I’m Samantha Guajardo, a communication educator with a passion for understanding how communication shapes the way we see ourselves, our communities, and the world around us. Beginning this fall (2026), I will join The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley as an Assistant Professor of Communication. My research specializes in rhetoric, with particular interests in Latinidad, borders, and agency. I’ve had the opportunity to teach courses including Introduction to Communication, Oral Communication, Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, and Rhetoric and Civic Controversy. I created this website as a space to share my teaching, scholarship, and writing, and I hope it serves as a resource for students, educators, scholars, rhetoricians, and anyone with a curiosity about communication.
I’ve always been curious about people and the places they call home. That curiosity eventually led me to rhetoric, but it has also shaped nearly every part of my life. Whether I’m in a classroom, exploring a new city, or sitting down with a good book, I’m usually trying to understand how people make sense of the world around them.
My educational journey began earlier than most. I enrolled at South Texas College through an early college program at the age of 14, defended my doctoral dissertation at 25, and earned my PhD in Communication from the University of Memphis at 26. Those milestones are meaningful to me, but so are the people who helped me reach them. My family, mentors, colleagues, and friends have each left an imprint on the way I think about education and the kind of teacher I hope to be.
Travel remains one of the most meaningful parts of my life because every destination offers a different way of understanding history, culture, and community. Visiting new places has taught me that curiosity begins with listening. The conversations we have, the meals we share, and the stories people tell often reveal more about a place than any guidebook ever could. Those experiences continue to shape the questions I ask as a scholar and remind me that learning extends far beyond the classroom.
The work of bell hooks, Paulo Freire, and Anthony Bourdain has also stayed with me over the years. Although each approached the world from a different perspective, they shared a belief that education, conversation, and curiosity have the power to bring people closer together. Their work continues to influence the kind of teacher, scholar, and person I hope to be.
Outside of my work, some of my greatest joys are the moments I share with my family. I am married to my husband, Anthony Robledo, and together we share a home with our two dogs, Coco and Puff. We’re also hoping to welcome a cat into the family in the near future.
When I’m away from the university, you’ll usually find me planning my next trip, searching for my next great read, or attending a concert whenever I have the chance. I recently saw Bruno Mars perform live, and I’d love to see Paramore and The Neighbourhood one day. Reading has always been one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon. I recently finished Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, and I’m currently reading Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez.
I hope this website reflects my interests and gives you a chance to get to know both my work and the person behind it.
Cox Arboretum. Dayton, OH.
Flying to Denver, CO.
Husband, Anthony Robledo, and I visiting Las Vegas, NV.