Jonathan Gray | SIU

Communication Studies

Jonathan M. Gray is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication Studies and faculty advisor for the Marion Kleinau Theatre. His primary research interests involve performative inquiries into the social construction of nature. His other scholarly interests reside at the intersections of queer identity, environmental advocacy, and aesthetic communication. 

His published work has appeared in Rhetoric & Society Quarterly, QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking, Text and Performance Quarterly, Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture, Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies, and The Drama Review, among other venues. He has been a director and performer in a number of solo and group performances that deal with environmental themes, including his one-man performances, Trail Mix: A Sojourn on the Muddy Divide between Nature and Culture and Cross/Walking.  

Dr. Gray’s recent work involves using puppetry to investigate the animal turn and Posthumanism. Projects related to this work include serving as a principle organizer of the “All Species Puppet Parade” in Carbondale, IL as well as the director and co-deviser of the group puppet performance, The Matter in Hand. Dr. Gray’s illustration work has appeared in Rhetoric & Society Quarterly, Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies, Palooka: A Journal of Underdog Excellence, Zeszyty Komiksowe, and Xerolage. Since 2013, he has been the host and creator of Isn’t It Queer, an LGBTQ news and interview program aired on WDBX and released as a podcast. 

For more information about Dr. Gray and his work please visit: