CCOM Faculty & Staff

Dr. Lee Farquhar is an associate professor of Journalism and Sports Media. In total, he has been teaching multimedia storytelling and sports media courses for over 10 years. His professional experience is primarily in radio and television broadcasting. He has also worked as a freelance videographer, shooting video for Kansas State University and MTV. His research combines social media and social psychological theories. He current research focuses on social media use and the impact on how users view themselves and others.

With more than 20 years of marketing communications experience, Amanda earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Franklin College in 1999 and a master’s of business administration degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2003. She’s also a graduate of Leadership Johnson County’s Signature Class of 2019.

Amanda has served organizations and clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, technology, accounting, insurance and retirement services, non-profit, government, legal, food service, travel and tourism. She’s experienced success increasing brand awareness, lead generation, customer retention and associate engagement through multi-channel marketing communication strategies for both B2B and B2B2C using cohesive and engaging content, events, print and digital platforms.

She makes the time to share this vast knowledge and her real-life scenarios with students. Amanda currently serves as Chair of the Communication and Leadership Department and Lecturer of Strategic Communication with Butler University and previously with Harrison College as a Business Faculty member.

Amanda and her husband Matt Holmes share their Greenwood, Indiana home with two rescued mutts. They support several local animal rescues, as well as regional and global conservation efforts through the Indianapolis Zoo.

Bob Schultz, APR, is a full-time Strategic Communication Lecturer and serves as the Internship Director for Butler’s College of Communication. He is also the Faculty Director of the Butler Institute for Sports & Entertainment (BISE), which started in 2025. He regularly leads pop-up courses leading Butler students in civic engagement for some of Indy’s largest community events, including the 2026 NCAA Div. I Men’s Final Four, 2025 WNBA All Star Weekend, the 2024 NBA All Star, the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, and the Taylor Swift concert weekend in Downtown. Prior to these roles, Bob was an adjunct member of the Butler faculty starting in 2004. Schultz is the principal and founder of Schultz Strategies, LLC where he maintains contractual marketing and event operation roles with the Downtown Indy Alliance (DIA) where he served as Executive Vice President prior to coming to Butler fulltime in Aug. 2023. Other clients include some of the community’s most high-profile hospitality and tourism companies and organization. Prior to joining DIA, Bob was Vice President of Borshoff Advertising & Public Relations where he delivered high-level marketing consultation for such client organizations as Eli Lilly and Co., WGU Indiana, University of Notre Dame, Defender Direct, Buckingham Companies and the 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee. Bob also had a ten year run serving Visit Indy as its primary marketing communications director from 1999-2008. He and his wife Diane (a Butler grad) are both lifelong Indy residents.

Mark Harris has been a staff member at Butler University for almost 33 years. During that span, he has served as the Music Director for WAJC-FM, Operations Director for WTBU-TV and most recently as the Technical Services Coordinator for the College of Communication, acting as a liasion to Facilities and IT. He is responsible for overseeing studios and facilities, camera checkout and major projects for the college and Fairbanks Center. 

A Butler alum, Mark has a wide array of expertise ranging from radio and television broadcasting, audio production, video production, editing, audio mixing, studio and remote recording, and systems and studio design. Mark’s audio work has aired on NPR, PBS, The Indy 500 Festival Parade and The Super Bowl Pregame.

Mark has a Masters of Science in Music Technology from IUPUI in Indianapolis and is an adjunct instructor in the Music Industry Studies program of the Pulliam School of Journalism and Creative Media (SJCM). Mark has taught MI 109 Survey of the Music Industry, MI 201 Audio Production and MI 353 Audio for Video in addition to supervising audio lab experiences in remote recording for SJCM. 

Rachel Hahn Arkenberg, PhD CCC-SLP, CLC is an assistant professor in the SLHS department at Butler University and medical speech-language pathologist specializing in feeding and swallowing. Dr. Hahn Arkenberg’s research focuses on using a dynamic systems approach to characterize feeding and speech development in infants, with the eventual aim of creating interventions to maximize feeding skill and family flourishing for those impacted by Pediatric Feeding Disorder. 

Michael Aronson joined The Compass Center as Jewish Life Advisor in April 2023 during a Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship year at Butler University’s College of Communication. Michael holds a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from Hebrew College in Newton Center, Massachusetts, and is working towards his doctorate in Media Studies at Indiana University-Bloomington. Michael serves the Jewish community at Butler by channeling his passions for living in community, Jewish learning, adult education and pluralism towards helping The Compass Center create an inclusive and loving environment for all people at Butler. 

Tonya Bergeson, PhD is Professor and Chair in the SLHS department at Butler University, as well as the Richard M. Fairbanks Endowed Chair of Communication. Her research focuses on music and language across the lifespan, particularly maternal speech and singing to infants with and without hearing loss and effects of music on sundowning symptoms in adults with dementia.

Cynthia (Weiyue) Chen mostly teaches Media Entrepreneurship and Media Audience Analytics for CCOM students. Prior to Butler, she has taught Introduction to Business News, Digital Analytics, and Media Management. Her research is published in flagship journals in the field: Journalism, Journalism Studies, and The International Journal of Press/Politics, etc. During her doctoral studies, Chen’s first lead-author project on paying for news was featured by the American Press Institute. 

Chen earned her Ph.D. in Information and Media from Michigan State University with a concentration in the media business. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Nankai University and an M. A. in Journalism and Communication (Hon.) from Tsinghua University in China. Outside of work, she organizes social events for international students at MSU, follows cute puppy pictures and sarcastic memes on Instagram, and enjoys hiking in the woods.

Google Scholar Page

 Professor Crawford is a Lecturer in the Department of
Communication and Leadership in the College of Communication at Butler
University. She began her career at Butler as an adjunct instructor in 1987 and
became a full-time Lecturer in 1997. She holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s
degree from Ball State University. 

Professor Crawford has served as Butler University’s
Director of Forensics (Speech Team) since 1999. Her research focuses on
competitive forensics, with particular emphasis on marginalized performances
and the ways in which students and performers use competitive speech to explore
issues of identity, representation, and social experience. 

More recently, she has expanded her research to examine the role of
artificial intelligence in competitive speech. Her current inquiries explore
how emerging AI technologies are influencing speech preparation, performance,
coaching, judging, and the broader practices and pedagogical purposes of
collegiate forensics. 

I am an Assistant Professor and Faculty Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the College of Communication at Butler University. In these roles, I facilitate learning related to inclusion, empathy, listening and advocating for all members of our community. I teach classes on social responsibility and today’s drastically changing workplace. In class we work to understand how globalization, technology and the changing structure of work fundamentally alter the experience of working in our modern economy. While considering these changes, students learn how to work with diverse others and accomplish shared goals through effective and empathetic communication. 

My scholarship interrogates the roles mobile and digital media play in structuring of political and social relationships. I have written a book called Virtually Amish: Preserving Community at the Internet’s Margins, which is scheduled for publication by MIT Press in spring 2022. 

I have also published research on Twitter use by protesters and social and mobile media use for public health communication among high-risk groups. Among other outlets, my research has been published in First Monday, New Media & Society and Media Culture & Society.

Dr. Lee Farquhar is an associate professor of Journalism and Sports Media. In total, he has been teaching multimedia storytelling and sports media courses for over 10 years. His professional experience is primarily in radio and television broadcasting. He has also worked as a freelance videographer, shooting video for Kansas State University and MTV. His research combines social media and social psychological theories. He current research focuses on social media use and the impact on how users view themselves and others.

Margaretha Geertsema-Sligh is a Professor of Journalism and Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Communication.  Her textbook, “Journalism and Gender: Global Perspectives,” with Routledge, was published in August 2025. 

She held the Richard M. Fairbanks endowed chair from 2018 to 2024 and served as Interim Dean from April 2021 to December 2022. Before her appointment as Interim Dean, Dr. Geertsema-Sligh served as Director of the Eugene S. Pulliam School of Journalism and Creative Media for five years. She joined Butler University in 2005 and has taught classes in news writing, gender and news, and global media. 

Dr. Geertsema-Sligh holds a doctorate in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s degree in Communication from Washington State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from North-West University in South Africa. She is a past chair of the International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and a past co-chair of the Gender and Communication section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research. Her research has been published in several leading academic journals. See www.margarethageertsemasligh.com  for more information. 

Eric Hahn is an assistant professor of Creative Media and Entertainment at Butler University. In addition to teaching, Eric works in film production and post-production, primarily as a colorist and editor. He has worked on multiple award-winning films, including Night School (Dir. Cohn, 2016), the 2021 SXSW Grand Jury Prize winner Lily Topples the World (Dir. Jeremy Workman), and the Academy Award shortlisted documentary Deciding Vote (Dir. Lyons & Workman, 2023). His research has appeared in The Journal of Popular Culture, Flow, The Routledge Handbook of Remix Studies, and In Media Res. Eric holds a PhD in Visual Studies from the University of California, Irvine, along with a BA and MA in Cinema Studies from SUNY Purchase and New York University respectively.  

Kiersten Houser is an educator and multi-modal filmmaker with over a decade of experience in directing, producing, writing, and acting. Her work, which focuses on diverse, character-driven stories, has earned awards such as “Best Experimental Film” and “Best Suspense Film”, along with PBS NC’s “Reel South Award”, given annually to a standout documentary filmmaker/project. In non-directorial roles such as Producer, Assistant Director & Script Supervisor, her crew works have screened at prominent, competitive international venues such as the Venice Film Festival (Pooja, Sir, 2024), Locarno Film Festival, and AFI (Private Property, 2026).

In addition to her filmmaking, Houser has received recognition for her teaching, including Gaston County Schools’ Star Teacher Award and UNCW’s Teaching Assistantship Award. In 2023, she produced the first horror film anthology series for undergraduate students, encouraging them to explore their personal fears through film. The work, called FEARS Anthology, continues in annual installments with students in production courses. Her future work will focus on socially engaged horror films and documentaries addressing issues such as identity, loss, and grief.

Dr. Karaliova is an Associate Professor of journalism who teaches a variety of courses on reporting and writing, multimedia journalism, global media, investigative journalism, as well as courses on innovative technology in storytelling, such as drone journalism and 360 video. 

She also serves as a Director of the Eugene S. Pulliam School of Journalism and Creative Media.

Dr. Karaliova’s professional background is in newspaper and online journalism. She received her graduate degrees in journalism at University of Arkansas at Little Rock (M.A.) and University of Missouri (Ph.D.). Her research is focused on journalism studies, journalism and democracy, media sociology, and mass media systems around the world.

Courses Dr. Karaliova teaches at Butler University:

 JR 112 Introduction to News Reporting  

JR 212 Reporting and Writing   

JR 215 Innovative Journalism: Tools and Approaches 

JR 310 Investigative Journalism  

JR 311 Drone Journalism  

JR 312 Multimedia Journalism  

JR 412 In-Depth Journalism (capstone)

JR 417 Global Media  

 Brian D. Krohn, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Sport Management in the Eugene S. Pulliam School of Journalism and Creative Media at Butler University. His teaching and research center on the sport fan and participant experience, including innovation and entrepreneurship in delivering exceptional fan experiences in tailgating and stadium settings, and consumer behavior in active sports such as golf, running, and cycling. 

Dr. Krohn builds his courses around real-world problem-solving, guiding more than 150 student projects that address challenges
facing local community and industry partners. That classroom work led to his selection for the inaugural cohort of Mosaic Faculty Fellows at IU Indianapolis, and he continues to research and develop approaches to student engagement through experiential learning and technology-enhanced pedagogy. 

Before joining Butler’s College of Communication, Dr. Krohn served as a faculty member and department chair at IU Indianapolis and as a postdoctoral research associate specializing in statistical methods and scale development at Clemson University. He also worked as a golf professional and general manager at several golf facilities in Indiana, Kentucky, and South Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. in Tourism Management from Clemson University, a master’s degree in Sport Management from Purdue University, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Sport Management from Union College (KY). 

Dr. Krohn’s work in curriculum design includes projects with universities in Central and East Africa, China, South Korea, Germany, and the United Kingdom seeking to educate students about sport and event management. He has also served as statistician on projects ranging from scale development for outdoor education to the effects of climate change on park visitation, the factors shaping season ticket holders’ perceptions of value, and the determinants of coaching success in NCAA Division I athletics.  

Dr. Abbey Levenshus serves as Professor of Strategic Communication in the Department of Communication and Leadership and Chair of the University Curriculum Committee. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in basic and advanced strategic communication, including writing, digital and social media marketing, crisis communication, case studies and ethics. 

Dr. Levenshus’ research on government public relations, risk and crisis communication, and social media management has been published in books and top communication journals like Journal of Applied Communication Research and the Journal of Public Relations Research. She currently researches women’s political leadership development related to communication and authenticity.

Her professional experience includes serving as communication director for a U.S. Congressman, a political technology company, and a government consulting firm in Washington, D.C. She earned her M.A. in Public Communication at American University and her Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Maryland. Prior to Butler, she was an assistant professor of communication at the University of Tennessee.

In 2016, Dr. Levenshus was thrilled to return to her home state of Indiana to join Butler’s faculty. 

Todd Logan spent more than 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry working in jobs of greater responsibility from territory sales representative, hospital sales representative, training manager, district business manager, and promotions manager. Todd’s sales accomplishments include Directors Club and the Pinnacle Award where his sales district was ranked #4 out of 220. 

His current role is Director of the online Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership program along with being a Lecturer in the Communications Department. Prior to this, Todd was an adjunct professor at 9 different universities where he taught both in person and online. His areas of specialty include public speaking, research methodology and leadership skills. His academic accomplishments include the Golden Apple for exceptional support, mentoring, and impact on students at the University of Cincinnati and Butler Universitie’s Student Impact Award for  significant contributions to the learning, development, and overall experience of students.  

Todd holds a B.S degree from Miami University in Mass Communication along with an M.A. degree from La Salle University in Professional Communication. His doctoral degree is from Creighton University in Interdisciplinary Leadership.   

Peter Matsoukas is a writer, producer & director of narrative and documentary film.  His narrative feature FIRE PIT and documentary feature BRIGHT BEAUTIFUL WORLD are currently on the festival circuit with planned distribution in 2027. 

Peter’s films B LINES (2024) and NO PLACE (2020) are currently streaming in North America and beyond. He also produced and directed the documentary THE DIARY OF HENRY J. McBRIDE which premiered on PBS in Summer, 2024. 

Peter holds a B.A. in Radio, Television & Film from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.S. in Digital Cinema from DePaul University.  Prior to coming to Butler, he was an adjunct professor at Indiana University – Bloomington, Indiana University – Indianapolis and Marian University.

Rob Norris spent more than 40 years in the field of communication. He began his career in 1976 as public relations assistant for the predecessor of Duke Energy Indiana.  During his 30 years with that company, he became director of Corporate Communications,overseeing advertising, media relations, video production, and speech writing.  Rob personally represented the company during environmental crises, nuclear issues, strikes, extended power outages, a financial crisis, two mergers, and an attempted hostile takeover.

After retiring from Duke Energy in 2006, Rob became a communications manager for Cummins Inc., where he provided training programs on presentational speaking and media relations for Cummins officers from around the world. Rob works today as an instructor in communication at Butler University, where he developed the University’s course on crisis communication.

Rob holds a B.A. in History and an M.A. in European History from Indiana University. He has been published in the Journal of Communications Management.

Armando Pellerano spent more than 20 years providing creative services to direct clients, agencies, and video production houses. He began his career in 1986 as the art director/production artist for E.S. Graphics in Chicago, IL. During his time there he designed produced scores of backlit advertisements for airports and malls for 3M National Advertising. Armando then moved on to stint as art director for Kutt & Company, a boutique ad agency in the Chicago market, where he designed print and outdoor ads. In 1994 Armando took a post as writer/producer with TCI Cable Advertising, creating local spots and 3D animations, and was promoted to production manager in 1996. Armando went on to provide creative services to a variety of ad agencies, broadcast networks and video production houses in the Evansville, Indiana market until 2001. Armando earned his Master of Science in New Media from Indiana University in 2002. Since then, he has taught 3D animation for the Purdue School of Technology and operated a successful photography business based out of Carmel, Indiana. Armando joined Butler University in 2011 as a lecturer in the department of Strategic Communication.

Dr. Mark Rademacher is a Professor of Strategic Communication and the Richard M. Fairbanks Professor of Communication in the Department of Communication & Leadership. His teaching responsibilities include undergraduate and graduate courses, including foundations of strategic communication, research methods, audience insights, brand strategy and public communication campaigns.

His research investigates the intersection of identity, mass media, and consumer culture across a variety of contexts, including self-representation strategies utilized by marginalized populations on social media, depictions of masculinity in promotional content and reality television, and the consumer socialization of young children. His research has been published in academic journals such as New Media & Society, Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, Journal of Communication Inquiry, and Journal of Children and Media.

Dr. Rademacher earned his PhD and Master’s degree in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a B.S. in Broadcasting from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. 

Bob Schultz, APR, is a full-time Strategic Communication Lecturer and serves as the Internship Director for Butler’s College of Communication. He is also the Faculty Director of the Butler Institute for Sports & Entertainment (BISE), which started in 2025. He regularly leads pop-up courses leading Butler students in civic engagement for some of Indy’s largest community events, including the 2026 NCAA Div. I Men’s Final Four, 2025 WNBA All Star Weekend, the 2024 NBA All Star, the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, and the Taylor Swift concert weekend in Downtown. Prior to these roles, Bob was an adjunct member of the Butler faculty starting in 2004. Schultz is the principal and founder of Schultz Strategies, LLC where he maintains contractual marketing and event operation roles with the Downtown Indy Alliance (DIA) where he served as Executive Vice President prior to coming to Butler fulltime in Aug. 2023. Other clients include some of the community’s most high-profile hospitality and tourism companies and organization. Prior to joining DIA, Bob was Vice President of Borshoff Advertising & Public Relations where he delivered high-level marketing consultation for such client organizations as Eli Lilly and Co., WGU Indiana, University of Notre Dame, Defender Direct, Buckingham Companies and the 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee. Bob also had a ten year run serving Visit Indy as its primary marketing communications director from 1999-2008. He and his wife Diane (a Butler grad) are both lifelong Indy residents.

Sofia Souto is an Associate Professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Butler University.  Her main research area is child language, with an emphasis on preschool-aged children with developmental language disorder (DLD).

With more than 20 years of marketing communications experience, Amanda earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Franklin College in 1999 and a master’s of business administration degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2003. She’s also a graduate of Leadership Johnson County’s Signature Class of 2019.

Amanda has served organizations and clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, technology, accounting, insurance and retirement services, non-profit, government, legal, food service, travel and tourism. She’s experienced success increasing brand awareness, lead generation, customer retention and associate engagement through multi-channel marketing communication strategies for both B2B and B2B2C using cohesive and engaging content, events, print and digital platforms.

She makes the time to share this vast knowledge and her real-life scenarios with students. Amanda currently serves as Chair of the Communication and Leadership Department and Lecturer of Strategic Communication with Butler University and previously with Harrison College as a Business Faculty member.

Amanda and her husband Matt Holmes share their Greenwood, Indiana home with two rescued mutts. They support several local animal rescues, as well as regional and global conservation efforts through the Indianapolis Zoo.

Dr. Eileen Taylor is a Senior Lecturer in the Communication and Leadership Department of the College of Communication at Butler University.

Dr. Taylor’s research and expertise are organizational leadership communication with a focus on change and diversity of perspectives is complimented with a Bachelor of Science in Management, MBA, Master of Arts in Advanced Leadership Studies, and Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership. She earned her credentials from Indiana Wesleyan University.  Dr. Taylor was a First Generation student as the first in her family to become a college graduate.  At a young 45 years of age, she officially retired as a federal government career professional with 27 years and 7 months of business administration expertise that included human resources, financial management, and organizational leadership.

Dr. Taylor believes the essence of leadership is communication. She teaches  organizational leadership and communication, speech for business, public speaking, communication ethics, financial management, introduction to human resources management, and principles of marketing at the college level.

Dr. Taylor is the textbook author of Diversity of Perspectives.  Her professional philosophy is partially rooted in opportunities to live throughout the United States and Europe as a military dependent. At the time, a 5-year residency in Europe was pivotal in preparing Dr. Taylor to embrace the 21st century of globalization where technology continues to transform the method and scope of communication. This inclusive mindset has been the cornerstone of her personal authenticity and work ethics throughout the years. It has helped Dr. Taylor positively influence others in profit and not-for-profit organizations. As a leader and researcher, she inspires others to strengthen their personal foundation of individual values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations that add value to any organization. The ability to also learn about and understand others who may be different from you are crucial skills in an ever-growing global market.

Organizations benefit from Dr. Taylor’s ability to demonstrate theories and practical experiences while she serves as Guest Lecturer, Keynote Speaker, and Professional Trainer. Dr. Taylor’s positive leadership perspective may help organizations overcome challenges that become future success stories.

Dr. Taylor also serves as the NFHS Project Director which is an external research grant partnership initiative between Butler University and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).  This research has been published in the Journal of Mother Studies  and High School Today magazine (February 2024 , November 2022 , May 2020 ).

 Jenna Voss, PhD, is an experienced faculty member, educator of deaf-and-hard-of-hearing (DHH) students and Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Auditory-Verbal Educator (LSLS Cert. AVEd). Dr. Voss is passionate about the preparation of high-quality speech-language pathologists and educators, both through pre-service and in-service educational models. Voss mentors professionals to improve family-centered early intervention practices, and promotes interprofessional and collaborative practices. For more than 20 years, her scholarly priorities have focused on promotion of equity and inclusion, implementation of family-centered practices, and implementation of effective practices in personnel preparation. Dr. Voss presents internationally and has co-authored two texts: Small Talk: Bringing Listening and Spoken Language to Your Young Child With Hearing Loss & Case Studies in Deaf Education: Inquiry, Application and Resources. Dr. Voss currently serves on the Council on Education of the Deaf board of directors. As a seasoned presenter and learning facilitator, Dr. Voss offers workshops, mentoring, coaching, consulting,  and listening and spoken language intervention. Connect at www.jennavoss.com. 

Nick White is a Lecturer, Professional of Practice in Sports Media and Journalism for the College of Communication. His courses both past and present include: 

Current Courses: 

SPM 405 – Sports Newsroom | JR 411 – Multimedia Newsroom | SPM 320 – Live Sports Production | JR 312 – Multimedia Journalism | SPM 130 – Sports Production Lab

Summer Courses: 

SPM 335 – NIL in College Sports | SPM 101 – Introduction to Sports Media | JR 112 – Intro to Multimedia Journalism | JR 312 – Multimedia Journalism 

Past Courses: 

SPM 120 – Intro to Sports Production | SPM 220 – Sports Shooting and Editing 

Also on campus Nick is the General Manager of Butler Sports Live . This production group services home broadcasts for Butler Atheltics including Football, Women’s Soccer, Men’s Soccer, Volleyball, Women’s Basketball, Baseball, Softball and Women’s Lacrosse for the Big East Digital Network . Nick is in charge of managing broadcasts, hiring crew and talent and overseeing productions. He hires both freelance broadcast professionals and current Butler students to the broadcast team. 

Nick moved into education in 2017 after nearly a decade in sports and news broadcasting. Fittingly, his television broadcasting career started in Hinkle Fieldhouse with WISH-TV broadcasts of Butler Basketball games. He produced news in Austin, Texas with KXAN (NBC) where he won two TX AP Broadcasting Awards. He then worked in Chicago, Illinois with NBC 5 and won an Emmy Award with CBS 2 in 2014. He moved back to Indianapolis as Executive Producer for CBS 4 and relaunched the station as the CBS affiliate. 

Nick holds a M.A. in Applied Communication and a B.S. in Sports Communication – Broadcast from Indiana University. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America – East and regularly serves as an Emmy Awards Judge for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and an award Judge for BEA. 

Education:

Ph.D.,University of Connecticut (Communication)

M.A., Michigan State University (Communication)

M.A., Columbia University in New York (East Asian Studies)

B.A. Tsinghua University (Journalism)

Dr. Xiaowen Xu is a communication scholar whose research examines the effects of digital media in health communication, advertising, and multicultural contexts. Her work bridges theory and practice, with a focus on how emerging technologies and media environments shape user engagement, persuasion, and information processing.

Dr. Xu has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, including Science Communication, Vaccines, Internet Research, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, and Journal of Communication Technology. Her recent studies explore topics such as COVID-19 misinformation, online product reviews, eye-tracking and social media advertising. Her scholarship has been recognized with multiple awards, including three Top Paper Awards from national conferences, and several internal research and innovation grants at Butler University. Dr. Xu’s current work continues to explore the intersection of media, technology, culture, and consumer behavior in both global and U.S. contexts.

She teaches a range of undergraduate courses including Principles of Strategic Communication, Theories of Persuasion, Digital and Social Media Marketing, Global Strategic Communication, and Research Methods for Strategic Communication. Her teaching integrates industry-standard tools and experiential learning methods, such as eye-tracking technology and usability testing.

Website: https://xuxiaowencomm.com/

Mary Gospel is a senior clinical faculty member in SLHS. Her primary academic interests are in adult neurogenic disorders, but she also enjoys teaching courses in phonetics and phonological development and disorders. She is the director of the Butler Aphasia Community,  a clinical practicum opportunity. Up to 25 people in the community with aphasia come to campus weekly for 2 hours to work on their communication skills with 12 supervised undergraduate students. She is active in service, serving on a variety of university, college, and departmental committees. She also is the volunteer speech-language pathologist for a community aphasia support group that meets monthly.

Lisa Magnusson is a strategic communication professional with experience spanning multinational business, intelligence, nonprofit, religious, and diplomatic industries. She is currently a Professor of Communication and Organizational Leadership at Butler University, with her work focusing on strengthening essential and practical skills for a rapidly evolving, AI-powered environment. Additionally, Lisa serves as the Consulting Director for an international NPO that supports increased visibility and awareness of underserved communities.

She has led successful strategic campaigns for a wide range of clients, bringing together corporate, governmental, and organizational partners to achieve shared goals. Her background includes political advising, public affairs, event planning, embassy relations, energy policy work, and managing key media and intelligence relationships.

Her writing has appeared in The Liahona and The New York Times, with more publications on the way. She is grateful every day for her wonderful family and the inspiration they bring to her life.

Lisa holds a M.S. in Strategic Communication from Butler University and a B.A. in Public Relations from Brigham Young University.

Gregory E. Moser, Esq. is an adjunct professor in the College of Communication and works full time as an attorney in Indianapolis with significant trial experience as a civil and criminal litigator.  Prior to earning his Juris Doctorate from Saint Louis University, Greg taught and studied at Miami University in Oxford, OH, where he coached the forensic team, served as a research assistant, and taught communication courses.  He is a 2007 alumnus of Butler University, where he served as the captain of the speech and debate team for three years and claimed a national championship.  He also served for two years as a peer tutor with Butler’s Speakers Lab.

Greg has publications and has presented at national and regional conferences on a variety of topics including the rhetoric of genocide, terrorism, and the Holocaust; facilitating student learning through the use of internet-based applications; and the relationship between communication tutoring centers and competitive forensic programs.

At Butler, he serves in a volunteer capacity as the Assistant Director of Forensics, coaching Butler’s speech and debate team.  In his spare time, he enjoys watching Butler Basketball with his three sons.