Lakeland writing professor promoted
Lakeland University has promoted Alexis Piper, Ph.D., to associate professor of composition and she has been granted tenure.
Piper served Lakeland as an adjunct instructor of composition from 2014-18, then worked as a full-time lecturer and corequisite coordinator for first-year English at UW-Whitewater. She returned to Lakeland in May of 2022 as assistant professor of composition. In 2023, she became Lakeland’s composition coordinator and in 2024 was named director of interdisciplinary studies.
Piper is known for finding creative ways to get students to engage in critical thinking. Her composition students have commented that "(Lexi) was so dedicated to helping each of us individually” and “(Lexi) put great effort into making sure that everybody was involved and that we all understood what is expected of us.”
Her colleagues have noted that “(Lexi’s) warm affect, use of humor, and humble yet confident demeanor along with her skillful management of the classroom and engagement of the material in review have cultivated a productive and inviting learning environment.”
This May, Piper will co-lead a group of students to South Dakota, and she has taught an honors seminar "Witches: Then and Now," which examined what can be learned today from the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries, including the spread of misinformation and intolerance of personal, political and religious diversity.
Piper’s professional work has been selected twice by the Rhetoric Society of America. She often writes on topics related to supporting first-year students, pedagogy, rhetoric, culture and environmental issues. When attending these conferences and others, she brings what she learns back to the Lakeland community.
