Joel Bergholtz was born and raised in Florida. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in 2014, majoring in both English: Editing, Writing, and and Media and Interdisciplinary Humanities. He then earned his Master’s degree from Ball State University in English: Rhetoric and Composition before returning to FSU for his PhD in English: Rhetoric and Composition. His research is motivated by a desire to uncover and analyze the current mechanisms by which individuals make meaning in and of the “public sphere,” a space and concept that he approaches according to both its physical and digital components. Beyond this academic description, Joel is dedicated to conducting research that contributes to a more compassionate understanding of the world and its people.