April 2021

A Message from the Dean of the School of Communication

Dear SoC Community,

Now more than ever, our society needs people who appreciate, champion, and perpetuate the importance of considerate, thoughtful, and comprehensive learning, analytical, inspirational, and imaginative thinking in pursuit of truth, and the free expression and exchange of ideas anchored by respect for the dignity of all people and cultures. These are the qualities of mind and character that we must rely upon, and indeed have turned to, when confronted with new and unprecedented challenges. These traits do not always lead us all to agreement on issues and problems, but without these qualities, we lack a shared meaning with which to navigate or derive the blessings of our interconnected and often interdependent lives.

As we prepare for and engage in the vaccination process, battle the persistence of racial inequalities and ethnic and gender disparities throughout our society, and assume responsibility for the health of our democracy, higher education and every field of inquiry within the liberal arts (especially communication) will always play a critical role.

For these reasons, among many others, I believe the School of Communication and our successful academic programs to train future generations with intention are as vital to the future of Orange County, the State of California, the surrounding regions and to our shared world as it was when it first launched in 2016.

The dedicated faculty and staff of the school have been busy over these past few weeks preparing for returning to campus by taking new and unprecedented steps to help keep you safe and healthy while advancing our School’s core commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education across all of our programs in the School of Communication. For the latest updates and information about how we are working to help keep students and our campus community healthy during the pandemic, be sure to visit the CU Safely Back website.

Here are some important announcements as we begin wrapping up the Spring semester:

• We welcome our new faculty Dr. Mark Hopson who will be serving as incoming Director of Ethnic Studies and Professor of Communication. Dr. Hopson previously served as is Director of African and African American Studies and Associate Professor of Communication at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. He teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in African American Studies, Intercultural Communication, the Rhetoric of Social Movements, African American Rhetorical Traditions, and Organizational Communication. Dr. Hopson earned his PhD in Intercultural Communication from Ohio University, and BA and MA degrees in Organizational Communication from Western Michigan University. His research and publications include critical intercultural communication; Black communication and African American rhetoric; and the communication of violence prevention.
• After serving as the Founding Dean in the School of Communication since 2016, I have decided effective May 31, 2021 to pursue other opportunities that await me at Chapman University and beyond. I look forward to participating in the graduation commencement ceremonies for the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021 this summer, and then off for a year-long sabbatical to work on several research projects. I will return to my faculty Endowed Professorship position in Fall 2022.
•  Please welcome Dr. Andrew M. Moshier, Professor of Mathematics as the Interim Dean who will lead the School of Communication over the next several years. Link to his Faculty Profile for additional information and scholarly work.
•  Dr. Jennifer Waldeck will be leaving the School of Communication at the end of this academic year to seek an opportunity to be closer to her family in Ohio. We would like to thank Dr. Waldeck for her 15 years of service as Professor of Communication Studies and her role as Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Faculty Affairs, and Director of Graduate Teaching Associates. 
•  After careful consideration and consultation with the Office of Research, I have decided to re-appoint our Research Scientist, Rion Dooley to Schmid College of Science and Technology where he will be better served in the continuation of his research. His appointment in the School of Communication will conclude effective 05-31-2021.
• After careful consideration, I regret that I have accepted the resignation of Ronald (Ronnie) Curtis, the School of Communication’s Director of Operations. Since 2019, Ronnie has worked tirelessly by my side to prepare the school for its future growth. His expertise and commitment to success for the School of Communication will be missed, but we are grateful that he will remain and support Chapman University in other capacities.

I look forward to continuing our work together and seeing what the ingenuity and creativity of the people of SoC will make possible in 2021 and beyond.

Sincerely,

Lisa Sparks, Ph.D.

Dean, School of Communication

McGaw Endowed Professor in Behavioral Sciences

Spring 2021 Advising 

Want to talk course scheduling? We are here to help! You are welcome to meet with ANY SoC Program Advisor to discuss your schedule or any questions you have about registration and beyond! Program advising is online and conducted through Microsoft Teams. You can schedule an appointment with an advisor on Bookings or reach out to them via email if you need to schedule an appointment outside of their advising hours.

Mr. Travis Bartosh | Doti Hall 201
Tuesday and Wednesday, 2 - 5 p.m.

Dr. Arleen Bejerano | Doti Hall 211
Monday and Friday, 1 - 4 p.m.

Dr. Andrea Weber | Doti Hall 203
Tuesday and Thursday, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Positive Communication in the Classroom 

Mental Health and First Responders

Submit a Senior Spotlight Form 

Undergraduate Student Spotlight

SoC Student Advisory Board Spotlight

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