Timothy Steffensmeier is an associate professor of Communication Studies at Kansas State University. He serves as a research associate with the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy (ICDD), an inter-disciplinary institute dedicated to research, teaching, and outreach efforts to facilitate public deliberation. Currently, Steffensmeier is the editor of the Journal of Public Deliberation. He has published an edited Readings on Argumentation, as well as chapters and essays focused on deliberative democracy, argumentation, and rhetorical invention. These interests inform his scholarship concerning community development. Steffensmeier is currently working on a multi-year project with Public Square Communities, LLC focused on rebuilding the public square in rural communities. Tim teaches courses in Communication and Democracy, Rhetorical Criticism, and Communication and Leadership. He earned his PhD at University of Texas, Austin.