Kristin C. Moran, PhD, joined the Communication Studies department in 1999 as a visiting assistant professor and became a permanent faculty member in 2001. Moran offers courses focused on media studies. Her current research focuses on the reception of Latino-themed and Spanish-language media in the United States. She serves as the university’s representative to the Binational Association of Schools of Communication (BINACOM), an organization devoted to cross border interaction and demystifying stereotypes through ethical communication and she works closely with USD’s Trans-Border Institute. She currently serves as Chair of the department.

> More Information

Jonathan M. Bowman, PhD, associate professor of Communication Studies, teaches courses in human communication processes and the methods through which we obtain that knowledge about communication. He joined USD in 2007 after three years on the faculty at Boston College. Bowman’s research currently focuses on communication processes associated with intimacy and close relationships, with recent publications addressing male friendships. He is also a participant in the Faculty-in-Residence program, and works as an advisor and a mentor to undergraduates in multiple capacities, particularly those students involved in greek life and/or campus faith-based organizations.

> More Information

Leeva C. Chung, PhD, has been a member of the faculty since 1998. She is a professor of Communication Studies, an affiliate faculty member in Ethnic Studies, and faculty onsite coordinator for the Winter Intersession in Hong Kong. Chung has developed a unique and innovative style of teaching which has been recognized with numerous awards on campus, most recently the prestigious Davies Award for Teaching Excellence. Both her undergraduate courses and research focus on identity development, intercultural communication, and team development. She has published a co-authored textbook (with Dr. Stella-Ting-Toomey), book chapters, and research articles. Chung is actively involved in the community, specifically with the San Diego Asian Film Festival, which premiered at USD in 2000. Since then, it has gained an international reputation as one of North America's leading Asian American film festivals.

> More Information

Esteban del Río is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of San Diego. He earned a PhD in the Department of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. A media and cultural studies scholar, del Río’s research examines how meaning and power operate in situations of ideological conflict in transnational public and popular culture. His current work focuses on Latino media studies and the representation of dissent. del Río teaches Introduction to Media Studies, Media & Conflict, and International Media.

> More Information

Sarah K. Foregger, PhD, teaches courses emphasizing a social science perspective of communication.  Her specializations include interpersonal communication, social influence, health communication and research methods. Her most recent research focus has been on the use of media to maintain or establish interpersonal connections, specifically examining the use of Facebook.com by undergraduates.   

> More Information

Greg Ghio directs the internship program in the department of Communication Studies and teaches lower and upper division courses as well. His lower division classes include Introduction to Human Communication and Public Speaking, his upper division offerings are Interpersonal Communication and Organizational Communication. In his spare time he can be found in the ocean or on a beach near one.

> More Information

Carole Huston, PhD, joined USD’s faculty in 1989. She is a professor of Communication Studies and Gender Studies, and currently serves as the assessment director for the College of Arts and Sciences. She has taught lower and upper division courses in communication theory, research methods, interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, and the gender studies senior seminar. Her research interests include family business communication as the juncture between interpersonal and organizational communication. She has also served at the director of the Center for Educational Excellence, focusing on faculty development programs for the university community.

> More Information

Gina Lew was recognized as a Professor of Practice in Fall 2011, the first person to receive this title in the Department of Communication Studies.  She teaches Media Writing, and has also taught Introduction to Media Studies and Advanced Journalism.  Lew is a former award-winning broadcast journalist.  During her career she worked for CBS, NBC, and FOX news in Los Angeles and San Diego.  Her extensive background in reporting allows her to offer a “real world” understanding of the media.   Her courses offer a practical look at how the media think, react and respond to current events.  Through current events students are taught how and why the different disciplines of marketing, public relations, and journalism are related to one another.

> More Information

Roger C. Pace, PhD, has been a member of the faculty since 1987.  He is a professor of Communication Studies and also currently serves as the director of the basic speech courses.   He teaches courses in communication theory and organizational communication.  Pace’s research interests are group and organizational decision making and the effects of emerging technologies on communication patterns and outcomes.  He is the former associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Faculty Senate.

> More Information

Eric Pierson, PhD, joined the faculty in 1999. Prior to joining the faculty he spent five years teaching at the University of Illinois st Urbana-Champaign while pursuing his PhD He served as chair of the department between Fall 2006 and Spring 2011.

> More Information

Susannah Stern PhD, joined the department of Communication Studies in 2004, after teaching at Boston College for four years. Stern offers courses that investigate the role of media in contemporary life, particularly as they involve children, adolescents, and women, as well as courses on research methods.  Stern's research focuses on electronic media and youth culture, and she has conducted extensive research on the Internet as a site for cultural consumption and self-expression.

> More Information

David Sullivan, PhD, joined the department of Communication Studies in 1992. Sullivan teaches courses in communication theory, media theory and criticism, journalism, political communication, and mediated sports. He has authored journal articles on the topics of mediated sports and mediated politics that have appeared in the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journal of Communication, and Women's Studies in Communication. A former newspaper reporter and editor, he has served as faculty advisor to USD's undergraduate newspaper since he arrived at USD.

> More Information

Larry Williamson, PhD, began building the Communication Studies department at USD in 1982, and chaired the department from 1985 to 1993. He is a rhetorical critic, and has applied this perspective to the examination of various types of popular texts over the last 26 years. His teaching interests are eclectic and range across subjects like semantics, rhetorical theory, media criticism, and legal communication.

> More Information