Sarah Singer, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Central Florida

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Hello! I am a writer, researcher, and teacher. I earned my B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park and my Ph.D. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My research contributes to a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of chronically ill people and aims to inspire more patient-centered and equitable healthcare practices.

• CV (updated 06-01-25)
• UCF Faculty Page
• Google Scholar Profile / ORCID – I’d be glad to share a PDF of any of my publications–just ask (Sarah.Singer@ucf.edu).
• Video of March 2022 talk, “Understanding Misunderstandings: Patients as Researchers in the Covid-19 Pandemic,” which was part of a Florida Humanities Council panel (The Global Pandemic of 2020-222: Historical Contexts and Current Perspectives)
• Open-Access Technical Communication: Textbooks, Materials, & Other Resources

My monograph, The Patient Empowerment Paradox: Lyme Disease Rhetoric and Contested Health Literacies (forthcoming from University of South Carolina Press, 2026), offers a new framework for understanding why arguments keep patients and their healthcare providers ensnared in debates about individual healthcare choices instead of working collaboratively on effective care. Using a mixed-methods approach, I follow the consequences of patient empowerment rhetoric on Chronic Lyme disease patients. Drawing on my positionality as a patient-rhetorician, I show how quickly patients become ensnared in medical power dynamics, misinformation, and decision fatigue, which prevent them from healing as much as the lack of clear treatment protocols for Chronic Lyme. By offering insights into public and professional communication around Lyme disease, my findings can help scholars and practitioners better navigate medical uncertainty around other chronic, contested conditions such as Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Some of my most important educational experiences occurred in the UMD CIVICUS Living and Learning Program and UNC HHIVE Lab. My goal as an educator is to cultivate similarly interactive environments in which students can strengthen their writing and critical thinking skills.

Outside of work, I love going to farmer’s markets, baking sourdough bread, and playing with Oriole, my toothless cat.

Note: I aim to make this site as accessible as possible. Please let me know if you’d like me to share the text and image in an alternative format.