News & Updates

TEDx is coming…

The Department of Communication Studies and the TEDxTexasStateUniversity organizing team are pleased to announce that the next TEDx event will take place on Saturday, February 27, 2027. The event will feature inspiring voices that will share innovative ideas that embody this year’s theme: Tradition. 

What is tradition? Is it something larger than ourselves, preserved through generations and protected from change? Or is it something living, shaped by the choices we make every day? Tradition connects us to our past, but its story is still being written. It lives in the ideas, customs, and beliefs we choose to carry forward. Some traditions endure because they continue to unite and inspire us. Others invite us to question old assumptions, leave behind what no longer serves us, and create something better. Every tradition, after all, began as someone's bold idea. This year, TEDxTexasStateUniversity invites the public to explore the many dimensions of tradition. From technology and science to health, business, education, media, the arts, and the humanities, speakers will share ideas that celebrate enduring wisdom, challenge convention, and imagine the traditions we are creating for the future. Join us for a day of curiosity, connection, and discovery as we explore what is worth preserving, what is ready to change, and what we have the courage to create. 

Stay tuned for information and updates with our website.

TEDxTexasStateUniversity Organizing Team: 

Dr. Alan Grant, Department of Communication Studies 
Mr. Mark Paz II, Department of Communication Studies 
Ms. Hannah Collazo, Department of Communication Studies 
Ms. Rita Gomez, Department of Communication Studies 
Ms. Bailey Thrasher, Department of Communication Studies 
 

Faculty Accolades

Regents' Teachers Ann Burnette and Mark Paz were honored at the President's Faculty Awards Celebration. Mark received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Service, and Ann celebrated 35 years of teaching at Texas State.

Stephanie Dailey was awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award at the tenure-track level from the Organizational Communication Division of the National Communication Association. The award will be presented at the NCA annual convention in New Orleans. Stephanie also published, “When what we say isn't what they hear: An interdisciplinary approach to understanding quiet quitting” in Social Sciences & Humanities.

Elizabeth K. Eger hosted three visiting speakers to her Master's seminar COMM 5303: Qualitative Research Methods in Communication. Rebekah Fox joined for the first Scholar Dialogue to share her qualitative research expertise and focus group inquiry with the USFS Wildland Fire Operations during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rebekah presented about how virtual focus groups can be designed, implemented, and analyzed for organizational knowledge sharing across multiple sites, regions, and teams. Elizabeth also welcomed TXST M.A. alum, E.M. Pollard, to discuss their co-authored publication on occupational identification, the service industry, and qualitative interviewing, and Department Chair, Kristen Farris, presented departmental programs and future goals for an applied communication course project. Elizabeth was named a Diamond Volunteer by Austin Pets Alive!, which is awarded to volunteers with over 240 annual consecutive volunteer hours at APA! for two or more years.

Nikki Saldivar Hodgson and Charles "Chuck" Kaufman represented the College of Fine Arts and Communication at the Internship Fair held in the LBJ Grand Ballroom. They shared internship and career insights with numerous students in COFAC and outside the major. Among the exhibitors fielding questions from eager students were KXAN-TV, South by Southwest and the Austin Film Festival. Dr. Hodgson manages interns who are majors and minors in Communication Studies, and Mr. Kaufman works with students who major or minor in SJMC disciplines. For more information, please contact them at mns9@txstate.edu or ck17@txstate.edu. Nikkie also welcomed Dr. Steven Beebe, former Chair of the Department of Communication Studies, as a guest speaker to her COMM 5371 (Communication Training and Development) course. Dr. Beebe is a Regents’ and University Distinguished Professor Emeritus, has authored or co-authored 14 books, published more than 60 articles and chapters, and presented over 160 professional conference papers. He has received numerous teaching awards, including the prestigious 2018 Piper Professor recognition and the Outstanding Communication Professor in America award. Dr. Beebe shared the history of effective communication, as well as information about his career in communication and highlighted the importance of always understanding the needs (training) of your clients. Nikkie’s COMM 4347 (Leadership Communication) course had industry representatives from Insight Global speaking about career opportunities and readiness after graduation. Insight Global is a Talent, Consulting, and AI company that connects people with opportunities. Guest speaker, Sage Jones, is a Communication Studies graduate of May 2026 and was offered an opportunity before graduation and immediately went to work for Insight Global and is currently an account manager. She provided information and recruitment and career advice to the students in the class. If you would like more information about Insight Global, Sage Jones, please reach out to Dr. Hodgson at mns9@txstate.edu. 

Jeremy Hutchins, President of the Texas Speech Communication Association, presided over the TSCA annual convention, whose theme was “Communicating for Collaboration: Collaborating for Change.” Jeremy delivered his presidential address, where he urged the association's membership to collaborate across silos for the betterment of the organization.

Wayne Kraemer was recognized as a TSCA Emeritus Member at the annual convention. He also celebrated a 35-year membership milestone with Texas State alum. 

Kellie Marin welcomed two guest speakers to her graduate seminar, COMM 5343: "Communication under Surveillance." Dr. Hamilton Bean, from University of Colorado Denver, spoke to about his experience working in the intelligence sector after September 11, 2001, and how that shaped his research trajectory. Students were able to ask questions and engage with a scholar doing important work in the field they are studying this semester. Dr. Torin Monahan, from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, spoke to about his most recent article on "Flock on campus: University police as appendages of a national policing apparatus" and the importance of studying the relationship between communication and surveillance. As co-Editor of Surveillance & Society, Dr. Monahan's extensive experience publishing in surveillance studies was an excellent resource for graduate students learning about the research and publishing process.

Manu Pokharel published “The effectiveness of targeted visuals: Improving awareness of acral lentiginous melanoma among Hispanic and African American participants” in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine. The study was partially supported by an REP grant.