Research by Gordon Mitchell

Gordon R. Mitchell is an Associate Professor and Director of Debate in the Department of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he has taught since 1995. His research program specializes in public argument, rhetoric of science, and social movements, while his feet gravitate toward salsa dancing and sweep rowing on Pittsburgh's resplendent three rivers.

Full CV / Short CV

Electronic copies of documents are provided for individual use for private study or research. To reproduce these publications, permission should be sought unless stated otherwise. Links are welcome.

Book

  Strategic Deception: Rhetoric, Science and Politics in Missile Defense Advocacy (East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2000). Winner James A. Winans-Herbert A. Wichelns Memorial Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Rhetoric and Public Address.

MSU Press summary / Amazon.com summary

Journal articles

• "Public Argument Action Research and the Learning Curve of New Social Movements." Argumentation and Advocacy 30 (Spring 2004): 209-225 (lead essay). html [108K]
• "Did Habermas Cede Nature to the Positivists?" Philosophy and Rhetoric 36 (Fall 2003): 1-21 (lead essay). PDF file [120K]
• "The Blooming of Balkan Public Debate." Controversia 1 (Fall 2002): 86-89; Russian translation: 105-109. html [18K]
• "Public Argument-Driven Security Studies." Argumentation and Advocacy 39 (Summer 2002): 57-72 (lead review essay). html [69K]
• "Informed Consent After the Human Genome Project" (co-authored with Kelly Happe). Rhetoric and Public Affairs 4 (Fall 2001): 375-406. html [124K] / Word doc [110K]
• "Defining the Subject of Consent in DNA Research" (co-authored with Kelly Happe). Journal of Medical Humanities 22 (Spring 2001): 41-54. html [40K] / Word doc [46K]
• "Japan-U.S. Missile Defense Collaboration: Rhetorically Delicious, Deceptively Dangerous." Fletcher Forum of World Affairs 25 (Winter 2001): 85-108. html [81K] /PDF file [140K]
• Editors' introduction to special double issue on the inaugural AARST Science Policy Forum (co-authored with Timothy M. O'Donnell). Social Epistemology 14 (April-September 2000): 79-88. PDF file [130K]
• "Fact, Friction, and Political Conviction in Science Policy Controversies" (co-authored with Marcus Paroske). Social Epistemology 14 (April-September 2000): 89-108 (lead essay). PDF file [219K]
• "Placebo Defense: The Rhetoric of Patriot Missile Accuracy in the 1991 Persian Gulf War." Quarterly Journal of Speech 86 (May 2000): 121-45 (lead essay). html [106K]
• "Whose Shoe Fits Best? Dubious Physics and Power Politics in the TMD Footprint Controversy." Science, Technology and Human Values 25 (Winter 2000): 53-87. PDF file [102K]
• "Simulated Public Argument as a Pedagogical Play on Worlds." Argumentation and Advocacy 36 (Winter 2000): 134-50. PDF file [50K]
• "Pedagogical Possibilities for Argumentative Agency in Academic Debate." Argumentation and Advocacy 35 (Fall 1998): 41-60 (lead essay). PDF file [50K]
• "Another Strategic Deception Initiative." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 53 (March/April 1997): 22-23. PDF file [199K]

Briefing papers

• "Missile Defence: Trans-Atlantic Diplomacy at a Crossroads." (co-authored with Kevin J. Ayotte and David Cram Helwich). International Security Information Service (UK) Briefing Series on Ballistic Missile Defence No. 6 (July 2001). International Security Information Service (UK) website.
  See Richard Norton-Taylor's article in The Guardian (London) discussing release of briefing html [4k]
• "National Missile Defense: An Overview." Raketenabwehrforschung International Briefing (April 2001). Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) website.
• "US National Missile Defence: Technological Challenges, Political Pitfalls, and Disarmament Opportunities." International Security Information Service (Europe) Briefing No. 23 (May 2000). International Security Information Service (Europe) website.
• "Missile Defence Policy: Strident Voices and Perilous Choices." International Security Information Service (UK) Briefing Series on Ballistic Missile Defence No. 1 (April 2000). International Security Information Service (UK) website.
• "Return of the Death Star?" (co-authored with members of the Cherub Study Group). Federation of American Scientists E-Print (1998). Federation of American Scientists website.
• "Two-Way Deception Traffic on the Road to Theater High Altitude Air Defense." Federation of American Scientists E-Print (1997). Federation of American Scientists website.
• "The TMD Footprint Controversy." Federation of American Scientists E-Print (1996). Federation of American Scientists website.
• "Sparta's Advice to BMDO: Overstepping the Boundaries of FACA?" Federation of American Scientists E-Print (1996). Federation of American Scientists website.

Newspaper and magazine articles

• "Sisters are Right on Space Weaponization." Hartford Courant, March 29, 2002. html [5K]
• "Scarecrow Missile Defense: While Gung-Ho Over a Multibillion-dollar Missile Shield, the Bush Administration Seems to Realize that it Doesn't Work." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 8, 2001, E-1. html [6K] / PDF file [3.6MB]
  See editorial responses html [4K]
• "Reagan's Forgotten Vision: Supporters of Missile Defense Ignore Priority of Disarmament." Pittsburgh Federalist (Fall 2000): 10-11. html [8K]
• "About those Normal Accidents: Another Failure of a Missile Defense Flight Test Shows the Folly of Building Trust in the System." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 16, 2000, E-4. html [15K]
• "The National Missile Defense Fallacy: Money Flows into a Flawed System, and a False Sense of Security Grows." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 29, 2000, A-17. html [9K]
• "Civilian Police Review Board: Yes or No?" (co-authored with Kelly Happe). Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 9, 1997, E-1. html [4K]

Selected public debates directed

• "Should abstinence-only sex education be taught in primary and secondary school health curricula?" Dr. Margaret Meeker and Darinka Maldonado vs. Brenda Green and Allison Hahn. Parran Auditorium. Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh. November 20, 2003.
  Flier Word doc [664K]
  Media advisory Word doc [288K]

• "Should the United States Sell Arms to Taiwan?" Cynthia Kinnan vs. Andrew Stangl, with expert commentary from Professor Davis Bobrow. University of Pittsburgh. William Pitt Union Ballroom. Pittsburgh, PA. April 12, 2001.
  Program PDF file [15K]
  Transcript html [79K] / Word doc [81K]

• "Could School Vouchers Improve the Quality of Education in Our State?" Eugene Hickok, David Kirkpatrick and Denise Olczak vs. Rev. Thomas E. Smith, Melissa Butler, and Bianca Huff. University of Pittsburgh. William Pitt Union Assembly Room. Pittsburgh, PA. March 23, 1999.
  Sample invite letters PDF file [15K] / Word doc [6K]
  Flier PDF file [4K] / Word doc [6K]
  Program PDF file [19K] / Word doc [20K]
  Transcript PDF file [184K] / Word doc [130K]
  Selected news coverage PCN-TV [PDF 4K] / Pittsburgh Tribune-Review[html 4K] Pittsburgh Courier[PDF 1.2MB]

• "Is there Sufficient Scientific Evidence which Proves We Should Limit Greenhouse Gas Emissions Because of Climate Change?" Dr. James E. Hansen vs. Dr. Patrick J. Michaels. National Communication Association Convention. Hilton Hotel Green Room. New York, NY. November 20, 1998.
  Program PDF file [19K]
  Transcript PDF file [3.2MB]
  O'Donnell introduction PDF file [192K]
  Hansen commentary NASA website
  Shackley commentary PDF file [97K]
  Ziman commentary PDF file [138K]
  Wander and Jaehne commentary PDF file [213K]

• "Should Pittsburgh Adopt a Citizen Police Review Board?" Billy Hileman, Joe Panzino and Hon. Sala Udin vs. Bianca Huff, Marshall Hynes and Hon. Dan Onorato. University of Pittsburgh. Forbes Quadrangle Lecture Hall. Pittsburgh, PA. March 23, 1997.
  Transcript of student warm-up debate PDF file [65K]
  CRB timeline PDF file [8K]
  Transcript of final debate html [140K]
  Citizen participation PDF file [1.8MB]
  Selected news coverage Pittsburgh Tribune-Review [PDF 1.1MB] Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [PDF 3.3MB]

Commentary on September 11 and beyond

• Transcript of October 1, 2003 live interview by John McIntire, television host of Night Talk on the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel (Pittsburgh). Topic: Valerie Plame leak scandal [12K].
• "Team B Wins Again: Competitive Intelligence Assessment in the Bush National Security Strategy." Paper presented at the 12th NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation, Alta UT, August 1, 2003. html [40K]
• Transcript of April 10, 2003 live interview by John McIntire, television host of Night Talk on the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel (Pittsburgh). Topic: War in iraq [12K].
• "American Itsesensuuri: A Typology of Self-Censorship in the 'War on Terror.'" In Frans van Eemeren, et al., ed., Proceedings of the Fifth ISSA Conference on Argumentation (Amsterdam: SicSat, 2003): 767-72. PDF file [181K]
• "Beyond 'With Us or With the Terrorists,'" 2002 Orville Hitchcock Lecture, University of Iowa, January 29, 2002 PDF file [384K].
• Transcript of December 13, 2001 interview by Tom Sussi, television reporter for Fox 53 News (Pittsburgh). Selected portions aired December 13, 2001 on Fox 53 News html [4K].
• "Summation speech." Public address at the Stand For Justice Rally, sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Coalition. Market Square, Pittsburgh, PA, October 11, 2001 html [6K].
• Transcript of October 11, 2001 interview by Kirsi Jansa, freelance reporter for the Finland Broadcasting Company. Aired October 16, 2001 on Finland TV Channel 2 Ajankohtainen Kakkonen program html [18K].
• "Consider the Cycle of Violence if Retaliation Kills Civilians Abroad." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 16, 2001, html [3K]

Other assorted publications

• "Spectactular Warfare." In G. Thomas Goodnight, ed., Arguing Communication and Culture: Selected Papers from the Twelfth AFA/NCA Conference on Argumentation (Annandale, VA: National Communication Association, 2002): 137-44. PDF file [163K]
• "Reflexive Fiat." The Rostrum 72 (January 1998): 11-20. html [21K] Word doc [23K] PDF file [72K]
• "Time for an Activist Outward Turn in Academic Debate." In Roger Solt, ed., United States Foreign Policy: China Cards (Winston-Salem: DRG, 1995): 4-7. html [33K]
• "International Fiat and Plan-Inclusive Counterplans: New Tools for the Negative." In Roger Solt, ed., Effluents and Affluence: Global Pollution (Winston-Salem: DRG, 1992): 4-7. html [33K]
• "The Orality Masquerade." In Roger Solt, ed., Space Exploration: The Policy Frontier (Winston-Salem: DRG, 1990): 3-6. html [26K]
• "Rebounding From Hard Acts to Follow." In Roger Solt, ed., Retirement Security: Shuffleboard on the Titanic (Winston-Salem: DRG, 1989): 7-10. html [29K]

Argumentative agency on the ground

• In the spring of 2003, nearly 200 members of the intercollegiate policy debate community signed a petition to presidential advisor Karl Rove decrying the Bush administration's debating tactics in justifying war on Iraq. Download the petition text, see a press release explaining the petition campaign, view a photograph of the Capitol Hill delivery petition to Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) on July 9, 2003, and read Rep. Kucinich's comments on the floor of the House of Representatives entering the petition text and list of signatories into the July 11, 2003 Congressional Record.
• Prior to the 2003 NDT and CEDA national championship tournaments, a number of debaters and coaches collaborated to conduct "primary research" interviews with prominent experts on that year's intercollegiate policy debate resolution dealing with U.S. policy toward Southeast Asia. The interviews with Indian nuclear proliferation expert Brahma Chellaney and Irish legal scholar William Schabas were published by The Global Beat, New York University's independent news syndicate.
• In the wake of the September 11, 2001 airline attacks on the United States, Wake Forest University held a 'National Debate-in' during its regularly scheduled intercollegiate policy debate tournament, replacing the last two preliminary rounds of debate with public debates. See a sample media advisory explaining the event, read expert commentary on the importance of public debate in the aftermath of 9/11, see a transcript of "When Intercollegiate Debate was Subversive," ­ the "Round 8 keynote address" by Robert P. Newman, and peruse real-time interviews of participants.
• The Claremont Debate Union's Middle Schools Outreach Program pursues principles of curricular integration, public debate and community engagement in ways that resonate fundamentally with my vision of 'argumentative agency in academic debate.' Starting in Fall 2004, new University of Pittsburgh graduate student Freya Thimsen (formerly of the Bay Area Urban Debate League) will be heading up an effort to implement the Claremont model into the Pittsburgh Public School System.

Miscellaneous debate tidbits

• Jodi Wilgoren, "World of Debating Grows, and Vermont Is Its Lab," The New York TImes, August 9, 2001 html doc / Word doc
• Bill Steigerwald, "Fast Talkers; Pitt's Crack Debate Team Hits the Road for Some Hyper Tournament Action," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 30, 1999, p. G-1 html doc / Word doc
• My judging philosophy updated for the 2004 NDT Word doc

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