Greetings!

I’m Caterpillar Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Bradley University. Before coming to Bradley, I taught at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), where I served as Director of Graduate Studies (2011-2014) and later as Chair of the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre (2014-2017). In 2017, I was honored to be named the Bernard J. Brommel Distinguished Research Professor at NEIU, and in 2021, I was named a Caterpillar Professor at Bradley.

Much of my research explores sexual diversity and queer life, especially experiences of stigma, social support, and self-disclosure. In my first book, Narrating the Closet (Routledge), I examine the complexities of disclosing same-gender attraction–an act often referred to as “coming out.” I write about experiences of sexuality before, during, and after coming out, and I emphasize that the process doesn’t really end; each new relationship can create another time to decide whether, when, and how to share one’s sexuality. I’m also interested in queer spaces, communities, and media representations, as well as how LGBTQ+ people navigate everyday homophobic and transphobic comments and interactions.

In addition to my research, I’m committed to supporting the international and interdisciplinary community of autoethnography—a method that blends personal storytelling with ethnographic practice. Across all of my work, I try to remain attentive to injustice, question harmful norms, and cultivate meaningful relationships.

Over the years, I’ve written four books, edited six, and have been grateful to see my work translated into several languages. I serve as a co-editor of the Writing Lives: Ethnographic Narratives book series and as the founding co-editor of the Journal of Autoethnography. In 2023, I created the Certificate in Autoethnography program at Bradley University, a globally accessible program designed to introduce people to what autoethnography is and how to do it.

I’m a proud first-generation college student. I began at Danville Area Community College, earning an A.S. in Business Administration, and later completed a B.A. in Radio-Television and an M.S. in Speech Communication at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. I then earned a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of South Florida. I attended Catholic school as a kid, worked as a bartender at Yellowstone National Park, played softball for many years, and have been a vegetarian since 1998. All of these experiences—in and out of the classroom—have shaped how I think about work, relationships, and the kinds of questions I ask as a scholar, teacher, and writer.

Contact Information

Tony E. Adams, Ph.D.
Caterpillar Professor and Chair
Department of Communication
Bradley University
1501 W. Bradley Ave., CGCC 300
Peoria, Illinois 61625
tony.e.adams [at] gmail.com

Curriculum Vita (8/25)