FACULTY FEATURE
The Calling: Juniata Professor
Answers the Call to Make Students’ Lives Ring with Purpose
By Sierra Waite ’21 student writer
| Juniata
Donna Weimer, Thornbury Professor of Communication and Department Chair of Communication and Theatre Arts, answered the call to teach—but not before hanging up a few times. “I never thought of myself as a teacher. We had such limited choices back then; as a woman, you either saw yourself as a secretary, a teacher, or a nurse,” said Donna. “While I didn’t know what I wanted to be, I didn’t want to be in one of those boxes. Here I am 43 years later very passionate about teaching and advising.” In her undergraduate program, Donna pursued her passions, exploring subjects like Latin, psychology, and science. Ultimately, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Penn State University. She continued to earn her master of arts degree and Ph.D. in communication at Penn State. Afterwards, Donna achieved several years of experience as a communication consultant and instructor. Now, she has been teaching for 43 years, 29 of those at Juniata. “It’s hard to explain why or how you choose a path where you have to risk yourself every day in front of other people, keep up with the constantly changing worlds of culture and technology in communication, and strive to help your students be the best they can be every day when your best changes every day,” says Donna. “I realize that teaching is a calling, and it chose me.” Donna credits the endless support she received with bringing her to where she is today. Her family believed in education, which encouraged her and her siblings to find a way out of poverty and improve themselves. Her professors at Penn State were instrumental in helping Donna understand who she was as a teacher, as a scholar, and as a person. Her mentors and colleagues at Juniata showed her how to appreciate the process of learning how to teach well.
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“There are no rulebooks on how to be a professor; you learn from your mentors and get advice from people who you think do the job well,” says Donna. “My colleagues in the Communication, English, and Theatre Arts department were instrumental in helping me become the Juniata professor I would become.” In 1990, Donna received a call to create a communication curriculum and a designated Program of Emphasis (POE) in Communication at Juniata. Donna appreciates the immense freedom she was given to design and develop the program, exploring numerous opportunities and looking at other departments across the United States. Her goal was to create a program that would offer both an exploration of communication theory and skills as well as practice through internships and study abroad for students. Donna’s vision recognized the value of forming a department that encouraged compassionate, trustworthy, and authentic communication. Donna was dedicated to finding the right people to achieve that vision. Grace Fala, professor of communication, was hired in 1992 because the program was growing
quickly and she taught Donna so much about how to love the world and the people in it. As the department grew, she hired Lynn Cockett, professor of communication, in 2001 to strengthen the department with her strong belief in the social sciences that looks at communication through a different lens than the humanities. In collaboration with her colleagues, Donna created what was once known as the Digital Media POE (now Integrated Media Arts) through the generosity of the John and Irene Dale Endowment in 2001. Donna reached out to her former student, Sarah Worley ’00 in 2004, who is now associate professor of communication and director of community-engaged teaching and learning. As an undergraduate, Sarah always planned to run for president, but Donna says she’s glad Sarah chose to be her colleague instead. Neal Utterback, associate professor of theatre arts was hired in 2012; Donna thought he brought a strong perspective on wellness in all aspects of performance and life. Most recently, Donna welcomed Jared LaGroue, an instructor in communication hired in 2018, because of his strong teaching and advising abilities.
