Graduate Students
Heather Brook Adams received her B.A. at Mount Union College and is currently working on an M.A. in English Literature at the Bread Loaf School of English through Middlebury College. She is also pursuing her M.A. in Communication with an emphasis in Rhetoric and Political Culture and teaches Introduction to Communication: Principles and Practices. Heather's research focuses on early-twentieth century issues of gender, class, and immigration.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; heather.brook@gmail.com
Susan Allen earned her M.Ed. degree from the University of Vermont and an M.A. degree in Humanities from Arizona State University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Intercultural Communication and Persuasion. Susan has taught courses in speech delivery, as well as in English composition, creative writing, and British and American literature. Her current research concerns include persuasive strategies used in messages produced by extremist groups and the influence of mortality salience on message receivers.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; sallen10@umd.edu
Deepa Anagondahalli received her M.A. degree at the Easterm Michigan University and her B.A. at Ethiraj College - Chennai, India. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Intercultural Communication and teaches Oral Communication-Principles and Practice.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; adeepasub@hotmail.com
Lucinda Austin earned B.S. degrees in Communication/Public Relations and Media Studies/Advertising (with minors in International Studies and Marketing) from Radford University in 2003. As an M.A. student in Communication, she is currently studying Public Relations with interests in health and risk communication, organization-public relationships, and educational public relations.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; llaustin@umd.edu
Elena Bessarabova Banas (M.A., University of Texas, and B.A., Kuban State University, Russia) is pursuing her Ph.D. in Social Influence & Persuasion, and works for the Center for Risk Communication Research (CRCR). She studies the effects of discrepancy, emotion, and resistance on perceptions of risk and attitude change.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; ebessara@umd.edu
Tim Barney (B.S., Emerson College; M.A., University of Maryland) is a first-year Ph.D. student, originally from the Boston area, specializing in rhetoric and political culture. His current research interests include the post-Cold War rhetoric and popular culture of Eastern and Central Europe, the ideological implications of cartography, and the rhetorical history of U.S. nationalism in twentieth-century foreign policy. Tim is also happy to be teaching a section of the COMM107 course.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; tbarney@umd.edu
Ioana Cionea earned her masters' degree in Communication Studies from Northern Illinois University in 2006 and a Bachelor of Laws from "Dimitrie Cantemir" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania in 2004. Her area of study is intercultural communication with a specific interest in argumentative behaviors, argumentation in intercultural negotiations and other international settings.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; icionea@umd.edu
Abbe Depretis received her B.A. degree at the University of Pittsburgh and her M.A. degree at the University of Maryland. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Political Culture and teaches courses in gender communication and introduction to communication. Her research interests include social movements, feminist studies, and activism. Her current research concerns media constructions of Robert F. Kennedy.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; abbe15@hotmail.com
Theresa Donofrio received B.A. degrees in Speech Communication and Political Science (with a minor in Women's Studies) from Miami University . She is currently pursuing her master's degree in Rhetoric & Political Culture and teaching the basic course. Theresa's research interests include collective memory and memorialization, 9/11, and the rhetoric of genocide.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; t.a.donofrio@gmail.com
Heather Noelle Epkins received her bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech and master's degree from Louisiana State University, both in Mass Communication. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. specializing in terrorism and media. Her research interests include media effects, media response to terrorism, and the uses of media for terrorism and counterterrorism.
Sabine Fritz received a Master of Theology (2001) and a B.A. in Chinese Studies (2003) from the University of Vienna, Austria, as well as an M.A. in Communication from San Diego State University (2005). She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Intercultural Communication.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; sfritz@umd.edu
Elizabeth Gardner received her B.A. at Houghton College. Currently she is pursuing her M.A. in Communication with a focus on Rhetoric & Political Culture and is teaching Oral Communication: Principles and Practice.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; egardner@umd.edu
James G. Gilmore, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Political Culture, has a M.A.T. in Theology and the Arts from Fuller Theological Seminary and an M.A. in Theatre from Bowling Green State University. Broadly, his research focus is the intersection between religion, political thought, and culture, with the goal of working to construct a religiously- and culturally-relevant progressive politics.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; gilmorej@umd.edu
Bing Han received her M.A. degree at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing and her B.A. at Tianjin University in Tianjin, China. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in intercultural communication and assists teaching courses such as communication theory and method. Her ongoing research projects concern interpersonal and intercultural conflict management.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; binghan81@hotmail.com
Art Herbig (B.A., Loyola Marymount University, M.A., Saint Louis University) focuses his work on Rhetoric and Popular Culture with a specific interest in mediated rhetorical creations.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; aherbig@umd.edu
Mara Hobler (B.A., University of Washington, English/Communication, M.S., Communication and Society, University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication) is a doctoral student studying public relations. Mara’s professional background includes advertising, advertising research, and public relations. Her master’s research analyzed representations of women in videogame game culture, online discourse, and media coverage of women gamers.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; mhobler@umd.edu
Ahnlee Jang (B.A, Nanjing University in Chinese Studies, M.A. University of Southern California in East Asian Languages and Cultures specializing in Korean-American literature) is currently pursuing her Ph.D. degree in intercultural communication. Her research focuses on behaviors within social networks.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; ajang@umd.edu
Hua Jiang (M.A. in Translation Studies, Nanjing University, China; B.A. in English Language and Literature, Nanjing University, China) is a doctoral student in public relations. Her research interests include computer-mediated communication technologies, global public relations, intercultural communication, and organizational communication.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; hyjiang@umd.edu
Hyunhee Kim, APR, received her M.S. degree at Syracuse University and her B.A. degree at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in public Relations. She teaches sections of COMM 107: Oral Communication Principles and Practices.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; hkim@umd.edu
Jarim Kim received her M.A. at Purdue University and her B.A. at Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Relations.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; jrkim@umd.edu
Rowena Kirby-Straker earned her M.A. in Communication and Development from Ohio University and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Persuasion and Social Influence. Rowena has worked for more than 15 years in the Caribbean multi-island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the field of environmental communication. Her research interests include emotional appeals and risk communication.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; rowiekirby@yahoo.com
Ben Krueger received his M.A. degree at the University of Maryland and his bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in rhetoric and political culture. His current research interests include the rhetoric of social movements, particularly as they relate to issues of religion and war.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; bkruege1@umd.edu
Erica Lamm received her M.A. degree at the University of Maryland and her B.A. degree at Luther College. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Communication Education and teaches courses in public speaking and interpersonal communication, and she is assistant director of the Basic Course. Her current research concerns the self-regulated learner in the communication classroom.
Skinner 2121; 301-405-3137; ejlamm@wam.umd.edu
Yi Luo (B.A., English, Sichuan University, 1998; M.A., English Literature, Eastern Illinois University, 2001; M.A., Communication, University of Maryland, 2003) is a Ph.D. public relations student. Her primary research interests include: public relations management, organizational communication, and feminist scholarship.
Skinner 0109A; 301-405-0775; yiluo@wam.umd.edu
Nance McCown (M.J., Temple University; B.A., Messiah College) is pursuing her Ph.D. in communication/public relations research and teaches PR/communication courses full-time. Research areas involve internal public relations/leadership, relationship building, PR education, and media effects on PR perceptions. Presentations/ publications include ICA, PRSA Educators Academy, and the Journal of Public Relations Research.
Victoria Mends-Coles earned her B.A. in communication at the University of Maryland and is currently a Master's student with a focus in intercultural communication. Her research interests are rooted in her intercultural heritage and life experiences. Tori's country of origin is Liberia where freed American slaves settled; she is a descendant of freed slaves. In addition to Liberia, she has lived in Sierra Leone, Senegal and various U.S. states. Her travels have included Togo, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Germany, France, Barbados, England, Switzerland and several U.S. states.
Sejal Patel is a Ph.D. student studying Intercultural Communication and Social Influence. She received her M.A. and B.A. degrees from Rutgers University. Sejal has been researching the concept of trust within culture from an emic perspective. She is also interested in information seeking behaviors and the implications of these behaviors on health-related decision making processes. Sejal is a teaching assistant for COMM 482 - Intercultural Communication and is President of CommGrads, the graduate student organization in the Department of Communication.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; sejal_r_patel@hotmail.com
David Payne (M.A. University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2001; B.A. University of Maryland College Park, 1995) is a Ph.D. student whose interests include intercultural, interpersonal, and humor communication as studied through a quantitative perspective.
Skinner 0109A; 301-405-0775; dapayne1@comcast.net
Katie Place is a second-year Ph.D. student with research interests in public relations, theories of power, corporate social responsibility and ethics. She currently teaches sections of COMM 107: Oral Communication Principles and Practices and COMM 351: Public Relations Techniques.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; kplace@umd.edu
Alyssa Samek received her M.A. degree at Colorado State University and her B.A. at the University of St. Thomas. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Political Culture. Her current projects investigate theoretical extensions of emotion, civil religion and civic piety, issues of propriety, and generic constraints on political rhetoric.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; asamek@umd.edu
Renata Schloss (B.A., Psychology and English, University of Rochester) is a first-year M.A. student studying public relations. Renata's primary research interests include organizational communication, internal public relations/employee communications, and health and risk communication. As a graduate teaching assistant, she is teaching two sections of Comm 107, Oral Communication: Practice and Principles.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; renata.schloss@gmail.com
Hongmei Shen received her M.A. degree at University of Maryland and her B.A. at Renmin University of China. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Relations and teaches courses in gender and communication. Her current research interests include global public relations, relationship building and corporate social responsibility.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; hongmeis@umd.edu
Sanja M. Sipek is a Ph.D. student whose interests encompass intercultural communication, conflict management, and crisis communication. She earned her M.A. in Public Communication from the American University, Washington, D.C. and a B.A. in English and French from the University of Zagreb, Croatia.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; ssipek@umd.edu
Christine Skubisz received her M.A. degree at Michigan State University and her B.A. at Purdue University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Persuasion and Social Influence and is a research assistant in the Center for Risk Communication Research. Christine is funded on a grant from the Food and Drug Administration examining risk communication surrounding food defense.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; skubisz@wam.umd.edu
Brian G. Smith received his M.A. in International Relations and his B.A. in Humanities and English from Brigham Young University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in communication and public relations and teaches courses in PR writing, editing, and techniques. He recently won the Ketchum Excellence in Research award from the Institute for PR. He currently researches PR’s contribution to the organization and its brand and the overlap between marketing and PR. To see Brian's CV, click here.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; bgsmith@umd.edu
Belinda A. Stillion Southard earned her M.A. at the University of Maryland and her B.A. in English at Willamette University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Political Culture, teaches a gender communication course, and assists the Center for Political Communication & Civic Leadership. Her dissertation research centers on the National Woman's Party.
Skinner 0109A; 301-405-0775; bstillio@hotmail.com
Bjørn Stillion Southard received his M.A. degree at the University of Maryland and his B.A. at Willamette University. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Political Culture and teaches courses in argumentation and public policy. His current research concerns the African colonization movement in early-nineteenth century America.
Skinner 0109A; 301-405-0775; bjorn_southard@yahoo.com; http://www.wam.umd.edu/~southard
Jill Cornelius Underhill received her M.A. degree at the University of Maryland and B.A. at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Persuasion & Social Influence and teaches courses in communication. Her current research concerns political communication, emotion, and resistance to persuasion.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; jmc12@umd.edu
Stephen Underhill (B.A. Political Science, Sonoma State University; M.A. Communication Studies, University of Portland) studies Rhetoric and Political Culture, focusing on Cold War political rhetoric. He is a former Editor-in-Chief of Sonoma State University's STAR Newspaper; and also a former Judicial Administration Fellow through California State University, Sacramento's Center for California Studies. Mr. Underhill is a member of the Northwest Communication Association and the National Communication Association, where he has presented conference papers. He currently teaches Argumentation and Debate and is an archives technician at the National Archives, College Park.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; sunderhi@umd.edu
Jennifer Vardeman received her M.A. degree at the University of Maryland and her B.S. at University of Texas. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Communication and teaches public relations techniques. Her current research concerns public relations campaigns, health and risk communication, cultural studies, and multicultural feminist research.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; vardeman@umd.edu
M. Karen Walker received her M.A. degree at the University of Maryland and her B.A. at DePauw University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Social Change. Her dissertation research concerns the rhetoric of diplomacy and international development exercised by non-governmental actors, as they advance political, economic and security policy goals. The project will be situated in the context of U.S.-Middle East relations and the Arab public sphere.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; turtleracer@cox.net; www.rhetoricalens.info
Ying Wei received her Bachelor of Law degree in Sociology from Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. She is a master student with emphasis on intercultural communication.
Skinner 2101E; 301-405-8264; weiy@umd.edu
Paula Lazili Weissman received her M.A. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and her B.A from the University of Massachusetts. She is currenlty pursuing her Ph.D. in persuasion and social influence. Her research interests include media effects, health communication, and risk communication.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; pweissma@umd.edu
Ric Winston (B.A. Communication, West Chester University, 2000 & M.A., University of Maryland, 2003) is a student of modern public address whose scholarly interests include presidential rhetoric, popular culture, and the historical progression of Blacks in America. Ric is also interested in media, television, and film criticism.
ricwinston@msn.com; http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rwinston/home.htm
Xiaoying Xie (M.A. Communication, 2004, University of Maryland; B.A. Tourism Management, Fudan University, 1999, China) is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication with an emphasis in Intercultural Communication. Her study focuses on conflict management, negotiation, and persuasion.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; grace_xie@hotmail.com
Shuo Yao received her B. A. and M. A. degrees at Peking University, Beijing, China. She is currently pursuing her Ph. D. in Intercultural Communication and Social Cognition. She has been teaching courses in public speaking, communication theories, communication research methods, and intercultural communication. Her current research concerns the preferences of account strategies in conflict situations.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; sueyao@umd.edu
Ai Zhang received her M.A. degree at the Syracuse University and her B.A. at the University of Colorado at Denver--overseas campus at China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Relations and teaches courses in introduction to communication, interpersonal communication, and communication theory. Her research interest is about international public relations, relationship, and public relations education in China.
Skinner 0109; 301-405-0759; aizhang@umd.edu
