Dr. William Duffy

Dr. William Duffy serves as the director of Applied AI at the Polytechnic@UofM. Dr.
Duffy joined the University of 蜜桃导航 in 2013, serving as an English professor before
joining the Polytechnic@UofM in 2026. Dr. Duffy was instrumental in the development
of the University of 蜜桃导航' AI for All minor and was a member of the U of M's AI
Task Force, surveying students, faculty and staff about their concerns, hopes and
interest in artificial intelligence.
Learn more about Dr. William Duffy
Ph.D., English, 2011,
University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Primary Area: Rhetoric and Composition
Secondary Areas: Literary Theory and Philosophy of Language
M.A. English, 2006.
University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Primary Area: Rhetoric and Composition
B.A., English, magna cum laude, 2003.
Elon University
Primary Areas: Literature; Professional Writing
Primary Areas: Literature; Professional Writing
FACULTY
University of 蜜桃导航. Professor of English. 2024-Present.
University of 蜜桃导航. Professor of English. 2024-Present.
- Faculty Appointment. Applied Technology. 2026-Present
- Faculty Affiliate. Institute for Intelligent Systems. 2018-Present
- Associate Professor of English. 2019-2024.
- Assistant Professor of English. 2013-2019.
Francis Marion University. Assistant Professor of English. 2011鈥2013.
ADMINISTRATION
Director of Applied AI. Herff College of Engineering. University of 蜜桃导航. 2026-Present.
Director of Applied AI. Herff College of Engineering. University of 蜜桃导航. 2026-Present.
Associate Director. Institute for Intelligent Systems. University of 蜜桃导航. 2025-2026.
Department of English. University of 蜜桃导航
- Director of Graduate Studies. 2021-2025
- Coordinator of Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication. 2018-2021.
Director. Center for Writing and Communication. University of 蜜桃导航. 2014-2016.
-
Finalist. Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award. University of 蜜桃导航. 2024.
- Green Fee Grant. Principal Investigator. University of 蜜桃导航. $16,200. 2023-2024.
- Catherine and Charles Freeburg Faculty Fellow. 鈥淕enAI and Perceptions of Literacy:
Faculty,
Graduate Student, and Undergraduate Perspectives in Writing and Language
Postsecondary Education.鈥 Marcus Orr Center for Humanities. University of 蜜桃导航.
Spring 2024.
- Professional Development Assignment. University of 蜜桃导航. Fall Semester, 2020.
-
Division of Research and Innovation. Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Science Research Support Grant. $2,900. University of 蜜桃导航. 2020.
- When Prayer Meets Protest: Essays on Religion, Rhetoric, and Resistance. Co-edited with Korbyn Peebles.Studies in Communication, Culture, Race, and Religion Series. Peter Lang. 2027.
- Beyond Conversation: Collaboration and the Production of Writing. Utah State University Press, 2021.
- 鈥淰irtue Ethics: Conversing with the Dissonant Remainders of Democracy.鈥 . Second Edition. Ed. Amit Pinchevski, Patrice M. Buzzanell, and Jason Hannan. Routledge. 2025. 33-47.
- 鈥淭he Afterlife of Unfinished Writing.鈥 . Ed. Stephen Corbett. WAC Clearinghouse and University Press of Colorado. 2024. 171-74.
- "Definition as Invention: Turning a Familiar Concept into a Critical Keyword." . Ed. Allison Carr, Christina LaVecchia, Laura Micciche, Hannah Rule, and Jayne Stone. Utah State University Press. 2024. 181-91.
*Winner of the 2026 Best Edited Volume Award from the Conference on College Composition and Communication
- 鈥淐omposition, Critics, and Care Work: An Undisciplined Reflection on Disciplinary Expertise.鈥 Coauthored with Jacob Babb. . Ed. Rachel McCabe and Jennifer Juszkiewicz. Utah State University Press. 2023. 17-34.
- 鈥鈥 Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Volume 5. Parlor Press and WAC Clearinghouse. 2023. 247-65.
- * in Composition at CMU, edited by Nikki Mantyla, 2025
- 鈥.鈥 Rhetoric Society Quarterly 53.3 (2023): 405-18.
- 鈥.鈥 Coauthored with John Pell. Democracies in America: Keywords for the 19th Century and Today. Ed. Berton Emerson and Gregory Laski. Oxford University Press, 2022. 270-79.
- 鈥淎gentic Discord in Writing Studies: Toward Autoethnographic Accounts of Disciplinary Lore.鈥 . Ed. Rebecca Jackson and Jackie Grutsch McKinney. Utah State University Press, 2021. 149-58.
- 鈥淧ractically Wise and Good: Understanding Phronesis as a Rhetorical Virtue.鈥 . Ed. John Duffy and Lois Agnew. Utah State University Press, 2020. 37-50.
- 鈥淲hose Shibboleths? AI Policy, Translingual Practice, and Compositional Purity.鈥
22nd Biennial
Rhetoric Society of America [RSA] National Conference. Portland, OR. May 2026.
- From Double-Entry Notebooks to Humans-in-the-Loop: Following Ann Berthoff鈥檚 Rhetorical
Tail
in the Design of an Applied AI Program鈥檚 Core Curriculum.鈥 Southern Regional Composition Conference. Arkansas State University. 28 March 2025.
- 鈥Is There a Policy for That? Generative Artificial Intelligence and the Classification of Rhetorical Production.鈥 21th Biennial RS National Conference. Denver, CO. May 2024.
- 鈥淭inkering Toward Competency: Using GenAI to Teach Writing as Design.鈥 UM3D Winter Summit. University of 蜜桃导航. February 2024.
- 鈥(Re)making Space in an Age of Prohibition: Classroom Design and Civic Action.鈥 Coauthored
with John Pell. 20th Biennial RSA National Conference. Baltimore, MD. May 2022.
- Roundtable Speaker. 鈥淓xploring Eco-Cognitive Approaches to Digital Composition.鈥 72st Annual CCCC. April 2021.
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS (2013-Present)
Department of Applied Technology
AIFA 2010: Skills and Techniques for Applied AI F2F + ONLINE
AIFA 2010: Skills and Techniques for Applied AI F2F + ONLINE
(Original course developer and AI for All program cofounder)
TECH 4/6701: Applied AI Tools and Prompt Engineering HYBRID
Department of English
ENGL 1010: Composition (First sequence)
ENGL 1020: Composition (Second sequence)
ENGL 3601: Introduction to Technical and Professional Writing F2F + ONLINE
ENGL 3602: Professional Editing F2F + ONLINE
ENGL 3604: Persuasive Writing F2F + ONLINE
ENGL 4001: Senior Honors Seminar.
---. Collective Memory in the Bluff City
ENGL 4602: Advanced Composition
---. Ethnographic Writing ONLINE
---. Public Writing and Advocacy ONLINE
---. Public Writing and Advocacy ONLINE
ENGL 7/8001: Academic Genres and Scholarly Publishing
ENGL 7/8008: Theory and Practice of Online Teaching ONLINE
ENGL 7/8350: Rhetorical Theory
ENGL 7/8801: History of Composition
ENGL 7/8801: History of Composition
ENGL 7/8805: Foundations of Writing Studies
ENGL 7/8818: Collaborative Writing F2F + ONLINE
ENGL 7/8822: Contemporary Composition Theory
ENGL /8823: Topics in Composition
鈥-. Teaching Writing with Artificial Intelligence
鈥-. Teaching Writing with Artificial Intelligence
---. Language, Cognition, and Writing
ENGL 7/8100: Graduate Independent Study
---. Writing Program Administration
---. Composition鈥檚 Theory Wars
ENGL 8900: English Studies Colloquium
Honors College
Honors Forum 1100: How to Conspiracy Theory
Keynotes and Invited Talks
- Invited Lecture. 鈥淔rom Sarcastic Parrots to Ambiguous Octopuses: Teaching and Learning
with
Generative AI.鈥 Pomeranian University (Poland). 26 November 2025. - Invited Lecture. 鈥淚nductive, Inclusive, Iterative: Developing AI Literacy in Practice.鈥 AI Community of Practice and the Institute for Intelligent Systems. 18 September 2025.
- Invited Lecture. 鈥淩ethinking AI Literacy for Humanities Teachers.鈥 Tribhuvan University (Nepal). 14 May 2025.
- Invited Lecture. 鈥淢aking Meaning with AI in Health Communication.鈥 Pokhara University (Nepal). 13 May 2025.
- Keynote. 鈥淚nductive, Inclusive, Iterative: Developing AI Literacy in Practice.鈥 Faculty
Development
Symposium. Western Carolina University. 28 February 2025. - Invited Lecture. 鈥Writing Across Boundaries: Generative AI-Driven Innovations in Pedagogy and
Practice.鈥 Co-presented with Emily Gillo. Global Expert Lecture Series. Central Luzon State University (The Philippines). 17 December 2024.
Interviews and Podcasts
- Featured Interview. 鈥淲riting the Rules: Humanities Perspectives on Generative AI.鈥 UM3D Podcast. 29 September 2025.
- Featured Interview. 鈥淎I in Education.鈥 The President鈥檚 Perspective with Bill Hardgrove. . 2024.
Workshops and Roundtables
- Featured Speaker. 鈥淏uilding Better Teams, One Match at a Time.鈥 IIS Research Lightning
Talk
Symposium. University of 蜜桃导航. 7 November 2025. - Workshop Co-Facilitator. Deb Talbot Summer Institute. 鈥淎I Literacy for 蜜桃导航-Shelby
County
Secondary ELA Teachers.鈥 University of 蜜桃导航. 14-15 July 2025. - Workshop Facilitator. 鈥淒esign Thinking for AI Literacy鈥 Faculty Development Symposium. Western Carolina University. 28 February 2025.
- Featured Speaker. 鈥淎I and Writing.鈥 Dissertation Writers鈥 Retreat. University of 蜜桃导航
McWherter
Library. 3 June 2024. - Featured Speaker. 鈥淎I in the Humanities鈥 Roundtable. College of Arts and Sciences.
University of
蜜桃导航. 7 November 2023.
State of Tennessee
- TN AI Advisory Council. Education Committee. 2026-Present.
University of 蜜桃导航
- Provost鈥檚 AI Community of Practice Task Force. 2025-Present.
- Dean of Students鈥 鈥淐ollege to Career鈥 Task Force. 2024-2025.
- Provost鈥檚 鈥淎I for All鈥 Task Force. 2024-2025.
- Elected Representative for the Humanities. University Graduate Council. 2022-2023.
- Professional Development Coordinator. English Department. 2017-2021.
- Center for Writing and Communication Advisory Committee. 2016-2017.
- Lead Marshall. College of Arts and Sciences. University Commencement. August 2014.
English Department Committee Work
- Chair, Tenure and Promotion Committee. 2025-Present
- Graduate Studies Committee. 2016-Present; Committee chair, 2021-2025
- Policies and Procedures Committee. 2016-2021
- Lower Division Programs Committee. 2014-2016.
- Tech Comm Faculty Search Committee. 2021-22; 2016-17.
- Director of Composition Faculty Search Committee. 2015-16.
- Instructor Search Committees. 2016; 2014; 2021; 2024.
- Ad Hoc Literature/Composition PhD Planning Committee. 2019.
- Ad Hoc Retention and Recruitment Committee. 2018.
- Ad Hoc Mentoring and Faculty Development Committee. 2013-14.
English Department Workshops
- Panel Discussant. CAP Workshop. 鈥淣avigating Difficult Student Interactions.鈥 20 February 2018.
- Panel Discussant. CAP Workshop. 鈥淭hinking Early and Often About the Job Market.鈥 1 September 2015.
- Roundtable Speaker. 鈥淐onversations Across Concentrations鈥 Workshop. March 24, 2015.
- Facilitator. Graduate Student Job Materials Workshop. Fall 2014.
