A picture of a devastatingly handsome gentleman wearing a sharp coat with a nice tie. His eyes twinkle merrily, and his reddish beard gleams. Or something like that. Your mileage may vary.

Derek G. Ross

Hargis Professor of Writing Studies, Auburn University Department of English

I am the Hargis Professor of Writing Studies in Auburn University's Master of Technical and Professional Communication Program in the Department of English, co-editor of SUNY’s Studies in Technical Communication series, and co-director of Auburn's Lab for Usability, Communication, Interaction, and Accessibility (LUCIA).

My research interests include document design, ethics, environmental rhetoric, radical communication, and organizational culture.

I am the editor of The Routledge Handbook of Ethics in Technical and Professional Communication (Routledge, 2025) and Topic-Driven Environmental Rhetoric (Routledge, 2017), and co-author of Document Design: From Process to Product in Professional Communication (2nd ed.) (SUNY, 2025).

I celebrate difference, recognizing that the respectful exchange of ideas in the spirit of academic inquiry supports and bolsters our shared human connections.