About Ailea
Ailea Merriam-Pigg earned her Ph.D. in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the area of Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture. While her primary work focuses on digital discourse, Ailea is ultimately interested in how power moves through discourse in non-normative spaces, including gaming spaces, musical theater performances, vernacular archives, and funerary practices. She has published on the literary evolution of the Wicked Witch of the West, the musical Hamilton‘s color-purposeful casting practices, evolving practices of community leaders across generations, and metagaming practices on the livestream gaming platform Twitch. Her dissertation focuses on how considering digital discourse around marginalized identity as play enriches our understanding of the rhetorical strategies utilized and opens rhetoric to the consideration of play as a rhetorical strategy.
Ailea is a dedicated teacher with a focus on inclusive pedagogical practices. She has received awards for her inclusive practices, including the Baxter Inclusive Excellence Award and the Distinguished Future Faculty Partner Award. Ailea has also led pedagogical workshops on inclusive pedagogical practices, both as a Comm B TA Fellow and as an invited speaker for the UW Teaching Academy. Her teaching praxis has spanned courses from in-person, online, and hybrid, synchronous and asynchronous, and from writing-intensive to performance-based. Ailea takes a student-first approach to her teaching and incorporates accessibility standards across all her courses as a commitment to universal design. Ailea always seeks feedback from students and other educators regarding ways to make her courses more accessible and successful.
Awards Honors and Fellowships
2026 Distinguished Future Faculty Partner Award, UW Teaching Academy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2025 Baxter Inclusive Excellence Award, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2025 Risser Award, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2024 Helen K. Herman Award, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2024 Lauer/Corbett Award, Rhetoric Society of America
2023 Charles Chester Pearce Award, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2022 Weaver Excellence Award, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2022 Lauer/Corbett Award, Rhetoric Society of America
2022 Elliott Dissertation Scholarship, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2022 Graduate School Fellowship, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2021 “DnD and Disability: Agonistic Discourse around the Combat Wheelchair.” Game Studies Division Paper Competition Top Paper Award, National Communication Association
2021 Frankenburger Award, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2020 Helen K. Herman Award, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2020 CommB TA Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2016 “‘Just Turn it Off’: An Exploration of GamerGate and the Online Workforce.” Southwestern Anthropological Association (SWAA) Conference Paper Competition Third Place Award
Teaching Experience
Instructor of Record
Communication Arts 100: Introduction to Speech Composition, University of Wisconsin-Madison (3 semesters)
Communication Arts 200: Introduction to Digital Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison (10 semesters)
Communication Arts 371: Communication and Conflict Resolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1 semester)
Communication Arts 373: Intercultural Communication and Rhetoric, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1 semester)
Teaching Assistant
Communication Arts 155: Introduction to Digital Media Production, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1 semester)
Communication Arts 200: Introduction to Digital Communication. University of Wisconsin-Madison (1 semester)
Communication Arts 260: Communication and Human Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1 semester)
Communication Arts 262: Theory and Practice of Argumentation and Debate, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1 semester)
Communication Arts 360: Introduction to Rhetoric in Politics and Culture, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2 semesters)
Communication Arts 370: Great Speakers and Speeches, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1 semester)
Science 75: Leaderships and Career Accelerator, San Jose State University (2 semesters)
Conference Presentations
2026 Aliens Say “Trans Rights:” Negotiation Around Trans Rights in a Massive Multiplayer Creative Writing Project, Rhetoric Society of America
2026 For Those Who Come After: Renegotiating In/Dignities Through Game Play, Rhetoric Society of America (Panelist)
2025 “Epideictic Play in the Digital Age.” Rhetorical and Communication Theory Division, National Communication Association Conference.
2025 “Linguistic Substitution in Digital Epideixis: The Case of Gamer Words.” Game Studies Division, National Communication Association Conference.
2025 “Repairing Ruptures: Recentering Play and Games in Internet Research.” Association of Internet Researchers Conference. (Panelist)
2025 “‘It’s Just Some Gamer Words:’ Intersectional Toxicity in Male-Dominated Gaming Spaces.” International Communication Association Conference.
2025 “Who is the Internet For? Rhetorical Arguments and Digital Divides.” Rhetoric Society of Europe Conference.
2024 “‘I’m Going to Be My Own Kind of Princess:’ Embodied Play in the Sailor Moon Cosplay Community.” Student Section, National Communication Association Conference.
2024 “‘Enforce Your Own Rules:’ Hashtag Activism as Play in the Case of #TwitchDoBetter.” Association of Internet Researchers Conference.
2024 “Rainbow-washing and Double-Stufing: Memetic Humor as Corporate Critique in 2022’s Pride Month.” Rhetoric Society of America Conference.
2024 “Partnering with X: Sex, Incest, and Memetic Critique During Pride Month.” UW-Madison RSA Student Symposium
2023 “Disability Depictions in American Theatre: An Alternative Reading of Under the Gaslight.” Disability Issues Caucus, National Communication Association Conference
2022 “Delinking Through Gaming: The Decolonial Potential of Coyote & Crow.” Game Studies Division, National Communication Association Conference
2022 “Nothing Without Us: Agentic Power in #MyDisabledLifeIsWorthy.” Association of Internet Researchers Conference
2022 “The Rhetoric of the Dead: Ancient Egyptian Funeral Practices as Rhetoric.” Rhetoric Society of America Conference
2022 “Critically Considering Critical Role: Fandom and Conflict Through Communal Memory.” Rhetoric Society of America Conference
2021 “‘The Word of Your Body:’ An Analysis of Deaf West’s Theater’s 2016 Tony Award Performance of Spring Awakening.” Disability Issues Caucus and Freedom of Expression Division, National Communication Association Conference
2021 “DnD and Disability: Agonistic Discourse around the Combat Wheelchair.” Game Studies Division, National Communication Association Conference
2021 “Digital Play and Digital Education: One we Praise, One we Deride. Revealing Socioeconomic Discriminatory Structures of the Digital Divide through an Analysis of Covid-19 Pandemic News Articles.” Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide, National Communication Association Conference
2021 “She-Ra and the Monstrous Metaphor: Silencing Criticism of Performative Allyship.” Rhetorical and Communication Theory Division, National Communication Association Conference
2021 “Of Heroes and Hippies: A Reimagining of Superheroes from the Hippie Movement.” DePaul Pop Culture Conference
2021 “Mask-Ulinity: A Socially Distanced Drag King Revue.” 4W and WGSC Conference (Tech Crew and Co-Host)
2021 “The Monstrous Woke: Silencing Criticism of Performative Allyship.” UW-Madison Communication Arts (Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture) Colloquium
2020 “The Metagame of Twitch: Neoliberal Practices as Illustrated through the Transcendent Persona.” Game Studies Division Preconference- National Communication Association Conference
2020 “Who Tells Your Story? The Rhetoricity of Casting and Performance in Musical Theater.” International and Intercultural Communication Division, National Communication Association Conference
2019 “Pistis or Peitho: The Connection Between Rhetoric and Theater as Seen Through Aristotle’s On Rhetoric.” Rhetoric Society of America Student Chapter Symposium
2017 “Games and Gaming: Innovative Approaches to Actionable Research.” Southwestern Anthropological Association Conference
2017 “Parking Matters! Visual Ethnography as Provocative Design Fiction.” Southwestern Anthropological Association Conference
2017 “Agency and Surveillance at Work.” Southwestern Anthropological Association Conference
2017 “Who Watches the Watchmen?: Ethical Complications When Researching Your Own Community.” Southwestern Anthropological Association Conference
2016 Continuity and Change in Community-Based Leadership in San Jose, CA, Southwestern Anthropological Association (SWAA) Conference Presentation
2016 “Continuity and Change in Community Leadership: The CommUniverCity Study.” Anthrox, San Jose State University
2016 “Parking Matters Video Presentations.” Nissan Research Center of Silicon Valley
2014 “‘No One Mourns the Wicked’: Evolving Perspectives on the Wicked Witch of the West.” Perspectives on Evil and Human Wickedness Conference, Interdisciplinary.net (Co-Presenter)
Invited Guest Lectures
Fall 2026 “Gaming as a Digital Culture.” Communication Arts 200: Introduction to Digital Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Internal Guest Lectures and Speaking Events
Spring 2025 “Ancient Rhetorics Beyond the GrecoRoman World.” Communication Arts 570: Classical Rhetorical Theory, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
2023/2022/2020/2019 “Digital Game Cultures.” Communication Arts 200: Introduction to Digital Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Spring 2023 “Comparative Rhetorics: Methods and Complications of Ancient Analysis as Exhibited through the Ancient Egyptian Heart Scarab.” Communication Arts 570: Classical Rhetorical Theory, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Spring 2021 “Silver Linings of Teaching During the Pandemic.” Teaching Academy Members-Only Roundtable, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Spring 2021 “The Monstrous Woke: Silencing Criticism of Performative Allyship.” Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture Colloquium.
Service
2026-2027 Past Chair, Game Studies Division, National Communication Association
2026 Reviewer, Critical Studies in Media Communication
2023-2026 Future Faculty Partner Co-Chair, UW Teaching Academy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2025-2026 Chair, Game Studies Division, National Communication Association
2024-2026 Secretary, Disability Issues Caucus, National Communication Association
2022-2026 Reviewer, Game Studies Division, National Communication Association
2025 Reviewer, Internet & Policy.
2025 Member, Nominating Committee, National Communication Association
2024-2025 Member, Legislative Assembly, National Communication Association
2022-2025 Reviewer, Association of Internet Researchers Conference
2022-2025 Reviewer, Disability Issues Caucus, National Communication Association
2024 Vice Chair, Game Studies Division, National Communication Association
2024 Reviewer, Games & Culture.
2024 Reviewer, Rhetorical and Communication Theory Division, National Communication Association
2024 Reviewer, Theatre, Film, and New Multimedia Division, National Communication Association
2023-2024 Volunteer Coordinator and Planning Committee, Midwest Winter Workshop
2022-2023 Vice Chair Elect, Game Studies Division, National Communication Association
2022-2023 Student Representative, Disability Issues Caucus, National Communication Association
2022-2023 Graduate Student Representative, Graduate Student Organization, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2020-2023 Graduate Student Representative, Comic Studies Special Interest Group, Society for Cinema and Media Studies
2021-2022 Graduate Student Representative, Game Studies Division, National Communication Association
2020 Midwest Winter Workshop Volunteer
2019-2021 Secretary, Rhetoric Society of America Student Chapter, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2018-2019 Audio Editor, Playback, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ailea MP 