It’s About the Journey: Woman of Impact Jillian Tullis, PhD
In honor of Women’s History Month, the USD News Center will highlight the Women of Impact recipients in a month-long series that shares their stories with the campus community.
The journey is what excites Jillian Tullis, PhD. An associate professor of communication studies at the University of San Diego, Tullis was honored in February as the 2020 Women of Impact faculty award recipient.
Caught off guard by the nomination, Tullis is thankful for the recognition, but insists it’s the intrinsic rewards, rather than the extrinsic ones, that motivate her.
Born and raised in California, Tullis has been a USD faculty member since 2015, teaching topics on health communication, and more specifically, fostering class conversations about communication in end of life and healthcare settings.
For Tullis, connecting with students in these courses has been a highlight of her career. “They have a willingness to go along for the journey,” says Tullis, who uses hands-on and experiential opportunities to engage students in meaningful discussions and active learning.
In this work, Tullis has established herself as an educator who expands traditional teaching into realms of new thinking and understanding. Last fall, Tullis along with May Fu, PhD, chair and associate professor of ethnic studies, launched the course Black Lives Matter: Interdisciplinary Perspectives.
The course, which brought together faculty thought leaders from numerous disciplines, sought to explore issues of systemic racism and the historical practices and policies that have perpetuated inequities today.
“This speaks to the spirit of why I came to USD. Classes like this are different from the traditional ones,” says Tullis. “The beauty of this is we can take the time to sit and explore these issues. What does it mean to say ‘Black lives matter,’ and how does it look in our world?”
Tullis’ work to create change extends to her relationships with colleagues, who see her as a mentor and leader. “[She] is the embodiment of social justice at the University of San Diego, within the college and beyond,” wrote her colleagues in the award nomination. “This year, Jillian co-organized and developed the Black Lives Matter course while serving as the most senior Black faculty member coordinating Black faculty concerns and transformation work. She constantly, endlessly gives. She doesn’t make it about her, she always wants to make the space a little more breathable for the rest of us.”
For Tullis, mentorship and leadership positions have arisen organically, but have created rewarding opportunities to advance the work being done on campus. “If people are looking for advice, [I’m] happy to step into that role,” she says.
Looking ahead, Tullis is excited to continue the work she loves, interacting with both students and colleagues as she redefines what it means to pursue knowledge and greater understanding in today’s world.
— Allyson Meyer ’16 (BA), ’21 (MBA)