Northern Illinois University
Department of Communication
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Ferald Bryan, (Ph.D., University of Missouri)

Associate Professor, Rhetoric and Public Communication

Specialties: history of American public address, presidential rhetoric, and rhetorical criticism

fbryan@niu.edu

Kathryn Cady, (Ph.D., University of Iowa)

Associate Professor, Rhetoric and Public Communication

Specialties: contemporary rhetorical theory and criticism, cultural studies, feminist and labor politics

kcady@niu.edu

Randy Caspersen, ( M.F.A., Columbia College Chicago)

Associate Professor, Media Studies

Specialties: film and video production

rcaspersen@niu.edu

David Gunkel, (Ph.D., DePaul University)

Distinguished Teaching Professor, Media Studies

Specialties: information and communication technology (ICT), new media, philosophy of technology, web design and programming

dgunkel@niu.edu

Andrea L. Guzman, (Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago)

Associate Professor, Journalism

Specialties: human-machine communication, automated journalism, intersection of artificial intelligence and communication, media framing of technology

alguzman@niu.edu

Janice Hamlet, (Ph.D., Ohio State University)

Professor, Rhetoric and Public Communication

Specialties: cultural studies, rhetorical studies, womanist epistemology and methodology, communication and spirituality, African American rhetoric, pedagogy, autoethnography

jhamlet@niu.edu

David Henningsen, (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, J.D. University of Wisconsin)

Professor, Organizational/Corporate Communication

Specialties: group decision-making, interpersonal communication, social influence

dhennin1@niu.edu

Mary Lynn Henningsen, (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin)

Professor, Organizational/Corporate Communication

Specialties: social influence in interpersonal communication, decision making, education contexts

henningsen@niu.edu

Betty H. La France, (Ph.D., Michigan State University)

Professor, Organizational/Corporate Communication

Specialties: quantitative research methods, social influence during interpersonal interactions, including sexual interactions

blafrance@niu.edu

Karla M. Padrón, (Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities)

Assistant Professor, Rhetoric and Public Communication

Specialties: Border and Migration Studies, Transgender Rights, Women of Color Feminisms, Decolonial Research Methods

kpadron@niu.edu

O.M. Olaniyan (Ph.D., University of Utah) 

Assistant Professor, Rhetoric and Public Communication

Specialties: critical/cultural rhetoric, Black diaspora, anti-colonial epistemologies

om.olaniyan@niu.edu

Mehdi Semati, (Ph.D., University of Missouri)

Professor, Journalism

Specialties: international communication and global media, cultural studies of news media and journalism, Iranian media and culture, race and ethnicity and media

msemati@niu.edu

Grace Oforiwa Sikapokoo (Ph.D., Ohio University)

Assistant Professor, Organizational/Corporate Communication

COMS 100 Director
Specialties: Health and Family Communication among rural and underserved populations, Interpersonal Communication, Instructional Communication

gsikapokoo@niu.edu

Professor Valde, (Ph.D., University of Iowa)

Associate Professor, Organizational/Corporate Communication

Specialties: organizational communication, communication theory, and qualitative methods

kvalde@niu.edu

Laura Vazquez, (Ph.D., Northwestern University)

Board of Trustees Professor, Media Studies

Specialties: documentary video production, gender and media

lvazquez@niu.edu

Karen Whedbee, ( Ph.D., University of Wisconsin)

Associate Professor, Media Studies

Specialties: freedom of speech, history of the public forum, material culture and memory studies, communication ethics, history of rhetoric, historical and critical methods

kwhedbee@niu.edu

Kerith Woodyard, (Ph.D., University of Utah)

Associate Professor, Rhetoric and Public Communication

Specialties: rhetorical theory and criticism, women's rhetorical history, religion and American public argument

kwoodyard@niu.edu

Shupei Yuan, (Ph.D., Michigan State University)

Associate Professor, Journalism

Specialties: science communication, strategic science communication training, public relations for science, persuasion

syuan@niu.edu