��ӥ����ֱ��

George Sowards

Part-Time Faculty*

GH 460
sowardsg1@nku.edu

Angeline Feldmann

Part-Time Faculty*

GH 460
mallorya1@nku.edu

Jessica Dennis

Part-Time Faculty*

GH 460
dennisj2@nku.edu

Cady Short-Thompson

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
president@nku.edu

Butch Maier

Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor

GH 559
maiere2@nku.edu

Annie Hammock

Associate Professor of Practice

GH 528
859-572-1921
hammock1@nku.edu

Samuel New

Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor

GH 428
859-572-6431
news1@nku.edu

Durell Hamm

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
hammd@nku.edu

Gina Wesley

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
wesleyg@nku.edu

Jason Mossman

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
mossmanj1@nku.edu

Brendan McDonough

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
mcdonoughb1@nku.edu

AJ Miller

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
millera5@nku.edu

Amanda Andrews

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
andrewsa7@nku.edu

Vanessa Steele

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
steelev1@nku.edu

Sarah Schroeder

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
schroedersar@nku.edu

Sharmaine McLaren

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
mclarens1@nku.edu

Darren McCullah

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
mccullahd@nku.edu

Becca Costello

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
costellor2@nku.edu

Kevin Schultz

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
schultzk2@nku.edu

Shanon Rice

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
rices9@nku.edu

Callie Clare

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
clarec2@nku.edu

Marissa Bowman

Part-Time Faculty*

859-572-5436
bowmanm10@nku.edu

Stephen Yungbluth, Ph.D.

Professor
Director, School of Media and Communication

GH 400B
859-572-5672
yungbluths1@nku.edu

Personal

I am a Cincinnati native, but have lived in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and New York, as well as Kentucky. I am married to a physical therapist who works at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. We have a son and a daughter who are both creative and gifted.

Academic

I earned both my Ph.D. and M.A. in Communication from the University of Kentucky, and I received my B.A. in Organizational Communication from Xavier University with a minor in Spanish. My primary areas of study include Interpersonal, Organizational, and Small Group Communication with a special emphasis in the area of conflict management.��

I enjoy teaching both at the graduate and undergraduate level. I am very excited about teaching a study abroad class in London on Cultural Comparisons of British and American Sport through the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad.

Wes Akers, M.A.

Teaching Professor

GH 542
859-572-6316
akersw@nku.edu

Personal

Wes is originally from outside Dayton, Ohio and he graduated from ��ӥ����ֱ�� in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and in 2004 he earned a Master’s Degree in Communication from Florida Atlantic University.

Academic

Wes Akers teaches Electronic Media and Broadcasting courses primarily focused on live TV productions as well as news and sports broadcast journalism.

He has been a free-lance camera operator working on Emmy winning sports productions for the likes of ESPN, HBO and Fox Sports Ohio. He is also an Emmy-nominated producer for nationally distributed public television news documentaries. Wes was co-producer for a public radio documentary that won an Edward R. Murrow award recognizing excellence in broadcast journalism. In addition to teaching, he currently directs and produces many of the ��ӥ����ֱ�� sports events for ESPN3.

Nick Brummer, M.F.A.

Associate Professor of Practice

GH 512
859-572-5974
brummern@nku.edu

Academic

Nick received his undergrad from ��ӥ����ֱ�� in Studio Arts with a focus in drawing and painting as well as a minor in Creative Writing. He was also a student of the Media Informatics department for two years concentrated on 3D and web design. He received his MFA in 2014 from Fullsail University in Media Design, which concentrated on branding and marketing products and companies through well-researched, diverse, multi-media campaigns.

Nick has worked in the industry since 2007 as a graphic designer, web/mobile designer, instructional designer and 3d modeler/animator. He began teaching at ��ӥ����ֱ�� in 2015 as an adjunct and is now a fulltime member of the Media Informatics department.

In his free time, he teaches and practices martial arts, paints, writes short stories, poetry and currently has a novel in the works. He also writes and records music.

His research time is spent making new connections with the professional world, keeping up with current trends and technologies, and continually working to perfect the art of storytelling in 3D.

Eric Chatterjee

Part-Time Faculty*
859-572-5436
chatterjee1@nku.edu

Megan Cole

Part-Time Faculty*
859-572-5436
colem8@nku.edu

Michelle Crowley, M.A.

Part-Time Faculty*
859-572-5436
crowleym1@nku.edu

Personal

I was born and raised in Northern Kentucky. I enjoy reading, thrifting, Netflixing, playing video games, hanging with my��cats, and traveling.

��

Academic

I graduated from Thomas More College with a degree in Theatre and Communication. After a short trip into the professional work of technical theatre, I retreated to academia to earn my MA in Communication at University of Cincinnati.

I was extremely fortunate to join the ��ӥ����ֱ�� family freshly out of graduate school. I worked for 4 years as an adjunct instructor prior to my present role as a lecturer. I am able to use my love of theatre to enhance my teaching style while teaching public speaking and introduction to communication classes. More recently, I’ve been able to expand my interests into the pop culture discipline, which allows me to further my research on the influence of heroes and villains in popular culture and mass communication.��

Whittney Darnell, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

GH 547
859-572-1329
darnellw1@nku.edu

Academic

Whittney H. Darnell, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at ��ӥ����ֱ��. Her research focuses on understanding and improving the conversations people have about their health and wellness in everyday health contexts, such as patient-provider interactions, organizational settings, and as caregivers and health advocates for others. Her work has appeared in academic journals, such as Health Communication, Qualitative Health Research, and the Journal of International Research in Higher Education.

Michele Day, M.A.

Part-Time Faculty*

GH 548
859-572-1921
daymi@nku.edu

Personal
I spent almost 20 years in newsrooms, including 17 as a reporter and editor for the Cincinnati Post newspaper and its sister publication in Kentucky. I’m married to a techie and have two sons and a daughter-in-law.

Academic
I’ve taught a variety of classes since joining ��ӥ����ֱ��’s journalism faculty in 2001, including experiential news workshops, news writing, feature writing, Science in the Media and Introduction to Mass Communication. In 2012, I became adviser for The Northerner, ��ӥ����ֱ��’s student-run news organization, and Norse Code Radio, an online radio station. My emphasis has been helping students transition to digital- and mobile-first production. I’m the founding director of the ��ӥ����ֱ�� Journalism in the Digital Age Workshop, an annual weeklong program for high school students. ��I’m the 2018-19 chair of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Press Association, which represents student media across the state and faculty adviser for ��ӥ����ֱ��’s chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. I previously served on the national board for the Society of Professional Journalists.

My academic interests include narrative and multimedia storytelling, science journalism and teaching with technology. I earned a Master’s in Communication degree from ��ӥ����ֱ�� and a B.A. in journalism from Western Kentucky University.

��

Sara Drabik, M.A.

Professor
Program Head, Media & Journalism

GH 504A
859-572-6575
drabiks1@nku.edu

Academic

Sara Drabik is a documentary filmmaker and Associate Professor of Electronic Media and Broadcasting in the College of Informatics at ��ӥ����ֱ��. Specializing in non-fiction storytelling, her work has been featured by the University Film and Video Association, the Broadcast Education Association, National Public Radio, the University of Oxford Saïd Business School, and KET (the Kentucky PBS affiliate). Her current research is a collaboration with the International Women’s Coffee Alliance and explores the changing roles of women in the international coffee industry.

Sara teaches courses in documentary film and media literacy, focusing on transdisciplinary projects and study abroad opportunities. She has led ��ӥ����ֱ�� students in numerous media productions throughout Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Guatemala.

Phillip duBarry

Part-Time Faculty*
859-572-5436
dubarryp1@nku.edu

Personal

Philip grew up in Tennessee but has lived in Cincinnati for the last twenty years. He and his wife have six children. He also serves as the associate pastor of Addyston Baptist Church.

Academic

Philip has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Middle Tennessee State University and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from John Leland Baptist College. Philip has also made a successful side career as a board game designer with over a dozen published titles. Some of his games include: Revolution! (Steve Jackson Games, 2009), Courtier (AEG, 2012), Spirits of the Rice Paddy (APE Games, 2015), Black Orchestra (Game Salute, 2017), and Embark (Tasty Minstrel Games, 2019).

Jacqueline Emerine, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

GH 436
859-572-7553
mcnallyj1@nku.edu

Personal

I was born and raised in Ft. Wayne, Indiana but moved to Ohio in 2000. I am married to a middle school STEM teacher named Matt and we have two amazing sons and a bearded dragon named Aang (also a male … I’m totally outnumbered!).

Academic

I earned my undergraduate communication degree in 1997 and my Masters degree in 1999, both from Purdue University in Ft. Wayne. I then went on to complete my PhD in Interpersonal Communication and Instructional Communication from Kent State University in 2005. I have taught at IPFW, Kent State and Bowling Green State University before arriving at ��ӥ����ֱ�� in 2006. My research interests are in interpersonal communication, pedagogy, persuasion and PR. Most of my research focuses on factors both in and out of the classroom that increase student learning.

I enjoy teaching both at the graduate and undergraduate level, especially Interpersonal, Research Methods, Pedagogy and Persuasion. In addition, I serve on many committees at the department, college, university and regional level.

Tayler Carter

Part-Time Faculty*
859-572-5436
cartert3@nku.edu

Sherri Farley

Part-Time Faculty*
859-572-5436
farleys1@nku.edu

Jeff Fox, M.A.

Associate Teaching Professor
Associate Director, School of Media and Communication

GH 557
859-572-5975
foxj@nku.edu

Personal

I am originally from north of Dayton, OH, and have lived in Northern Kentucky since 1998. �� I enjoy traveling and do so whenever opportunity allows.

Academic

I came to the Department of Communication as a CMST Lecturer and Coordinator of ��ӥ����ֱ��'s CMST 101, Public Speaking, Program. Previously I worked in the College of Informatics as an advisor in the COI Advising Center, as well as through the Department of Educational Outreach as the coordinator of the School-Based Scholars Program. In the position as the School-Based Scholars Coordinator, I worked to bring college courses to local high schools. Additionally, I served as the coordinator for Prior Learning Assessment, where I worked with adult students in assisting them with credit for prior learning.

I teach CMST 101, Public Speaking and CMST 340, Strategies of Persuasion at ��ӥ����ֱ��. As a part of my teaching, I stay involved with the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project, adding to my passion for exposing students to service/experiential learning.

I am a 2006 graduate of ��ӥ����ֱ�� with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and a minor in Professional Writing. I also received my Master’s Degree in Communication in December of 2008, as well as a Communication Teaching Certificate in 2012. Prior to my work in higher education, I spent six years in the airline industry and enjoy related research in airline/organizational communication, crisis communication, and rhetoric. ��

John Gibson, M.A.

Teaching Professor

GH 571
859-572-5692
gibsonj5@nku.edu

Academic

John Gibson is a lecturer in Electronic Media and Broadcasting at ��ӥ����ֱ��, as well as�� producer at NorseMedia. He’s been at ��ӥ����ֱ�� since August 2008, and lives in Bellevue, KY with his wife (Candace) and two kids (Silas and Emery). He earned his undergrad in History/Political Science, and an MA in Communication, from Murray State University.

Prior to starting at ��ӥ����ֱ��, he worked for several years in Murray, KY, at an NPR member station, as well as created content for PEG access stations in the city. In addition to those adventures in media, he hosted his own late night radio show and also produced PSAs and television ads for local organizations and companies. A writer and filmmaker at heart, Gibson has participated in several 48 hour film competitions, and his first feature film, a western-horror titled "Revelation Trail," has been distributed in North America. Additionally, "As The Water Rises: Finding the Lost Community of Bowlingtown," a documentary that he helped produce at NorseMedia, has aired on KET and KET2.

Current projects (2018) ��include a short film called “Half Finished” which is being submitted to festivals, as well as “Choose Bellevue,” a hybrid mix of documentary and marketing in the community of Bellevue.

Gibson’s always on a mission to tell cool new stories, develop new projects, learn new production techniques and find toys to add to his Star Wars collection. One of these things takes highest priority over all others…

Wayne Gates

Part-Time Faculty*
859-572-5436
gatesw1@nku.edu

Kimberly Grillot

Part-Time Faculty*
859-572-5436
wilsonkim@nku.edu

Zach Hart, Ph.D.

Professor
Program Head, Communication & Public Relations

GH 508
859-572-5573
hartz@nku.edu

Personal

I was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois.�� I also have lived in Chicago, IL; East Lansing, MI; and Columbia, MO.�� I am the father of two sons, one of whom is a ��ӥ����ֱ�� graduate. ��

Academic

I joined the ��ӥ����ֱ�� faculty in 2003.�� I earned my PhD in Communication from Michigan State University.�� I previously taught at the University of Missouri-Columbia and Concordia University-Chicago.�� My research interests focus on the information seeking strategies and��sensemaking process for parents of children with disabilities and the socialization of new employees.����I teach Communication Studies, Health Communication��and Public Relations courses.�� I previously served as department chair from 2010-11 and 2012-2018.

Dean Hume

Part-Time Faculty*
859-572-5436
humed2@nku.edu

Academic

While he called coaching his son’s baseball team his most important claim to fame, Dean Hume has been teaching high school or college-level journalism classes and advising subsequent secondary-level or collegiate publications for 36 years. A former reporter and columnist for various daily and weekly papers across the state, Hume currently teaches Journalism I, II and III-honors level journalism classes at Lakota East High School in Liberty Township, Ohio, where he is in his 25th year advising Spark, the award-winning, 76-page, color, glossy-paper, monthly news magazine that routinely features a staff of more than 125 students. Spark is a perennial Gold Crown, Gallup, Pacemaker and JEA National Best of Show winner as well as a two-time SPJ student publication of the year. A Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Distinguished Advisor, and a NOSPA Hall of Fame Advisor, Hume serves as an adjunct professor of Journalism in the School of Informatics at ��ӥ����ֱ��. Named a “Trailblazer Award” winner by the Texas Association of Journalism Educators, a “Educator of Excellence” by the 20,000-student Lakota School District, a 2002 Presidential Scholar Educator by the U. S. Department of Education, Hume also teaches at numerous journalism workshops and state conventions across the country.

Stacie Jankowski, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

GH 536
859-572-7760
meihauss1@nku.edu

Personal

On social media I’ve referred to myself as a “teacher, former reporter, pop culture junkie, media studier, and mommy.” I’m a born-and-raised Northern Kentuckian who feels lucky to have returned home. My husband and I have two boys.

Academic

I earned my BA in Journalism and English from the University of Kentucky in 2004, my MA in Journalism from Indiana University in 2009, and my PhD in Mass Communication from Indiana University in 2015. My main research interests involve health communication—both how different media discuss health issues and how the ways health is covered impact audiences. These projects often intersect with topics of stigma, religion, and pop culture. In addition, I have a passion for First Amendment law.

You’ll often find me teaching media law (JOU 485) and media ethics (JOU 440), as well as other classes in the journalism program.

Stephen Johnson

Teaching Professor
Speech Apprehension Coordinator

GH 437
859-572-7678
johnsonste@nku.edu

Sunil Ketty, M.F.A, M.Ed

Associate Professor

GH 412
859-572-7791
kettys1@nku.edu

Academic

Sunil received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Bowling Green State University, leading to a career in video game development as a 2D/3D Digital Artist.�� He was responsible for working on game cinematics, character & prop texturing, environment lighting and modeling.�� He made the transitioned to education following his game developing career. ��Sunil spent 8 years as a full-time faculty member��in the Media Arts & Animation Department at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.�� He is well-versed in techniques and software associated with 3D computer art, digital compositing, broadcast graphics, digital design, editing, and interactive media.�� Prior to joining ��ӥ����ֱ��, he was an Adjunct Instructor at Columbus State Community College and Columbus College of Art & Design for a variety of courses/departments.�� Beyond teaching, he immerses himself in freelance design, consulting, and post-production as a VFX & 3D Artist at The Ohio Film Group.

He received a Master of Fine Arts from Columbus College of Art & Design.�� His core emphasis was��conceptualizing designs through multimedia techniques in computer art, animation, and design.�� His passion for art, combined with a strong focus on education, resulted in obtaining a Master of Education in Art Education from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA.

Sunil’s motivation is based on the merger of his professional work experiences and a student focused philosophy, to guide makers towards their own successful professional practices in a creative field.

Stephanie Klatzke, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Associate Dean, College of Informatics

GH 500D
859-572-6903
klatzkes1@nku.edu

Personal

I am originally from Paducah, KY but I have also lived in Missouri and Ohio. I am married with two daughters and I love to read.

Academic

I received my B.A. in Organizational Communication from Murray State University in 2001; my M.A. in Communication from the University of Cincinnati in 2003, and my Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Missouri in 2009. I am the Co-Director of our Graduate Program and I coordinate the COI Principles of Informatics course.�� I�� teach undergraduate courses including�� Organizational Communication, Research Methods, Principles of Informatics, and graduate courses in Communication Theory and Organizational Communication and Identity.�� My research interests are in organizational communication; I am particularly interested in the exit process (in a nutshell, people quitting�� their jobs).

Jessica Kratzer, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

GH 459
859-572-7933
kratzerj1@nku.edu

I earned my B.A. in Communication from ��ӥ����ֱ�� in 2002, my M.A. in Communication from the University of Cincinnati in 2004, and my Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Missouri in 2011 with a graduate minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. My research interests are in interpersonal communication with an emphasis on intimate relationships. My recent research focuses on popular culture films/shows that focus on sex and intimate relationships (e.g., Fifty Shades of Grey, Netflix's Sex Education and BONDiNG, and TLC's Hot and Heavy) as well as senior citizen sexual communication, and the influence of romance novels on intimate relationships.

I teach undergraduate courses that include interpersonal communication, gender and communication, communication theory, sex and communication, and small group communication. I also teach several graduate level courses.

Yasue Kuwahara, Ph.D.

Professor

GH 561
859-572-5291
kuwahara@nku.edu

Personal

Originally from Tokyo, Dr. Kuwahara moved to the U.S. upon graduation from Waseda University with a B.A. in English Language and Literature. She received a M.A. in American Studies from California State University, Fullerton, and a Ph.D. in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University.

Academic

Dr. Kuwahara has taught a variety of courses on American, Asian, and international popular culture as well as mass media at ��ӥ����ֱ�� since 1989. An expert in the field of popular culture studies, Dr. Kuwahara is the founder and director of the Popular Culture Studies program at ��ӥ����ֱ��. Her on-going research focuses on the U.S. influence on postwar Japanese society and culture. In recent years her research interest has expanded to East Asian popular culture. She is the author/editor of The Korean Wave: Korean Popular Culture in Global Context and “Japanese Culture and Popular Consciousness: Disney’s The Lion King vs. Tezuka’s Jungle Emperor” among others. Dr. Kuwahara is also the editor of the Palgrave East Asian Popular Culture Series.

Andrea Lambert South, Ph.D.

Professor

GH 422
859-572-6615
lamberta3@nku.edu

Dr. Lambert South is a Full Professor in Communication Studies. She received her PhD in Family Communication from the University of Denver, her MA in Interpersonal Communication from Texas Tech University, and her BA in Communication and Psychology from the University of Kansas. Dr. Lambert South recently completed a JD from Chase College of Law and is licensed to practice law in Kentucky. Her areas of expertise include divorce, stepfamilies, co-parenting, family favoritism, juvenile justice, and conversations surrounding death. Professor Lambert South is widely involved in the ��ӥ����ֱ�� community both on- and off-campus. In addition to serving as a board member and mediator for the Northern Kentucky Alternative Dispute Resolution Center, she is the ��ӥ����ֱ�� IRB Chair. She is also the director of the Communication Studies and Health Communication programs. Dr. Lambert South is an active force in the communication discipline and has served as the Chair of the Family Communication and Master’s Education divisions for the National Communication Association. She has also served as the Chair of the Interpersonal and Small Group Interest Group for the Central States Communication Association. She is active on numerous review boards and is on the editorial board for the Journal of Family Communication, Women and Language, and the Journal of Communication Pedagogy.

Dr. Lambert South's research program examining divorce, favoritism, death, and adolescent treatment has yielded over 75 competitively selected papers at international, national, and regional conferences (including top paper designations) and has led to publications in journals such as the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, the Journal of Family Communication, Death Studies, Communication Research Reports, Behavioral Sciences, and Qualitative Research Reports.

Mark Leeman, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

GH 538
859-572-7550
leemanm1@nku.edu

Academic

Dr. Leeman’s degree trail is indicative of his passions: He earned a B.S. in secondary education from Ohio State and continues to love teaching. Next came a Master’s degree in Linguistics from Ohio University where he honed his language-centered approach to meaning and organizing. After eight years living, working, and learning abroad, Dr. Leeman earned his Ph.D. in Communication Studies, with a concentration in Organizational Communication, from Ohio University. Through the lenses of Dialogue, Narrative, Alternative Organizing, and Feminisms, Dr. Leeman loves questioning and investigating the ways we manage meanings and organize across radical differences.

Dr. Leeman teaches graduate courses in Communication Theory, Research Methods, Communication & Social Justice, Communication Ethics, Organizational Communication, Critical Ethnography, and Language & Social Interaction. He also enjoys teaching at the undergraduate level on subjects ranging from Public Speaking to Organizational Communication to Interpersonal Communication.

Dr. Leeman’s action research focuses on bridging the gaps of difference - especially the huge socially created differences of class and race.�� His passion is investigating the contexts of non-dominant people and discourses in order to empower the human spirit and bring about more equitable and effective organizing. He hopes to continue on a lifelong personal, academic, and humanistic quest to learn the discursive languages of poverty in order to serve a variety of stakeholders. His research aims at better understanding the challenges inherent in the cultural, communicative, and organizing differences between those in the middle class and those struggling with poverty, so that the later are more fully empowered to enter into and be successful at work, at school, as well as in health care and criminal justice settings. Among his core driving tenants is that��separation��leads to what Mikhail Bakhtin dubbed “absolute death – being unheard and unrecognized,” and that such separation does not lead to effective organizing, society, nor relationships. Better understanding of communication is the path to the cure.

Bradley Libis

Part-Time Faculty*
859-572-5436
libisb1@nku.edu

Personal

Brad is originally from Cincinnati and went to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh where he got his Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master's in Media Arts & Technology. During his time there he worked on two Telly Award winning documentaries Christ Our Hope: Pilgrimage of the Pope about Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the U.S. and Josh Gibson: The Legend Behind the Plate chronicling the life of the Negro Leagues baseball player which the film has been accepted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Also covered the G-20 Economic Summit, worked on the set of American Idol Season 11, and the HGTV series Showhouse Showdown.