By Dr. Erik Ugland
TURNER TAKES ON LEADERSHIP
Ugland is the Diederich College’s associate dean for graduate studies and research associate professor.
She has been an NCA member for three decades, delivered nearly 30 presentations at its annual convention and led NCA’s Family Communication Division in 2000–01. But it is difficult for any faculty member to be fully prepared for such a colossal administrative assignment. And the job became even more challenging, Turner says, when some members boycotted the annual convention in allegiance with workers who were in the midst of a labor dispute with the convention hotel. Turner was able to diffuse what she described as “potentially explosive” conflict among NCA members. “We came through that well,” she says, “and I hope I was responsible for convincing some doubtful members that the leadership of NCA does listen to them, as well as modeling a process for civil disagreement.” In her 27 years as a Marquette professor, Dr. Lynn Turner has served in every leadership capacity for the Diederich College — department chair, director of graduate studies, faculty congress president and acting dean. This past year, however, Turner went national, taking her leadership skills to Washington, D.C., to become president of the National Communication Association, the country’s largest association of communication educators, scholars and practitioners. Turner was elected a few years ago to be part of the leadership team of NCA — a massive organization with more than 8,000 members — and to eventually ascend to the presidency, which she did this past year.
18
in the field
Another major accomplishment was Turner’s initiation of a process for rewriting the constitution and restructuring the organization to, as she put it, “bring (the NCA) into the 21st century” by updating and streamlining some of its processes. Turner says her leadership of NCA has been challenging but that she welcomed the opportunity to serve the organization, which she says has given her a “forum for her work,” “tangible career support,” and access to a network of colleagues and friends in the field. “It was a pleasure to serve NCA for these four years and to give back, in some measure, all that I have received,” she says.
diederich.marquette.edu