The Major

Course Offerings

Faculty

Scholarships & Internships

Advising

Student Organizations

Events & Newsmakers

Alumni

Communication home

Graduate Program

Faculty Bio
return to Faculty List

Dr. Monika Alston is excited to be one of the newest members of the C of C faculty, as an assistant professor in political communication. She teaches public address, political communication, and special topics courses in African American/women’s rhetorics.

Her primary research explores the public, political communication of Black women. Dr. Alston has authored a number of conference papers, one of which was recently recognized as the Student Paper of the Year during the 2005 National Communication Association Convention. Currently she is revising her dissertation, Womanish Ways: The Rhetoric of Black Women Politicians, for publication. This work analyzes the bold and rebellious rhetorical strategies of five Black women in electoral politics, including SC State Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter. Dr. Alston is also involved in archival research to recover the political rhetoric of nineteenth-century Black women such as Maria W. Stewart.

Dr. Alston earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication Arts and Sciences from the Pennsylvania State University. She received her B.A. in Rhetoric and Communication Studies from the University of Richmond. During her graduate studies, Dr. Alston was twice honored by the Penn State Greek community as the Outstanding Faculty/Staff person of the year. When she is not teaching or conducting research, Dr. Alston enjoys reading suspense novels and spending time in her hometown—Columbia, South Carolina—with friends and family. She is also an active member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Go to Top

Department of Communication (contact information)
Voice (843) 953-7017 / Fax (843) 953-7037.
The Department of Communication is housed in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Copyright 2007© College of Charleston. All Rights Reserved.