Professor
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As an educator of communication, my goal is to stimulate thinking about messages, i.e., messages communicated within and between cultures, messages delivered via the media, messages sent to our selves, and messages shared interpersonally, within small groups, or organizations. My desire is to inspire understanding of how messages influence people, channels, and/or contexts as well as how people, channels, and/or contexts shape messages. If you enroll in one of my courses, I will try to help you polish your skills in writing (clarity is everything), visual communication (less is more), public speaking (love your audience), research (dig deeper), and critical thinking (apply knowledge and make connections). In 1990, I earned a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. I have taught a variety of courses at UWEC since 1989. My current energies focus on Intercultural Communication. I encourage students to develop their cultural intelligence, be mindful communicators, and think globally. Examples of recent student-faculty research projects include: "Cultivating Cultural Intelligence through Study Abroad," and "Culture Talk." Additional research includes the study of Greek radio, coverage of diverse populations in local TV news, children and TV violence, political communication, organizational teams, and deregulation of the radio industry. My research and writings have been published and/or cited inThe Palgrave Handbook of Global Radio,Negotiating Democracy: Media Transformations in Emerging Democracies,Journal of Radio Studies, The Basic Communication Course Annual, The Journal of Wisconsin Communication Association, the Pennsylvania Speech Communication Annual, Journal of Communication Studies, Freedom of Speech, Teaching with Technology Today, Facilitating Group Communication: Innovations and Applications with Natural Groups, Journalism History, Communication Education, and Feedback. In 2003, I was honored with UWEC's "Excellence in Advising Award." I serve as the adviser for Kappa Tau Alpha and chair of WUEC-FM's Advisory Board.
