2016 College Report

Faculty Accolades Faculty have published more than 90 books and more than 290 peer-reviewed articles on communication topics. In 2015- 16, Communication Studies faculty were awarded prestigious national and international awards for research, including Book of the Year, Article of the Year, and several Top Research Paper awards at regional, national and international communication associations. Faculty are often quoted as communication experts in media outlets including the Washington Post , the Wall Street Journal , the New York Daily News , ABC News Radio, the Mumbai Mirror , AARP , Wisconsin Law Review , the Times of India , Yahoo India , Quo! (Spain & Mexico), Fox News, Men’s Health , Indian Express , and the Chicago Sun-Times based on their international reputation for research excellence. Faculty have been elected by their peers at other institutions to serve in top leadership positions for regional and national communication organizations, including the largest communication association in the world. Tey also serve as editors of national communication journals. Faculty have earned grants from the Special Olympics of Texas, U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, and the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. National Recognition Communication Studies is rated nationally as a Top Tier research program and is the #3 communication master’s program in the nation for communication education research. Texas State’s fundamentals of communication course, COMM 1310, is the only communication course in the nation to receive both of the top awards bestowed by the National Communication Association for excellence in teaching, assessment, and administration of a communication fundamentals program. In 2016, the Department of Communication Studies will host TEDx Texas State University. TEDx is an internationally known speaking event devoted to celebrating and spreading new ideas. Communication Studies faculty have been honored with a record 10 Texas State Presidential Awards of Excellence for Teaching, Research, and Service, as well as one Presidential Seminar. Te Communication Studies Teaching and Learning Academy (TLA) is one of the top programs in the nation for university teacher training. Many TLA graduates have gone on to teaching positions at universities including DePaul University, Princeton University, Ohio University, Marquette University, Emerson University, High Point University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Indiana University, Western Oregon University, University of Iowa, George Mason University, Prairie View A&M University, UT San Antonio, UT Austin, Cal Polytechnic State University, Northwest Louisiana University, Arizona State University, University of Central Michigan West Texas A&M University, UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, and Stephen F. Austin University. Te LBJ Debate Society and Elton Abernathy Forensics Society have won 1st place overall at the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association (TIFA) state championship for 16 of the last 17 years. Te LBJ Debate Society is the only U.S. team invited each year to participate in a debate at Oxford University in England. In the recent Communication Studies Academic Program Review, the external reviewers wrote, “Tis department is as good as any communication program nationwide; we agree that we are hard pressed to fnd a communication department in the nation that has had this trajectory of success.” Successful Alumni (See also Distinguished Alumni pp. 34-35) Ern i e Domi nguez | President & CEO, D&K Partners LLC Ni ck Dr i ve r | Senior Vice President at Research Data Insights in Los Angeles Anne Grady | Motivational speaker and author of 52 Strategies for Life, Love & Work: Transforming Your Life One Week at a Time Je f f Hahn | Principal, Hahn Public Communications, Austin Joe Ho f f e r | Lawyer/Partner, Schulman, Lopez, & Hoffer LLP Br i an Mi l l e r | Senior Manager of Sales Communication and Policies, United Airlines Ri ck Pa lme r | Senior Learning Design & Development Manager, 7-Eleven Corporation Boyd Po l hamus | PRCA National Finals Rodeo Announcer, multiple-time winner of PRCA Rodeo Announcer of the Year Kuro Tawi l | Founder of Kuros!, a socially conscious business that provides pepper spray to women in developing countries to protect themselves from assault L i zz i e Ve l asquez | Motivational speaker and author of three books; subject of documentary film A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story Tommy Anderson Students of FAC Spotlight Communication Studies Student | Junior “My frst semester of my sophomore year, I began as a mathematics major which I changed to my minor. Dr. Burns was big infuence on my change to Communication Studies. When I started taking more of the major’s courses, I wanted to be more involved which led me to become a Communication Ambassador. It’s a high impact organization where we take what we have learned in the classroom and apply it to real world situations. I am more than enjoying being a part of this department.” College Report 2016 | 23