Biography
Dr. Nora ("Norie") Singer (she/her) is a Professor of Communication whose teaching, research, and service focus on developing public communication practices for a more just, democratic, informed, healthy, and ecologically sustainable society. Singer's expertise is in the strategic role of rhetorical messaging in contemporary social movements, especially environmental and food activism. Professor Singer has written extensively about these movements, with her most recent research proposing theoretical tools for navigating coalition-building with other movements such as feminism and anti-racism.
Teaching Interests
Argumentation and Debate
Persuasion and Attitude Change
Rhetoric in Civic Life
Environmental Communication
Communication Theory
Media and Society
Gender Studies
Social Movement Communication
Research
Selected Publications
"Intersectional Ecofeminist Food Rhetoric," in Rhodes and Nur Cooley's edited volume The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Feminist Rhetoric, 2025
"Conclusion: Environmental Communication's Intersectionality," in Bloomfield and Castro-Sotomayor's edited volume Intersectional Activism in Environmental Communication: Changemakers Respond to Ecological Crisis, 2025
"Affect and Melodramatic Resistance," Quarterly Journal of Speech, 2024
"Communicating Transformation in Food and Agricultural Ecologies," special journal issue co-editors' introduction, Environmental Communication (w/ S. Kristiansen), 2023
"Toward Intersectional Ecofeminist Communication Studies," Communication Theory, 2020
Rooted Resistance: Agrarian Myth in Modern America, 2020 (book published by U of Arkansas Press, co-authored w/ S. G. Houston and J. Motter)
Leadership
SVSU Pride Coordinator (office for LGBTQ+ resources, programming, education, and support)
Past Member, General Education Committee, Saginaw Valley State University
Past Associate Journal Editor, Environmental Communication
Past President/Chair, Environmental Communication Division, National Communication Association
Honors and Awards
Ruth and Ted Braun Endowed Research Fellowship, SVSU and Saginaw Community Foundation
Christine L. Oravec Research Award in Environmental Communication (Top Journal Article), National Communication Association
Affiliations
International Environmental Communication Association
National Communication Association
Central States Communication Association