Communication Arts faculty member Robert Asen has received a significant honor with his recent award of a WARF Named Professorship. This university-wide recognition was given out to just ten faculty members across campus in 2025 and honors faculty who have made major contributions to the advancement of knowledge through research and teaching in their field. This research award provides support to each of the winners, giving them the time and funds necessary to complete essential research. Communication Arts is proud to recognize this distinguished accomplishment for Professor Asen.
Asen’s research focuses on public policy debate, public sphere studies, democracy and deliberation, and rhetorical and communication theory. Through this work, he examines how powerful groups use communication to maintain their privileges and how marginalized groups work to overcome exclusions while representing their needs, identities, and interests in the public sphere. In addition to his research, Asen regularly teaches courses in Communication Arts on public education, public policy, public sphere theory, and neoliberalism. For undergraduate students, Professor Asen’s course on Argumentation and Debate has long offered a unique opportunity to learn how to productively disagree with each other.
Professor Asen’s scholarly productivity is remarkable by any measure. Over the course of his career, Asen has published four solo-authored books, four co-edited books, 25 peer-reviewed articles, 14 book chapters, and a variety of shorter articles, reviews, and reports.
Professor Asen highlighted how honored he is to receive this award that will help him continue his work and propel the mission of the University of Wisconsin. “Just as published scholarship is not something that happens in isolation, the work and mission of the university and the genuineness of the Wisconsin Idea, that’s something that all of us do together,” he said. “Even though I’m fortunate enough to be highlighted in this moment, I still understand that as a part of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, I’m part of a larger community that’s trying to sustain our mission, even in challenging times.”
With this award, Asen was given the chance to choose the name of his professorship. He has elected to become the Daniel C. Brouwer Professor of Communication and Democracy. Asen and Brouwer met in graduate school at Northwestern University, and the two shared a set of interests and commitments in their research endeavors. They became longtime collaborators, editing books and journal issues together and presenting on papers after graduating from their program. Brouwer tragically passed away in 2021 at age 51.
“I grew to respect [Brouwer] tremendously, and I considered him a dear friend,” Asen said. “I wanted to use this opportunity to name the professorship to give him some visibility, not just because of our personal connection, but because of all of the ways in which he’s helped advance the discipline.”
Asen plans to use the funds from the award to continue his research and facilitate other aspects of scholarship. He was recently in Zagreb, Croatia, for the Rhetoric Society of Europe conference to establish international partnerships. “Building those kinds of collaborations, especially if you want to sustain them and strengthen them by visiting people, organizing events, and putting together scholarly projects, requires resources,” Asen said.
As Professor Asen continues to make an impact on our department and our students, Communication Arts is honored to watch his exceptional research and dedication to his craft propel the field of rhetoric forward for years to come.