Awards Recognize Commitment to Excellence

The regular awarding of honors for teaching and research reflects a long-standing commitment to excellence by the faculty of the Department of Communication. As indicated by the list to the right, numerous faculty have received awards for outstanding teaching, including those selected by students, alumni and other faculty. For more information, see Teaching Awards. Excellence in research has also been recognized by the regular awarding of external grants, resulting in a ranking as the most highly funded Communication program in the country according to a recent survey by the National Communication Association. For more information, see Research Awards.

In addition, several faculty members have been recognized for their overall contributions to the field of communication, including Dr. Lewis Donohew, professor emeritus, who was named the 2001 Outstanding Health Scholar by the National Communication Association and the International Communication Association, and Dr. James Applegate, professor, who was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Communication Program at the University of Illinois.

Traci Letcher Named 2007 Outstanding Academic Advisor

Traci Letcher was honored as one of two recipients of the 2007 Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor. As assistant director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Communication,Traci received the award for outstanding professional advisor. She has been described by her students and colleagues as "an inspiration" and "an advisor's advisor." "It is important to recognize the dedication of our advisors. They serve not only as mentors, but are the face of the University to our students," said Philipp Kraemer, associate provost for undergraduate education. Twenty-five professional and faculty advisors have been recognized since the award's founding in 1994.