The School of Communication Studies awarded its 100th PhD
100th Ph.D. degree at commencement on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003. Congratulations to Angie Planisek, our 100th Ph.D., who successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation, Testing an Interactional Model of Student Persuasion. Rebecca Rubin is Angie’s advisor. We are also very pleased that our 1st Ph.D., Dominic Infante, will help Becky Rubin and Jim Gaudino hood Angie at commencement.

1st PhD

Melinda Hayman

Melinda Hayman
MA, 2003

Thesis title: "Attachment, Relationship Maintenance, and Interpersonal Motives for Parent Child Communication"

Melinda is currently living in Woodbridge, Virginia

Gwen Hullman

Gwen Hullman
Ph.D., 2003

Disertation title: "Interpersonal Communication Motives and Message Design Logic: Exploring Their Interaction in Message Production"

Gwen is a part-time instructor at Case Western Reserve, Cleveland State University, and John Carroll University

Denise Polk & Rebecca Rubin

Denise Polk
Ph.D., 2003

Dissertation title: "Relational Identity, Social Support, and Marital Satisfaction: A Framework Using Equity and Spillover"

Denise is Assistant Professor at Bridgewater College in Virginia

Narrisra Punyanunt & Stacy Carter
Narissra Punyanunt Carter
Ph.D. 2002

Dissertation Title: "Relational Maintenance, Communication Motives, and Satisfaction in Father-Daughter Relaitonships

Narissra is an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University. She and Stacy Carter were married on March 16, 2003. ( narissra@hotmail.com)

Clara Popa

Clara Popa
M.A. 2001

Thesis Title: "Differences in Perceptions of Appropriateness and Effectiveness of Conflict Strategies: A Replication and Extension"

Clara is a doctoral student at Kent State University

Rebecca Merkin
Ph.D. 2000

Dissertation Title: "A Cross-Cultural Examination of Facework Communication: An Application of Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions"

Rebecca is an Assistant Professor at New York University & Rutgers University

Peggy Finucane & Meg Algren

Margaret Finucane (Left)
Ph.D. 1999

Dissertation Title: Development and Validation of a Measure of the Social Uses of Television: Parental Coviewing with Children"

Peggy is an Assistant Professor at John Carroll University

Lance Angel
Ph.D. 1999

Dissertation Title: "A Meta-Analysis of Interpersonal Communication Constructivist Research"

Lance is Director of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment at Dominican College in Orangeburg, NY (about 1/2 hr. northwest of New York City) It's a private Catholic college with an enrollment of about 1600. It is a little more his pace than Kentucky was, he reports, but not as beautiful. ( Doclra@aol.com)

Lisa Flaherty Liggett
Lisa M. Flaherty Liggett
Ph.D., 1998

Dissertation Title: "Communication Expectations, Feeling Understood, and Relationship Development" Noreen Liggett

Lisa is in marketing research at American Greetings. She and her husband, Michael recently had a baby daughter. Noreen Elizabeth was born on February 10, 2001 at 5:35 pm, weighing in at 7 lbs, 8 oz.

Peggy Finucane & Meg Algren
Margaret Algren (right)
Ph.D., 1997

Disertation Title: An Investigation of the Communication Processes Used by Temporary Employees to Achieve Assignment Success and Job Satisfaction

Meg is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies at the University of Towson, MD ( malgren@towson.edu)

Carolyn Radcliff

Carolyn Radcliff
M.A., 1997

Thesis Title: "Nonverbal Behavior and Credibility: A Replication and Extension Study"

Carolyn is a reference librarian at Kent State University. ( radcliff@kent.edu)

Ronda Smith

Ronda Smith
Ph.D., 1996

Dissertation Title: "The Health Control Model: Designing and Implementing Effective Health Promoting Messages"

Ronda is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Rozell Duncan

Rozell Duncan          
Ph.D., 1996

Dissertation Title: "Immediacy and Uncertainty in Superior-Subordinate Communication Relationships"

Rozell is an Assistant Professor at Kent State University

Cecelia Merkel

Cecelia Merkel
M.A., 1995

Thesis Title: "A Test of the Skills Deficiency and Self-Efficacy Models to Explain Argumentative Behavior"

Cecelia Merkel (MA, 1995) finished her Ph.D. in Library Science at the University of Illinois. She's teaching a course on Web Design this spring and continuing work on organizing the training & doing community outreach at Prairienet, a community computer network that serves East Central IL. She can be reached at c-merkel@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu.

Bruce Riddle

Bruce Riddle
Ph.D., 1994

Dissertation Title: "Organizational Communication, Uncertainty Reduction, and Role-Identity Saliencein the Socialization of Entering College Students"

Bruce is Assistant Professor and Advisor at Kent State University.

Pawena Sirimangkala

Pawena Sirimangkala
Ph.D., 1993

Dissertation Title: "An Examination of Intercultural Communication Training Outcomes: Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Intercultural Communication Competence"

Wini is an Assistant Professor at Barry University. She is standing here with her husband, Pongchai Sritongsuk, in front of their new house in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Cary Horvath

Cary Horvath
M.A., 1993

Thesis Title: "Biological Origins of Communicator Style"

Cary is an Assistant Professor at Youngstown State University