Gabriel Wisnewski-Parks Email & Phone Number

Gabriel is a Human Communication instructor, scholar, and consultant based in the United States. Heearned degrees in Communication Studies from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He works as a full-time instructor in the Western Carolina University Department of Communication, where he teaches foundations of communication and a freshman seminar on social media. Beyond academia, Gabe’s experiences range from consultant for regional businesses, nonprofit marketing and communications work, to providing expert social media commentary for CNN Business.Researching primarily from a critical-rhetorical perspective, Gabriel pursues two main areas of inquiry:(1) Critical-rhetorical perspectives on the influence of social media on politics and social issues. In particular, the roles social media influencers and platforms play in shaping discourses on democracy and institutional trust. Plus, how social media influencers and platforms construct identity for users and shape discourse on gender-related issues. Gabriel’s research in this area was awarded by the Carolinas Communication Association and featured on CNN Business. (2) Critical perspectives on communication education and pedagogy. Specifically, how communication educators can teach in ways that foster civic engagement, democratic practice, and build community. Currently, Gabriel is co-authoring a project on "Critical Positive Communication Pedagogy," with WCU colleagues, Dr. Vincent Russell and Dr. Grace Cheshire. Gabriel’s recent research in this area was awarded by the National Communication Association in 2023. Gabriel’s publications are featured in The Routledge Handbook of Public Speaking Research and Theory, Southern Communication Journal, the edited collection, Rhetoric of Masculinity: Male Body Image, Media, and Gender Role Stress/Conflict, and on Flow: A Critical forum on media and culture.

Listed skills include Teaching, Leadership, Social Media, Communication, and 7 others.