Elizabeth Pitts, PhD

Elizabeth A. Pitts is an assistant professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s Composition, Literacy, Pedagogy, and Rhetoric program. She is particularly interested in the ethical dimensions of communicating about complex technologies, as well as informal learning spaces like art exhibitions, fab labs, and makerspaces. Elizabeth’s book manuscript, The Lab Bench and the Kitchen Table, positions genetic engineering in relation not only to “high tech” fields like computing and engineering, but also domestic crafts like cooking and quilting. The book draws on more than 600 hours of ethnographic fieldwork that she conducted in community laboratories in US, UK, and Denmark with support from the US National Science foundation. Elizabeth has co-taught and co-published with biologists, ecologists, and policy scholars and enjoys exploring the potential for new collaborations, including student-driven projects. Elizabeth holds a doctorate in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media from North Carolina State University with a minor in Genetic Engineering and Society as well as a BA and MA in English from Georgetown University. Her work is informed by her decade of experience as a professional writer and speechwriter at the White House, the US Department of Education, and the Pew Charitable Trusts.