Our Faculty

This collaborative program includes faculty from K-State's department of communications and agricultural education, Staley School of Leadership, A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication and Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy.

Department of communications and agricultural education

Jacqueline Aenlle

Jacqueline Aenlle

Assistant professor, agricultural communications and journalism
jaenlle@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D., University of Florida

Research areas: Science communication, new media, public engagement, information processing

Jason Ellis

Jason Ellis

Professor, agricultural communications and journalism
jdellis@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. Iowa State University

Research areas:

Nellie Hill

Nellie Hill

Assistant Professor, agricultural communications and journalism
nlhill@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. Agricultural Communications and Education, Texas Tech University

Research areas: Persuasive communication to create behavioral changes

Gaea Hock

Gaea Hock

Associate professor, agricultural education
ghock@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. Texas Tech University

Research areas: Youth development; teaching methodologies; mentoring relationships and development

Katie Starzec

Katie Starzec

Assistant professor, agricultural communications and journalism

kstarzec@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. Kansas State University

Research areas: Natural resource communication; landowner decision-making; sustainable food production

Jonathan Ulmer

Jonathan Ulmer

Associate professor, agricultural education
julmer@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. University of Missouri, Columbia

Research areas: Adoption of innovations; program evaluation; STEM integration in agriculture

A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication

Raluca Cozma

Raluca Cozma

Associate professor, associate director of graduate studies
cozma@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. Louisiana State University

Research areas: Political communication; international communication; media effects and credibility

Sean Eddington

Sean M. Eddington

Assistant professor
seaneddington@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D., Purdue University

Research areas: New media; organizing and organizational communication; gender

Jacob Groshek

Jacob Groshek

Ross Beach chair in emerging media research, associate professor
groshek@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D., Mass Communication, Indiana University

Research areas: Media technology; social media and big data analytics; mis/disinformation in political and health communication

Colene Lind

Colene Lind

Associate professor
colenejlind@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. University of Texas, Austin

Research areas: Political rhetoric and language; scientific and environmental decision-making; public participation

Nikhil Moro

Nikhil Moro

Associate professor
nmoro@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. Ohio State University

Research areas: Digital media law; emerging technologies; international communication

Nancy Muturi

Nancy Muturi

Professor
nmuturi@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. University of Iowa

Research areas: Community-based participatory research; health communication; communication for social and behavior change

Sam Mwangi

Sam Mwangi

Associate professor
scmwangi@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. University of South Carolina

Research areas: Media and civic engagement; international communication; political communication

Heather Woods

Heather Woods

Assistant professor, director of graduate studies
hwoods@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Research areas: Digital rhetoric; critical theory and power; communication, media and technology

College of Education

Trish Gott

Susan M. Yelich Biniecki

Associate Professor, Adult Learning and Leadership; Coordinator, Social Justice Education Graduate Certificate
susanyb@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Research areas: Adult learning, international adult education (emphasis on Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe), continuing professional education, military learning

Staley School of Leadership

Mac Benavides

Mac Benavides, Ph.D.

Assistant professor
mb2008@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. Kansas State University

Research areas: Community engagement and community-based global learning; qualitative and engaged research; leadership learning and development

Trish Gott

Trisha Gott

Associate director, assistant professor
tcgott@ksu.edu

Education: Ed.D. Kansas State University

Research areas: Student leadership education; leadership development; global leadership education and development

Brandon Kliewer

Brandon W. Kliewer

Associate professor
bkliewer@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. University of Georgia

Research areas: Civic leadership; deliberative civic engagement; theory and practice of democracy

Kerry Priest

Kerry L. Priest

Professor, director of leadership communication doctoral program
kerryp@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. Virginia Polytechnic institute and State University

Research areas: Leadership learning and development; leadership educator professional development; qualitative and engaged methods

Tim Steffensmeier

Tim Steffensmeier

Professor
steffy@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. University of Texas, Austin

Research areas: Public deliberation; civic leadership; argumentation

Mary Hale Tolar

Mary Hale Tolar

Dean, associate professor
Mary Lynn and Warren Staley chair for leadership
mtolar@ksu.edu

Education: Ed.D. Kansas State University

Research areas: Civic leadership; women in leadership; social movements

Andrew Wefald

Andrew Wefald

Associate professor
wefald@ksu.edu

Education: Ph.D. Kansas State University

Research areas: Leadership; leadership coaching; community engagement