HDSHC 2023-2024 Annual Report by Hugh Downs School of Human Communication

Letter from the Director

The past year has been filled with accomplishments and exciting changes in the Hugh Downs School. Our goal is to make a difference through impactful research and teaching that helps our students harness the power of communication to build strong relationships and communities, become effective leaders and solve complex problems .

The award-winning Hugh Downs School faculty continues to produce high quality research, with faculty securing funding for research in the areas of health interventions, strategic communication and online safety. We welcomed Serap Erincin, assistant professor, to the faculty last Fall. Professor Erincin is an artist scholar who examines the intersection of social justice and environmental concerns. This coming Fall, Tomide Oloruntobi will be joining the faculty as an assistant professor. His research investigates issues such as African Cinema, race and social class. The School also wrote a winning proposal for hiring a faculty member with the School of Transborder Studies. Finally, Joris Van Ouytsel was promoted to associate professor with tenure. Our undergraduate students now have more opportunities than ever. Two new accelerated

Sarah J. Tracy School Director and Professor Hugh Downs School of Human Communication

M.A. programs were launched, giving outstanding undergraduate students a pathway for earning an advanced degree faster. We also received approval for a new certiﬁcate program in workplace communication. Coursework for this certiﬁcate will allow majors and non-majors to develop and enhance communication skills that are rated as essential across many industries. In line with the new general education requirements at ASU, we revised some of our courses to contain a civics component. Students were also able to take a course that focused on career explorations as well as a course that involved working with faculty on research. Our study abroad program, forensics and debate teams and Interpreter’s Theater continue to thrive. In fact, ASU won the Regents' Cup this year with students under the expert guidance of Adam Symonds, forensic director, who coached debate, and Mary Joseph, instructional professional, who coached storytelling.

Our online programs continue to ﬂourish. We revitalized online content for our 37 courses by making them more accessible and easier to navigate. At the master’s level, we are developing a concentration in health communication that will

complement other programs on ASU campuses focusing on medical and health issues.

Our alumni continue to play a signiﬁcant role in our School. This year, 15 former communication majors were named to the Sun Devil 100 list, an elite group of outstanding ASU alumni who own or lead successful, innovative businesses with years of consecutive growth. Our alumni continue to visit our classrooms and inspire our students.

The Hugh Downs School recognizes the importance of community involvement and welcomes strategic partnerships with organizations and individuals who share our passion about human communication. Just as we believe in our school motto that “it all begins with good communication,” we also know that it all begins with everyone who supports our school and enables it to grow and ﬂourish.

Best,

Sarah J. Tracy

About the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication

In today’s tech-driven world, strong human communication skills are crucial. Our globally acclaimed faculty explore how communication can enhance society, communities, workplaces and personal relationships. Our courses prepare students to identify, analyze and address communication challenges and opportunities, preparing them for the careers of today and the future.

Hugh Downs the communicator

"The national renown of the faculty, the ﬁrst-class programs and the success of the students exemplify the ﬁnest in higher education."

-Hugh Downs

Hugh Downs

2023-2024 Hugh Downs School Leadership

Laura K. Guerrero Director of Stakeholder Engagement and Innovation

Jonathan Pettigrew Director of Doctoral Studies

Raena Quinlivan Director of Online Master's Program

Joris Van Ouytsel Executive Committee Member and Marketing Liaison

Sarah J. Tracy School Director

Bradley Adame Associate Director

Belle Edson Director of Undergraduate Studies

Jen Eden Director of Online Learning

The Hugh Downs School by the numbers

Total Faculty 59

20k+

Total Enrollment for 2023-2024

1,760 Undergraduate Majors

Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty 18 Online M.A. Students 288 PhD Students 46

Based on research productivity measured by the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship, the Hugh Downs School is ranked in the top 10 nationwide in the following areas:

Marriage & Intimacy

Intercultural Communication

Sexuality

Interpersonal Communication Organizational Communication Nonverbal Communication

Research that makes a diﬀerence

One facet of the Hugh Downs School is that we value the diversity of our research. From research that fosters social change and equity in underserved communities to contemporary research on digital communication, our work impacts lives by improving communication in society, communities, workplaces, and relationships, not just locally or nationally, but around the globe.

A Voice for Change

Uttaran Dutta, associate professor, took the stage at the United Nations Headquarters during the 9th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals. As a high-level respondent, his expertise provided valuable perspectives in inﬂuencing global strategies to reach these essential goals.

Improving digital communication

Our School recognizes that communication in the 21st century flows across many channels, ranging from face-to-face to technology-mediated communication. This year, in collaboration with the Center for Technology, Data, and Society, Pauline Hope Cheong, professor, co-directed an interdisciplinary project funded by the City of Tempe on advancing digital equity across communities. Steve Corman, professor and director of the Center for Strategic Communication, is working on a project funded by Merck to determine how media consumption and messaging affects vaccine acceptance and uptake. Corman's team is also collaborating with ASU's VADER Lab on a project that uses Artificial Intelligence (Large Language Models) to promote critical consumption of information.

Global Impact

Our faculty is internationally recognized. During the past year, Dale, Hablemos Familia [Let’s Talk Family], a parent-intervention program developed by Jonathan Pettigrew, associate professor, and his collaborator, Diane Badzinski, was used in two schools and a community group in a Central American city. Serap Erincin, assistant professor, coordinated conferences in South Africa and Great Britain. Pauline Hope Cheong, professor, conducted a workshop on artiﬁcial intelligence and leadership at the University of Würzburg in Germany, and Heewon Kim, associate professor, was a visiting professor at Chung-Ang University in South Korea.

Sp tlight on Faculty Accomplishments

School director honored for outstanding contributions to communication

Sarah J. Tracy, professor and school director, was named as an ICA Fellow in 2024, which is the highest career honor bestowed by the International Communication Association. She also received the Fredric M. Jablin Award for Outstanding Contributions to Organizational Communication from the International Communication Association and Management Communication Quarterly’s Journal Article of the Year Award for an article coauthored with ASU Alum Sarah E. Jones. She was also listed in Stanford University’s Research Innovation Center’s 2023 career rankings as among the top two percent of scientists in the world across all ﬁelds.

Distinguished scholar honored at WSCA

Laura K. Guerrero, professor, was honored during a Distinguished Scholar Panel at the Western States Communication Association conference and for her teaching at the International Association for Relationship Research convention in Boston. She was listed in Stanford University’s Research Innovation Center’s 2023 career rankings as among the top two percent of scientists in the world across all ﬁelds.

Davies takes on leadership role

Pauline Davies, professor of practice, served as President of the Tempe campus Senate.

Jacobson named instructor of the year

Janet Jacobson, instructor, received the annual Instructor of the Year Award from the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication.

Cheong named great 48 leader, awarded fellowship

Pauline Hope Cheong, professor, was recognized as a Great 48 Leader in Phoenix Magazine, a recognition that honors “superlative Valley dwellers” for excellence in areas such as business, sports, media, the arts, politics and philanthropy and was awarded a visiting fellowship award funded by the German Bavaria's State Ministry of Science and the Arts,

LeMaster wins mentorship award

Lore/tta LeMaster, associate professor, received the Dan Brouwer Faculty Mentorship Award from the Rhetorical and Communication Theory Division of the National Communication Association.

Hanchey recognized for excellence in research and mentoring

Jenna Hanchey, assistant professor, received two awards from the National Communication Association: the Distinguished Themed Edited Journal Award from the Philosophy of Communication Division and the Special Issue Award from the Ethnography Division, along with the 2024 Outstanding Faculty Mentor Early Career

Joris Van Ouytsel, associate professor, received the Early Career Award from the Health Communication Division of the National Communication Association and was promoted to associate professor with tenure.

Students in the news

Hugh Downs School Global Learning Advocate

During her time at the Hugh Downs School, Sophia Baldino embraced global education opportunities, studying abroad in six countries across four continents. Initially planning to study in Rome, London and Paris for one semester, she extended her program to include Sydney, Cape Town and Monteverde. Back at ASU, she further developed her skills through the Global Career Accelerator and a Global Virtual Internship, working as a remote marketing intern for Eden Towers in Perth, Australia. These experiences enhanced her intercultural communication skills. Now, Baldino mentors other students as a recruiter for the Global Education Oﬃce, guiding them through the study abroad process and sharing her experiences.

Journey of Excellence

Christina Reimche graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the Hugh Downs School in May. She received the Dean’s Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Reimche’s positive experience at ASU and her remarkable journey exemplify the spirit of excellence celebrated at ASU and our school.

"I chose communication because I loved the skills oﬀered and knew this major could take me to a lot of diﬀerent places."

- Christina Reimche

“I needed a supportive community to get the education I wanted and feel connected. The Hugh Downs School provided that from the start.”

- Fajr Ahmad

Friendship and Support

Monique Leyva and Whitnee Abriel ﬁrst met online at a community college in San Diego. Their bond carried them through undergraduate studies and into ASU’s online master’s degree program. Graduating from the Hugh Downs School this past May, they balanced family and academics, supporting each other along the way. Leyva and Abriel’s journey highlights the importance of connection and mutual encouragement in achieving academic success. Their story is a testament to the power of friendship and perseverance. Together, they navigated challenges and celebrated their achievements, proving that support systems are crucial at the Hugh Downs School.

Global Path for Dean's Medalist

New York native Fajr Ahmad transferred to ASU seeking a supportive community. Last fall, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication and represented the Hugh Downs School as its Dean’s Medalist. Ahmad studied abroad in London, Dublin, and Edinburgh, and participated in the Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship in Alberta. She also mentored undergraduates in the Barrett Mentoring Program, oﬀering support and guidance in the social sciences. Ahmad’s journey at ASU has been one of growth and connection.

Congratulations Retirements

The Hugh Downs School celebrated the careers of four faculty members who are retiring. We thank them for all their contributions to the School. Olga Idriss Davis, Jennifer Linde, and Benjamin Broome will remain connected as emeriti, ensuring they will continue to be part of the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication family.

Benjamin Broome, professor, has been with the Hugh Downs School since 1999. He is well known for his work on intercultural communication and especially for his peacebuilding eﬀorts in Cyprus, where he was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and later worked with the United Nations Development Program and several diplomatic missions. He served as director of the school’s PhD program for several years.

Olga Idriss Davis, professor and associate dean, joined the Hugh Downs School in 1998. Her research has focused on enhancing communication in ways that improve the health and well-being of underserved populations. She has worked with the Mayo Clinic and was part of the State Commission on Women’s and Children’s Health. She has served as Associate Dean for Barrett, the Honors College, on the Downtown campus.

Jennifer Linde, teaching professor, began her professional journey in the Hugh Downs School in 1995. Utilizing her expertise in performance studies, she created a civil dialogue series. She also played an integral role in the School as the Artistic Director for Arizona State University's Interpreters Theater and Manager of the Empty Space. She was also the Director of Online Education for the School for 10 years.

Janet Jacobsen, instructor, has been part of our program since she was an undergraduate, earning her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in communication at ASU, with a specialty in interpersonal communication. She also has media experience in editing and publishing. Her expertise and teaching talents have made her one of the School’s most beloved teachers.

Celebrating Academic Excellence: 2023-2024 Graduates of our PhD Program

Marco Dehnert

"Human-Machine Relationality and the Illusion of Being Cared For: An In-Depth Exploration of Relationships with Communicative Machines"

"An Indigenous Rhetorical Praxis of Futurity: Indigeneity, Spatiality, and Relationality in Speculative Fiction Literature"

"Associations Between Expectancy Violations and International Students' Perceptions of Acculturation,

B. Liahnna Stanley

Hugh Downs School Success Honoring Distinguished Alumni

In 2024, the ASU Alumni Association recognized 15 distinguished Hugh Downs School graduates in the Sun Devil 100, celebrating alumni at the helm of successful, innovative businesses globally. This accolade is a testament to the excellence of our communication degree, demonstrating how our alumni apply their learned skills to excel in their careers and positively impact their communities.

Lauren Bailey

Class of 2002 | CEO/Co-founder, Postino WineCafe/ Upward Projects Restaurant Group

Kathleen Duﬀy

Class of 1981 | CEO/Founder/President, Duﬀy Group, Inc.

Justin Firestone

Class of 1999 | Co-founder, Wheels Up

Eric Ganz

Class of 2003 | Managing Partner/Co-founder, 360 Industrial Services

Michael Hagerty

Class of 1985 | Founder/Owner/President, Copy King Oﬃce Solutions

Eden Higgins

Class of 1987 | Vice President Practice Development, Duﬀy Group, Inc.

Rick Hurley

Class of 2007 | Owner/Managing Partner, Heirloom Wealth Management

Charles “Reagan” Jackson Class of 2004 | CEO/Co-founder, CEO Technologies

Jennifer Kaplan Class of 1996 | CEO/Founder, Evolve Public Relations and Marketing

Jamie LeVine

Class of 2001 | Chief Communications Oﬃcer, Steve LeVine Entertainment

Jodi Low

Class of 1994 | CEO/Founder, U & Improved

Mike Noble

Class of 2007 | Chief of Research/Managing Partner, Noble Predictive Insights

Emily Soccorsy

Class of 1999 | CEO/Owner, Root + River

Jessica Whitney

Class of 2004 | Vice President, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona

Tyler Thompson Class of 2002 | Owner, World Motors

Distinguished Alumnus Tyler Thompson with Sarah J. Tracy

In Appreciation

Renowned Scholar Speaks at Hugh Downs School

In November 2023, the Hugh Downs School welcomed Ronald L. Jackson II, an award-winning researcher, past president of the National Communication Association, and former dean at the University of Cincinnati. Professor Jackson discussed racial tensions and sociopolitical issues related to Black identities. His talk was well-attended by both undergraduate and graduate students, who greatly beneﬁted from his insights. We extend our gratitude to Professor Jackson for sharing his expertise with us!

Honoring Jennifer G. Kaplan

The School thanks alumna Jennifer Kaplan for her generous donation to establish the “Jennifer G. Kaplan Meeting Room for Community and Excellence.”

“Jennifer Kaplan’s gift to the school is a testament to her dynamic, professional, creative and forward-thinking nature. Her donation provides our students and researchers with opportunities for cutting-edge presentations, collaboration and pedagogical innovation—all in a lovely setting.”

- Sarah J. Tracy, School Director