2025 Hugh Downs School Awards & Recognition Ceremony
Letter from the Director
As I complete my term as Director of The Hugh Downs School, I find myself reflecting with gratitude, humility, and hope. When I stepped into this role four years ago, I was driven by big dreams — visions of strategic leadership, impactful mentorship, meaningful initiatives, and a vibrant sense of community. There were certainly challenges: navigating the aftershocks of COVID-19, mourning the passing and retirements of beloved colleagues, surviving the unexpected flood and temporary move from Stauffer Hall, and facing the ever-present external realities that impact our work in higher education. But, as I move on to my next chapter, what reverberates most is the immense courage, care, and creation that manifest and reverberate throughout our community.
I am indebted to our brilliant executive team, committed staff members, innovative faculty, and inquisitive students for making the last four years so meaningful. Together, we expanded academic opportunities: launching our first accelerated M.A. pathways program, redesigning COM 259 to better support ASU's updated general studies curriculum and serve more than 2,500 students annually, revising our undergraduate BS and BA courses and major requirements to align with career competencies, developing a new sequence of "Career Explorations" courses, and piloting undergraduate research opportunities with COM 404. We celebrated the ASU team’s remarkable win at the Regent’s Cup and commemorated
Sarah J. Tracy
School
Director
and
Professor
Hugh
Downs
School of Human Communication
excellence in research, teaching, scholarship, and community embeddedness at our annual awards event.
The school welcomed brilliant new faculty members Serap Erincin, Andrea Gunoe, Jenna Hanchey and Tomide Oloruntobi. We championed inclusive excellence: writing a successful proposal with the School of Transborder Studies for a new Southwest Borderlands faculty hire; and redesigned COM 100 to significantly increase student success and retention. We nurtured our intellectual and professional community: implementing a distributed mentoring program, launching a faculty/doctoral colloquium, and gathering for community events like our Cornucopia celebration and staff retreats.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we created welcoming spaces such as the Jennifer G. Kaplan Meeting Room for Community and Excellence, developed a new study abroad scholarship honoring Emeritus professor and director of undergraduate studies Belle Edson, and strengthened alumni ties through our "100 Conversations" initiative. Behind the scenes, we streamlined administrative processes, built financial sustainability, and celebrated our collective efforts through an annual report. None of this was accomplished alone. I am deeply grateful to the extraordinary members of our Executive Committee: Bradley Adame, Kristin Dybvig, Jen Eden, Laura Guerrero, Jonathan Pettigrew, Raena Quinlivan, and Tony Roberto.
Your wisdom, resilience, and partnership have anchored me. I offer heartfelt thanks to the school’s core staff leaders—Barbara Dedecker, Kyle Saar, Amber Wilson—whose extraordinary dedication has been nothing short of lifegiving. And to all our faculty, instructional professionals, advisors, staff, students, alumni, and community stakeholders: thank you for showing up with heart, talent, and unwavering commitment. You are the engine and soul of this school.
As I step aside, I am filled with optimism. Our mission is clear. Our community is strong. And we have exceptional people ready to carry The Hugh Downs School into its next era. Welcome to Professor Laura Guerrero – an exceptional scholar, researcher, and colleague – who we are lucky to have leading the School as Interim Director!
Serving as Director of the Hugh Downs School has been the greatest professional honor and challenge of my career so far. The lessons, memories, and gratitude from these four years will enrich my future research, teaching, and leadership activities at Arizona State University and beyond.
Thank you for everything.
Warmly,
Sarah J. Tracy
About the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication
In today’s tech-driven world, people who have strong communication skills have a competitive edge. Our major builds proficiency in critical thinking, writing, public speaking, research, collaboration, leadership, intercultural awareness, and interpersonal communication, to prepare students for the careers of today and tomorrow.
Hugh Downs the communicator
"A good education is a foundation for a better future"
-Hugh
Downs
We are proud that our School is named after Hugh Downs, who was the consummate communicator. Whether broadcasting the news or talking with students at ASU, Hugh Downs understood the essential role human communication plays in forging connections, sharing ideas and knowledge, and creating understanding.
The Hugh Downs School by the numbers
18k+
Total Enrollment for 2024-2025
1,760 Undergraduate Majors
Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty 19
Undergraduate Degrees Communication, BA Communication, BS
2 Top 10 Nationwide in Key Communication Fields
3 Graduate Degrees
Minors and Certificates Communication Civil Communication Workplace Communication
Communication, MA Communication, PhD
The Hugh Downs School is renowned for its programs which include undergraduate majors that emphasize critical career skills, an online master's degree program that focuses on professional communication, and a top tier PhD program. 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:
2024-2025
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
Tony Roberto Personnel Committee Chair
Sarah J. Tracy School Director
Bradley Adame Associate Director
Kristin Dybvig Director of Undergraduate Studies
Jen Eden Director of Online Learning
Promotions & transitions
Guerrero appointed Interim Director
Laura K. Guerrero, professor, will serve as Interim Director of the Hugh Downs School for the 2025–26 academic year. A faculty member since 1996, she has played a vital role in the School’s leadership, with Dean Magda Hinojosa noting her “significant service responsibilities” and calling her “uniquely suited” for the position. Guerrero’s commitment to both undergraduate and graduate education is reflected in her work revising the communication major, developing a workplace communication certificate, and mentoring doctoral students. She said she is “looking forward to working with the School’s outstanding faculty and staff over the next year.”
Dybvig appointed new director of Undergraduate Studies
With the retirement of longtime Director of Undergraduate Studies Belle Edson, Kristin Dybvig has been appointed to lead the program. She will also direct the school’s study abroad efforts. A dedicated educator and administrator, Dybvig has served on the school’s executive committee and has led the internship program since 2005. She brings a student-centered approach to curriculum development and a strong record of preparing students for career success. This year she led the Study Abroad to the U.K. and Ireland together with Belle Edson.
Passing the Torch: New leadership for the Center for Strategic Communication
Appointed director in 2011, Emeritus Professor Steven Corman led ASU’s Center for Strategic Communication (CSC) in advancing public-sector communication research. Under his leadership, the CSC expanded to address topics such as disinformation, diplomacy, public health messaging, and climate communication. With Corman’s retirement in December 2024, Associate Professor Bradley Adame has been named the new director, ushering in the next chapter for this interdisciplinary research center.
Congratulations to our recently promoted faculty
Alison Trego Senior Instructor
Patrick McDonald Senior Instructor
Alexis Valianos Senior Instructor
Debbie Way Senior Instructor
Kristin Dybvig and Belle Edson pictured with students on the study abroad trip to London.
Sp tlight on Faculty Accomplishments
Guest speaker series connects graduate students with global leaders in development
As part of his doctoral seminar, Associate Professor Uttaran Dutta hosted the "Communication for Social Change" Guest Speaker Series. This initiative provided doctoral students with direct access to thought leaders in development communication. The series featured professors, high-level diplomats, & distinguished excellencies from a range of institutions and organizations, including the University of Queensland, the United Nations Technology Bank, the United Nations University, and the UN Department of Global Communications.
Global engagement through prevention research
In January, Jonathan Pettigrew, associate professor, traveled to Costa Rica to film new videos for his educational interventions, Dale se REAL. The short films exhibit situations youth face regularly and demonstrate strategies to manage them. About a dozen youth ages 12-17 participated in the filming, which partnered with local production company Black Studios. Pettigrew was also chosen for the inaugural Wheaton Fellows Program.
Books published in 2024-2025
Hanchey’s book earns multiple national awards
Jenna Hanchey, associate professor, received the Ellis-Bochner Autoethnography and Personal Narrative Research Award from the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction for the chapter "Haunted Reflexivity" from her book “The Center Cannot Hold: Decolonial Possibility in the Collapse of a Tanzanian NGO.”
The book also received the Outstanding Monograph Award from the Organizational Communication Division of the National Communication Association.
Featured speakers in the Communication for Social Change series
Van Ouytsel recognized for excellence in research
Joris Van Ouytsel, associate professor, received the Early Career Award from the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association.
Cheong named President’s Professor
Pauline Hope Cheong was awarded the title of President’s Professor, one of Arizona State University's most prestigious faculty honors. It is designed to recognize enthusiasm and innovation in teaching, the ability to inspire original and creative work by students, mastery of subject matter and scholarly contributions.
Laura Guerrero, professor, Sarah Tracy, school director and professor, and Joris Van Ouytsel, associate professor, were listed in Stanford University’s Research Innovation Center’s 2024 citation rankings as among the top two percent of most cited scientists in the world.
Roberto named next Jeanne Lind Herberger Professor
Tracy wins multiple NCA research awards
the Legacy Award from the Ethnography Division and the Outstanding Article of the Year Award from the Organizational Communication Division for her article “Refreshing the positive: Bridging positive organizational communication and critical scholarship with Buddhist philosophies.” The article was published in Communication Theory and co-authored with doctoral alum Rebecca Leach and Terrie Wong.
Tony Roberto, professor, has been named the next Jeanne Lind Herberger Professor in Communication, succeeding Laura Guerrero after a three-year term. Established in 1998, the Herberger Professorship was made possible by a generous gift from Jeanne Lind Herberger, a three-time graduate of the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, including its PhD program. Reflecting on her tenure, Guerrero said, “Being the Herberger Professor was a great honor. This generous gift enabled me to travel to present award-winning research with graduate students and to fund exciting new research projects.”
Congratulations to these Hugh Downs School award winners
LeMaster honored for LGBTQ+ and narrative research
Lore/tta LeMaster, associate professor, received the Randy Majors Award from the Caucus on Gay and Lesbian Concerns of the National Communication Association, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender scholarship in communication studies. She also received the Ellis-Bochner Autoethnography and Personal Narrative Research Award from the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction for the article "Suicidal."
Liesel Sharabi, associate professor, and Elizabeth Dorrance Hall of Michigan State University received the Franklin H. Knower Article Award from the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association for their article entitled “Conceptualizing and Measuring communication Interdependence: The Technology and Face-to-Face Integration Scale," which was Communication Methods and Measures. The award is for an outstanding article published in interpersonal communication within the past five years. Sharabi was also featured on several media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and CNN Business.
Multiple grants advance global communication research
Heewon Kim, associate professor, has received multiple competitive grants supporting her global research. As Co-Investigator on Care Humanities in the Planetary Age, funded by South Korea’s National Research Foundation, she collaborates with Kyung Hee University to build a transdisciplinary network across four continents. She also received a Research Development Grant from the Organization for Feminist Research for Gender and Communication to examine how medical knowledge influences trauma recognition in court, and funding from the Academy of Korean Studies to study emerging legal violence against women and queer survivors.
Alison Trego Instructor Mentor Award
Serap Erincin Faculty Innovation Award
Lori Bednarchik Instructor of the Year Award
Joris Van Ouytsel Faculty Mentor Award
Congratulations Retirements
The Hugh Downs School celebrated the careers of four faculty members who are retiring: Steve Corman, Pauline Davies, Belle Edson, and Paul Mongeau. We are grateful for all their contributions to the School and congratulate them for earning emeritus status. They will always be part of the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication family.
Steve Corman, the university. He founded and directed the successful Center for Strategic Communication and has led multiple grant teams, securing more external funding than any other professor in the School’s history. His work has earned him major accolades, including the prestigious Jablin Award from the international Communication Association and a Patriot Award from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Pauline Davies, professor of practice, has been with ASU since 2006 after a distinguished career as an award-winning international broadcaster and documentarian with the British Broadcasting Corporation and later the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. At the Hugh Downs School, she has been a dynamic presence—presiding over the University Senate, organizing high-level events and symposia, teaching core undergraduate courses, and partnering with the Mayo Clinic on funded research projects focused on health and burnout.
Belle Edson, academic professional, joined ASU in 1998 and has played a central role in shaping student experiences as director of undergraduate education. She created the School’s orientation for new teaching associates and supervised all instructors. She also directed and taught in the School’s popular study abroad program in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin and coordinated and taught many of the School’s core undergraduate classes. Alongside her administrative leadership, she is widely respected as a teacher and scholar of rhetoric.
Paul Mongeau, professor, joined ASU as a faculty member in 2002, returning after completing his undergraduate degree here. He is an internationally recognized expert in interpersonal communication, honored with numerous awards for research, teaching, and service, including the Western States Communication Association’s Distinguished Service Award. He has served as editor of both The Journal of Social and Personal Relationships and Communication Studies, and has a stellar reputation as mentor for doctoral students in the School.
Pictured from left to right: Belle Edson, Paul Mongeau, Steve Corman, and Pauline Davies.
Congratulations to these awardwinning undergraduate students
Jennifer G. Kaplan Endowment Scholarship
Recipient: Xie Ziyu
HDSHC Scholars Program Scholarship
Recipients: Chelzy Desvigne and Brandon Garlitos
William and Teeny Drakos Endowed Scholarship
Recipient: Faith Nyaguthii
Alexander and Vivian Gentleman Endowed Scholarship
Recipient: Katelynne Newman
Louis and Louise Menk Endowed Scholarship
Recipient: Fatima Mohammad Ali
Rusty and Rosie Lyon Endowed Scholarship
Recipient: Samantha Emerson
House of Broadcasting Endowed Scholarship
Recipient: Irma Mitre
Barnes Scholarship Endowment in Communication
Recipient: Alecea Loke
Undergraduatenews
Pursuit of Purpose
Grant Skala graduated in Spring 2024 with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in communication and political science, along with a minor in history and a certificate in philosophy, ethics, and law. A Dean’s Medalist and Barrett Honors student, Skala also served as a tour guide and leader in Devils’ Advocates, and completed a communication-focused thesis on political media. He now works in public affairs for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C.
Norman K. Perrill Scholarship Endowment
Recipient: Ashlyn Nani
Belle A. Edson Study Abroad Scholarship
Recipient: Sara Vazquez
Undergraduate major and new certificate emphasize career readiness
The Hugh Downs School recently revised its undergraduate BS and BA communication degrees to focus more on core competencies related to career readiness. A recent survey by The Pew Research Center in 2024 found that the top five skills rated as most important for the workplace are interpersonal skills, written and spoken communication skills, critical thinking skills, basic computer skills, and management or leaderships skills, all of which are taught within our revised major. As the use of technology increases, leaders who can manage people and harness creativity will be in high demand. The School also introduced a certificate in workplace communication designed to strengthen students’ professional communication skills across industries.
"My biggest piece of advice to students is to challenge yourself, but also make sure you enjoy what you’re studying."
Dean's Medalist Grant Skala
Hugh Downs School Study Abroad Trailblazer
Sara Vazquez, an Interdisciplinary Studies major with concentrations in communication and English, is the first recipient of the Belle A. Edson Study Abroad Scholarship. A Bay Area-based ASU Online student, Vazquez has embraced global learning and was selected for
and Edinburgh, an opportunity she describes as a childhood dream come true. Inspired by navigating higher education, she plans to pursue a career as a communication specialist
Graduate Student news
Congratulations to our new PhDs
Rowdy Dale Farmer
“Training Students to Work Through Politically Contentious Interactions with the Growth Mindset Dialogue Model”
Chandler Marr
"Compassion and Carcerality: An Ethnography of Compassion in
Reeham Mohammed
“Generative AI in the Academy: Analysis of Stakeholders’ Experiences in U.S Higher Education Organizations”
Emilee Shearer
"Welcome to the Williams Show:" A Rhetorical and Discursive Analysis of Media Representations of Serena Williams"
Remembering Pablo Ramirez
Pablo Ramirez was awarded his PhD posthumously in ognition of his significant contributions as a scholar and educator. He was committed to creating safe and sive spaces, particularly for marginalized communities,
Congratulations to these award-winning graduate students
Daniel C. Brouwer Scholarship Award for Mentoring Excellence
Recipient: Tumininu Awonuga
Linda Costigan Lederman Scholarship
Recipient: Sandra Wood
Christine Duff Muldoon Communication Scholarship
Recipient: Agnes Amoakwa
Outstanding Doctoral Student Research & Creative Activities Award
Recipient: Liming Liu
Outstanding Doctoral Student Teaching Award
Recipient: Shelby Singh
Outstanding Doctoral Student Service Award
Recipient: Pablo Ramirez
Herberger Fellowship in Communication
Recipient: Christina Meneses
Judith N. Martin Intercultural Communication Scholarship
Recipients: Yuqi Xiao and Ebuka Okoli
Dessie E. Larsen Graduate Fellowship
Recipient: Sam Nguyen
both within and beyond academia. In the classroom, Dr. Ramirez was an engaging and interactive instructor, demonstrating deep dedication to shaping students' lives through thoughtfulness and care. As a friend and colleague, his unwavering support, encouragement, and recincluconRamirez's contagious smile
selflessness were a source of strength and inspiration for all who had the privilege to know him. His positive influence tinues to resonate in the communities he touched. Dr. creativity, charisma, intelligence, and, above all, his are deeply missed.
Pablo was bursting with creative energy, in a way that made life more beautiful for everyone lucky enough to be in his presence. His passion and care inspired us all--and will continue to.
-Jenna
Hanchey, associate professor
Pablo was consistently kind to everyone. He had a gift of making people feel seen and valued, regardless of how long they had known him.
-Izzy Flores, doctoral student
Parole Work"
Hugh Downs School Success Celebrating Distinguished Alumni
Tim Vasquez, who earned his communication degree from ASU in 1998, was named Alumnus of the Year. Today, he serves as president of Someburros, a company celebrated for its beloved food and community engagement. “From conflict negotiation to interpersonal communication, those are all skills you use every single day—both at work and with friends and family,” Vasquez said. “I wouldn't have majored in anything else.”
Alumni receive top honors from the International Communication Association
Timothy Kuhn (PhD, 2000) was awarded the Fredric J. Jablin Award for Outstanding Contributions to Organizational Communication. Now a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, his research explores how people share ideas, shape identities, and make decisions through communication—particularly as shaped by tools like technology and documents, as well as by power structures.
Annegret Hannawa (PhD, 2009) received the Outstanding Applied/ Public Research Award. Now a professor of health communication at the Università della Svizzera italiana in Switzerland, her research focuses on using communication research
to help solve global challenges. “We live in a time when the world’s most challenging questions are directed at the field of communication science,” Hannawa said.
Sun Devil 100
In 2025, the ASU Alumni Association recognized 17 distinguished Hugh Downs School graduates in the Sun Devil 100, celebrating alumni at the apex of successful, innovative businesses globally. This highlights the strength of our communication degree by demonstrating how our alumni apply their learned skills to excel in their careers and positively impact their communities.
Kathleen Duffy | Class of 1981 CEO-Founder-President Duffy Group, Inc.
Ben Ellis |Class of 2008 Founder E & G Real Estate Services
Eric Ganz | Class of 2003 Managing Partner-Co-founder 360 Industrial Services
Michael Hagerty | Class of 1985 Founder-Owner-President Copy King Office Solutions
Rick Hurley | Class of 2007 Owner-Managing Partner Heirloom Wealth Management
Jennifer Kaplan | Class of 1996 CEO-Founder Evolve Public Relations & Marketing
Jamie LeVine | Class of 2001 Chief Communications Officer Steve LeVine Entertainment
Jodi Low | Class of 1994 CEO-Founder, U & Improved
Colleen Neese | Class of 1997 Vice President Duffy Group, Inc.
Mike Noble | Class of 2007 Chief of Research-Managing Partner Noble Predictive Insights
Laurel Roach | Class of 2008 Owner TriFIT Wellness
Emily Soccorsy | Class of 1999 CEO-Owner Root + River
Christina Spicer | Class of 2003 Co-CEO Girl Scouts AZ Cactus Pine Council
Kristin Uhles | Class of 1999 Vice President SmartPractice
Bryan White | Class of 1997 COO DMD Systems Recovery, LLC
Jessica Whitney | Class of 2004 Senior Vice President, Development Arizona Science Center
Teresa Ybarra | Class of 1987 People Operations & Culture Duffy Group, Inc.
In Appreciation
The HDSHC community thanks Sarah J. Tracy
Giving Back
The Hugh Downs School has been privileged to have Sarah Tracy as its Director for the past four years. Her leadership has been instrumental in guiding the School through numerous challenges, including the global pandemic, a flood in our building, and other unforeseen obstacles. Throughout these turbulent times, Professor Tracy's unwavering commitment to the School's mission and her ability to inspire and support faculty, staff, and students have been truly remarkable. As Jen Eden, Director of Online Learning, observed, “Sarah brought energy, heart, and vision as Director. She made people feel heard, supported new ideas, and helped move the School forward in meaningful ways. We’re so grateful for her leadership and care.” Similarly, Jonathan Pettigrew, Director of Doctoral Studies, shared, “Dr. Tracy has an enduring optimism and determination. She consistently brings cheer and generosity into her leadership. Thanks for leading the school these past four years!” As she transitions back into her faculty role, we extend our deepest gratitude to Professor Tracy for her exceptional service and dedication. Her impact will continue to resonate within the Hugh Downs School for years to come.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the following people for their generous contributions to our program:
Amy Przytula Vynalek & Christopher Vynalek
Anthony Roberto
Arlene Chin
Ashton Troop and Dean Batson
Belle Edson
Brendan & Kailee Cunningham
Charles Najera
Christine Muldoon
Clark Olson
Cliff Scott
Cynthia Dick
Danielle & Travis Airey
Frederick Corey & Germain Planchais
Heewon Kim
Helen & Joseph Goldblatt
Janet Jacobsen
Jennifer & John Marsteen
Jennifer Linde
Joelle Keane-Tramel
Joris Van Ouytsel & Mateusz Czarnecki
Judith Martin
Karen Foss
Kenro Kusumi & Stephen Pratt
Krici Mohr
Kristin Dybvig
Kyle & Kristin Fray
Lauren Bates
Leslie Pardee
Malinda Case
Marsha Segerberg
Mary Ann McHugh & George Watson
Michael Zirulnik
Michelle Miller-Day
Nancy Jurik
Paul & Pauline Davies
Paul Mongeau & Arta Damnjanovic
Ralph & Monique Nebelung
Robert Brummel
Robert McPhee & Dale Kalika
Robert Razzante
Sarah Tracy & Brad Hendron
Scarlett Evancic
Simone Berg
Sonja Foss
Stephanie & Alan Giese
Stephen McDaniel & Justine Nguyen
Sundae Schneider-Bean
The Academy Of Korean Studies
Tonya Gray
Zirha Torsina Baik & Joon Baik
