Communication Studies

Richard Jones – M.A. 2005

I had the privilege of earning my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communication from UNCG. My training within the department prepared to be a successful academic, an effective teacher, and an engaged community member and leader. I am now a Ph.D. Candidate in Human Communication Studies at the University of Denver focusing on Culture and Communication. Dr. Jody Natalle’s encouragement to participate in the study abroad program in Vaxjo Sweden while I was a junior solidified my interest in going to graduate school and studying culture. My passion for writing and research has resulted in two peer-reviewed publications: one on language use in a gay male friendship circle and one on the performance of consumerism on Denver’s 16th Street Mall. Also, in the spring of 2009, I will have a book chapter published that analyzes and critiques the political discourses on gay marriage in the 2006 Colorado election. While my graduate training helped hone my writing and research skills, being a Graduate Teaching Assistant during my MA program at UNCG also allowed to develop my love of teaching under the mentorship of Joyce Ferguson. Since arriving in Denver I have had the opportunity to teach a wide variety of courses including public speaking, interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, gender and communication, identity and communication, and popular culture and communication. The mission statement of the department at UNCG also prepared me to use my communication skills to better my communities. I have developed and proposed a mixed graduate and undergraduate, community engaged service learning course titled “Performing Research on Identities and AIDS” that I will teach at the University of Denver in the Spring of 2009. I was also able to use the skills I gained working in student government at UNCG to become the president of the graduate student body at the University of Denver, representing over 5,000 graduate student voices. I am looking forward to continuing my career in academia by obtaining a tenure-track position in a communication department after I graduate with my Ph.D. in June of 2009 and definitely credit my experiences at UNCG for where I am today and where I hope to go in the future.