2023 Metcalf Award Recipient: Stephanie Byttebier

Stephanie L. Byttebier (GRS’04,’13) is a senior lecturer in rhetoric at Boston University’s College of General Studies and began teaching at the University in 2005 as an instructor in the Writing Program at the College of Arts & Sciences. Known for fusing classroom instruction and research with the world at large, she received the Global Impact Research Fund Award from CGS’s Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching & Learning in 2020.

Dr. Byttebier earned a BA in linguistics and literature, magna cum laude, from the University of Ghent, an MA in American studies, magna cum laude, from the University of Antwerp, and her MA and PhD in English from Boston University. She teaches courses in composition and rhetoric, the history of rhetoric, and the rhetoric of protest and resistance—among other topics—and emphasizes the role rhetoric plays in challenging the status quo. She often seeks to connect discussion of historical materials to our cultural moment, from an Eminem rap battle to Super Bowl ads to debates on daytime talk shows.

Dr. Byttebier also leads a course in the London Study Abroad semester, where she brings history to life through assignments that send students across the city equipped with cameras and notebooks. Hands-on experience is a crucial component of her pedagogy, particularly through service learning as a mutually beneficial practice. Her students serve as judges for the Boston Debate League, an organization that brings the power of oral argument and civil discourse into public middle and high schools.

In her course evaluations, she receives enthusiastic praise and countless superlatives: “Absolutely amazing,” “The best professor I’ve had at BU,” and “If I could take her forever, I would.” But the adjective that recurs most is “passionate.”

Her colleagues agree, lauding her creativity, sophistication, and emphasis on active learning. As her department chair puts it, “Dr. Byttebier is defined by her refusal to take shortcuts or compromise in any way when it comes to offering students the very best possible learning experiences.”