Rate My Professor John Rountree

John Rountree is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies in the Department of Arts and Communication at the University of Houston-Downtown. He earned his Ph.D. in Communication Arts and Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University in 2019. Prior to his tenure-track position at UHD, Rountree conducted research during his graduate studies at Penn State, focusing on deliberative processes. At UHD, he serves as Assistant Director of the Center for Public Deliberation, where he organizes events and collaborates on national research projects assessing deliberative innovations such as the Citizens' Initiative Review and the Oregon Citizens' Assembly. His scholarship centers on the intersection of rhetoric and democratic deliberation, examining communication dynamics in diverse settings including congressional town hall meetings, legislative debates, citizen review panels, and citizens' assemblies. Rountree's work contributes to understanding how rhetorical strategies facilitate or hinder public decision-making in democratic contexts.

In his teaching role, Rountree instructs courses like Rhetoric and Public Address (COMM 3325) and Communication and Public Decision Making (COMM 1309), emphasizing practical skills in rhetorical analysis and deliberative practices. He received the Excellence in Teaching Award at UHD's 2025 Faculty Awards ceremony, recognizing his impact on student learning. Key publications include 'The Genre of Deliberative Guidance: Rhetoric and Deliberation in Citizens' Initiative Review Statements' (Western Journal of Communication, 2023), 'The internal dynamics of “scaling up” deliberative mini-publics' (Communication and the Public, 2022), a chapter titled 'Rhetorical Criticism' in Research Methods in Deliberative Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2022), and 'The Case for Using Generative AI to Run Deliberation Simulations' (Deliberative Democracy Digest, 2026). Additionally, he has published on note-taking in the Washington Climate Assembly (Southern Communication Journal, 2024). Rountree holds leadership positions including Faculty Council representative for Arts and Communication (2025-2027) and member of the Policy Advisory Council. Through his research, teaching, and administrative roles, he advances the field of deliberative democracy, promoting informed public discourse and institutionalizing deliberative practices in academic and community settings.