Jack Wood is a Ph.D. Candidate in Rhetorical Studies whose research examines how rhetoric mediates the production of urban space. Drawing on rhetorical theory, human geography, and political economy, his work investigates the relationship between discourse, ideology, and the built environment. In general, his scholarship explores how rhetorical form mediates urban form, revealing the discursive processes by which city spaces are challenged and contested. In particular, his work focuses on discourses relating to urban development, planning, and governance.

In 2023, Wood was invited to the International Semiotics Institute (ISI) in Prague, Czechia, where he presented research on visual metaphor and the symbolic organization of urban space. He has served as Editorial Assistant for Rhetoric & Public Affairs under the editorship of Dr. Catherine L. Langford. In 2025, he received the Robert Bostrom Young Scholar Award from the Southern States Communication Association (SSCA) for his paper, “Rethinking ‘Resilience’ in the Rhetoric of Urban Planning.” His research has been presented at regional, national, and international conferences across the fields of communication studies, urban studies, and semiotics. Wood currently serves as Secretary of the American Society for the History of Rhetoric Interest Group at the SSCA.