Biography

Biography 

Cathy Focarazzo Riley has a Master's degree in Composition Theory from Fresno State University. Prior to her employment at CCU, she taught at many schools in California including Fresno State University, Fresno City College, College of the Sequoias, Reedley College, Willow International, West Hills-Lemoore, and San Joaquin Valley College. She also has an extensive background in Tutorial Centers and Writing Centers and as an online writing consultant for National University. In the past, she taught a broad range of online courses for National University.  Her area of study is in Visual Rhetoric. Visual Rhetoric can be defined as a category of rhetorical discourse that relies on something other than words or text for the construction of meaning. Prior to her career in academia, she was a flight attendant for United Airlines and had a 30-year career traveling around the globe. This career developed her fascination and appreciation of other cultures and societies, which has infused her teaching with very diverse viewpoints. 

Teaching Areas

Composition and Rhetoric, Interdisciplinary Studies, Communication, Literature, Business English, Women’s Studies, Communication, Online classes (distance learning in multiple subjects)

Research Areas

Visual Rhetoric