Full Time Faculty

* Jeffrey T. Child, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

North Dakota State University, 2007

Research Interests: Impact of New Communication Technologies; Interpersonal and Family Communication; Privacy Management and Technology; Information Seeking and Technology; and Communication Education and Technology.

Current Projects: Blogging and Privacy Management in the Home; Technology Use and Monitoring within the Home; Romantic Rituals Scale Development; Emerging Technologies within the Home and Health Issues.

Teaching Interests: Quantitative Research Methods; New Communication Technologies; Interpersonal Communication; Family Communication; Small Group Communication; Communication Education

Rozell Duncan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies
Kent State University, 1996
Research Interests: Organizational Culture; Organizational Diversity; Superior/Subordinate Relationships; The Use of Power in the Superior/Subordinate Relationship; Uncertainty in the Workplace; Workplace Socialization, and Gender
Teaching Interests: Organizational Communication; Nonverbal Communication; Business and Professional Speaking; Gender Communication; Interpersonal Communication; Managerial Communication; Organizational Culture/Diversity; Group Discussion
Current Research Projects: The impact of new technologies on the communication between superiors and subordinates; and the impact of residence hall occupancy on the socialization of freshman as new organizational members; currently working on a research grant with other Kent State full-time faculty

* Nichole Egbert, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Studies
University of Georgia, 2000 
Research Interests: Health Communication campaigns; Social Support Processes; Emotion, Attitude and Persuasion; Relational and Interpersonal Communication, Family Caregiving and Chronic Illness, and Spirituality/religiosity in Helping Relationships.
Current Research Projects: Emotional Support for Caregivers of Stroke Survivors; Social Support in Communities of Faith; Health Information Seeking, Health Literacy
Teaching Interests: Health Communication; Relational Communication; Organizational Nonverbal Communication; Theory; Quantitative Methods; Foundations of Communication

* Paul Haridakis, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Kent State University, 2000
Research Interests: Media Uses and Effects; New Communication Technologies; Media Policy and Regulation; Freedom of Expression; Media Ethics
Current Research Projects: Uses and Effects of Television Violence; Regulation of Television Content; The First Amendment and the Internet; Media Coverage of Judicial Processes
Teaching Interests: Speech in a Free Society; Communication Process; Research Methods; Senior Seminar

Barbara Hugenberg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Basic Course
Bowling Green State University, 2002
Research Interests: Organizational Communication, Organizational Cultures and Climate, Communication Pedagogy, and Popular Culture
Current Projects: Organizational studies of NASCAR and its stakeholders (fans). A project discussing online education and student learning objectives. Building a distance learning site for the basic communication course (COMM 15000). Preparing the eleventh volume of Teaching Ideas for the Basic Communication Course. Co-editing a manual exploring best practices in training instructors for teaching the basic communication course. A study of Cleveland's baseball curse (the curse of Rocky Colivato). A gender study of Indy car driver Danica Patrick.
Teaching Interests: Organizational Communication, Organizational Cultures, Popular Culture, Public Communication, High Impact Professional Speaking, Working in Teams, Gender Communication

* Lawrence W. Hugenberg, Ph.D., Professor

The Ohio State University, 1981

Research Interests: Sport Fandom, Sports Communication, Media and Popular Culture, Organizational Communication

Current Projects: NASCAR fans and parasocial relationships; motives of NASCAR fans; NASCAR fans and identification; NASCAR and nationalism; preparing graduate students for the professoriate; gender and sport fandom; narrative analysis of NASCAR fans; national surveys on learning objectives, technology, and administrative problems in the basic communication course; the clash of values as Toyota enters NASCAR

Current Research with Graduate Students:student reactions to PowerPoint use in the basic course; corporate social responsibility; survey of “My Death Space;” communication skills survey of employers, basic course directors and students in the basic course; Massillon v. Canton McKinley high school sport rivalry

Teaching Interests: Organizational Communication, Quantitative Research Methods, Media Studies, Film and Communication, Sports Communication, Political Communication, Popular Culture

Jinhee Kim, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

* Junghyun Frannie Kim, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Michigan State University, 2006

Research Interests: Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC), Social and Psychological Effects of New Media Technologies, Internet User Habit and Addiction

Current Research Projects: Group identity and conformity behavior in computer-mediated group decision making, the role of virtual self-representation (i.e. avatars) in perpetuating or challenging negative stereotypes among different socio-categorical groups, the formation and breaking of unhealthy Internet use habits, the relationship between children's heavy computer/Internet use and obesity

Teaching Interests: Quantitative Communication Research Methods, Computer-Mediated Communication, New Media Effects, Communication Theory

* Mei-Chen Lin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
The University of Kansas, 2003
Research Interests: Communication and Aging Across Cultures, Age Identity, Intergenerational Communication, Family Communication, Communication Schemas, Marginalized Group Communication
Current Research Projects: intergenerational conflict styles and responses, intergenerational communication schemas and accommodation behaviors, Chinese values in Asia, communication accommodation theory in the family context, Older adults’ and online communication
Teaching Interests: Communication and Aging, Intercultural Communication, Group Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Family Communication

* Janet Meyer Ph.D., Associate Professor
University of Michigan, 1989
Research Interests: Communication and Cognitive Processes, Cognitive Editing, Message Production, Persuasion, Interpersonal Communication, Communication Theory
Current Research Projects: Regretted messages, Cognitive representation of request situations, Cognitive editing, Secondary goals in message production
Teaching Interests: Communication Theory, Persuasion, Communication Research Methods, Interpersonal Communication

* Robyn Parker Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Wayne State University, 2001 
Research Interests: Organizational Identification; New Communication Technology in Work & Educational Contexts; Organizational Diversity
Current Research Projects: Exploring factors influencing employee identification processes in complex organizations; Approaching organizational diversity instruction from an information literacy perspective; Leader Member Exchange in alternate work and classroom settings.
Teaching Interests: Organizational Communication; Organizational Analysis & Communication Consulting; Interviewing; Managerial Communication & Collaboration; Qualitative Research Methods.

Wendy Robinson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

* Stan Wearden, Ph.D., Professor and Director
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1987
Research Interests: Web Credibility, Audience Perceptions and Uses of Digital Media, Television News Accuracy, Media Images of Women, Mass Media Ethics
Current Research Projects: e-credibility, News source perceptions of local-market television news accuracy, Ethics in prime-time television
Teaching Interests: Research Methods, Mass Communication Theory, Mass Media Ethics, Precision Journalism, News Writing and Reporting

*Graduate Faculty

Regional Campus Faculty

* Carole Barbato Ph.D., EAST LIVERPOOL CAMPUS, Associate Professor
Kent State University, 1994
Research Interests: Small Group Decision-Making; Argumentativeness; Interpersonal Communication Motives; Communication and Aging
Current Research Projects: Interpersonal Communication Motive between Parents and Children; Argumentativeness in the Decision and Communication Outcomes of Small Groups; Argumentativeness of Children and their Parents
Teaching Interests: Interpersonal Communication; Small Group Communication and Team building; Foundations of communication Inquiry

Laurie Bentley M.A., ASHTABULA CAMPUS, Instructor
Kent State University, 1996

Bei Cai Ph.D., STARK CAMPUS, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. in Philosophy, Bowling Green State University, 2002

Alice Crume Ph.D., STARK CAMPUS, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. in Communication Studies, Bowling Green State University, 1995

Jeffrey A. Nelson Ph.D., TRUMBULL CAMPUS, Associate Professor 
University of Michigan, 1973 
Research Interests: Rhetorical Theory and Criticism; Media Criticism
Current Research Projects: Social Movements; Rhetoric of Religion
Teaching Interests: Rhetorical Theory and Criticism

Lisa Waite M.A., STARK CAMPUS, Instructor
University of Akron, 1985

*Graduate Faculty

Part Time Faculty

Jeff Bolt Jeffrey Bolt, Instructor
M.A. in communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 2004
B.A. in communication, SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 2002
Certificate in Public Relations, Millard Fillmore College, Buffalo NY, 2002
Interests: Media effects, Mood regulation, Framing in Print Media, Quantitative Methods 
Teaching Experience: Theory and Practice of Oral Discourse, Communication Theory, and Research Methods.  Jeffrey's Webpage

Linda Duff, Instructor
M.A. in Organizational Management, University of Phoenix, 2003

Margaret Garmon Margaret Garmon, Instructor
M.A. in Media Management, Kent State University, 2000
M.A. in Journalism and Mass Comm: Media Management, Kent State University, Ohio, 2000 Margaret Garmon has almost 35 years of combined experience in news reporting for the Record-Courier newspaper in Portage County, Ohio, and in media relations and public relations for Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. She writes a twice monthly column for the Record-Courier. Margaret was an adjunct faculty member in KentState’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication from 1998 to 2003. A Kent State alumna, Margaret earned her bachelor’s degree in 1971 with a major in broadcasting and a minor in journalism and her master’s degree in 2000 in journalism and mass communication with a concentration on media management. She is now enrolled in the doctoral program in the School of Communication Studies at Kent State. Her research interests are crisis communications and mass media.

Lisa Henderson, Instructor
M.A., in Theater Arts, University of Akron, 2006

Lorie Hopp, Instructor
M.A., Kent State University, 1984

JonJudy Jon Judy, Instructor
M.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication, Kent State University, 2005
B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication, Kent State University, 2001
Interests: Media

Evin Kleinman, Instructor
M.Ed. in Counseling, Kent State University, 2005

Bruce Landis, Instructor
Ph.D., Kent State University, 1988

Carolyn Offutt, Instructor
M.A. in Speech Communication, Kent State University, 1987
Ph.D in Speech Communication, Kent State University, 1990

Timothy Tate, Instructor
M.A. in Communication, University of Akron, 2004

David Trebing, Instructor
Ph.D., Kent State University, 1990
Research Interests: History and Criticism of Public Address, The Rhetoric's of Art, Music and Popular  
Culture, Movement Studies, Rhetorical Epistemology
Current Research Projects: The Rhetoric of the Motorcyclists' Rights movement; "From 'On the Beach' to 
'The Day After': The Nuclear Holocaust Genre"; "Something Warm and Fuzzy in Your Inbox: ePhilosophy on
the Net" 
Teaching Interests: Rhetorical Criticism, Rhetorical Theory, Political Rhetoric, American Popular Culture,
Public Speaking

Wendy Walter

Wendy Walters, Instructor
B.A. in Communication, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 2005

Marie Whaley, Instructor
Ph.D., Indiana University, 1982

Beth Zbasnik, Instructor
M.A. University of Akron, 1996