Communication Department Raises Its Voice

More than 5,500 college professors, graduate students, and communication professionals attended the 90th meeting of the National Communication Association (NCA), but the voice of McMicken's communication department was nevertheless loud and clear.

Professor Juddi Trent received one of the organization's most prestigious honors.

The Samuel L. Becker Distinguished Service Award is given for outstanding cumulative performance in scholarship/research, teaching, and service to NCA and the discipline.

As a scholar in political communication, Trent co-authored five editions of

Political and Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices

. It is the first book-length study of election campaigns to use principles of speech communication to examine elective politics. She also authored, co-authored, or edited four additional books and over 50 book chapters and journal articles. The outstanding service for which she was recognized included terms as president of NCA and the Central States Communication Association.

The citation for the award concluded, “Trent is an outstanding model- one who has taught, mentored, and provided guidance to countless undergraduate and graduate students. Her achievements reflect her incredible ability to multi-task, as well as her immense dedication to the discipline.”

Stephen Haas, associate professor and director of graduate studies, was the recipient of NCA's Distinguished Article Award in Health Communication. The honor recognizes published research that has had a significant impact in the field of health communication.

In “Communication in the Management of Uncertainty: The Case of Persons Living with HIV or AIDS,” Haas and his co-authors altered traditional communication theory by demonstrating that communication and coping skills influence patients' tendencies to decrease, maintain, or increase uncertainty about their illnesses.

Department chair Teresa Sabourin said of her colleagues' outstanding achievements, “I'm bursting with pride for the outstanding performance of our faculty. They are as fine a group as you would find anywhere in the country, and the University of Cincinnati is fortunate to have them among its members.”