Biography
Dr. Joel Lemuel’s work focuses on the intersection of rhetoric, health and medicine. His teaching challenges students to construct and appraise complex arguments, whether they explore human communication from a social scientific perspective on a humanistic point of view. Dr. Lemuel will join the Department of Communication Studies as an Assistant Professor and Director of Forensics in Fall 2017.
Joel developed in interest in the field of communication after joining his high school forensics team. He competed in policy debate programs throughout high school and college, and ultimately graduated with a B.A. in political science and an M.A. in communication studies from Georgia State University. He earned his doctorate in communication from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in 2016. During his graduate studies, Professor Lemuel coached students to the highest levels of competitive success in intercollegiate debate. Since completing his doctorate, Dr. Lemuel’s research has focused on public controversies over acceptable means of practice pertaining to the assessment, prevention, rehabilitation, and remuneration of disabilities straddling the mind-body divide. Before joining CSUN, Dr. Lemuel spent two years as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Pepperdine University where he taught courses in rhetorical theory and criticism, communication research methods, intercultural communication and environmental communication.
Outside his academic career, Joel has been an active participant in several urban debate leagues across the nation. These leagues are part of a national movement to bring the benefits of advocacy training to traditionally underserved student and teacher populations. He has consulted with leagues in cities across the country including Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, and Nashville.