Department of Communication at the University of Arkansas

Congrats to Dr. Meredith Neville-Shepard on winning the 2026 Outstanding Teaching Award from Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences! Selection is based on a letter of nomination, teaching evaluations and documentation about the nominee's teaching activities. Way to go, Dr. Neville-Shepard!

Congrats to Dr. Ryan Neville-Shepard on winning the 2026 John E. King Award for Outstanding Service from Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences! This award recognizes members of the college who exhibit exemplary service to the campus and community! 🎉

Congrats to Dr. Lisa Corrigan on being named the 2026 recipient of the Nolan Faculty Award! Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences gives out the Nolan Award each spring to recognize a faculty member who stands out for their outstanding contributions to graduate education. Way to go!

Congrats to Assistant Professor Joomi Lee, who was named a 2026-2027 Connor Faculty Fellow! The Connor Endowed Faculty Fellowship provides essential faculty development opportunities to up-and-coming academic experts in Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Lee will use these funds to support her cutting-edge research on the interplay of motivation, cognition, and behavioral changes through the use of emerging media.

With AI companions and workers in greater demand, we're fortunate to have an incredible lab directed by Dr. Marco Dehnert as part of the Center for Communication Research. Learn more about his work with the AI and Robotics Connection (ARC) lab in the story below!

Meet the Professor Researching Human-AI Relationships and Beyond Marco Dehnert, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of communication and technology and director of the AI and Robots for Connection Lab in the Center for Communication Research.

Congrats to Mayor Molly Rawn on being a 2026 recipient of the department's Outstanding Alumni Award! Mayor Rawn graduated with a degree in Communication in 2008. Her career began as the Director of Development at the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter. From 2010-2013, she worked in concurrent roles at the University of Arkansas as the Fulbright College Associate Director of Development and at KUAF Public Radio, where she was the Director of Major Gifts and Membership. She then served as the CEO of Experience Fayetteville where she was responsible for a $6.1 million dollar budget. In 2025, she was sworn in as the Mayor of Fayetteville and has the distinct honor of being the first woman elected to this position. During her time in office, Mayor Rawn has emphasized managed growth, accessible housing, and the essential role of modernized infrastructure in shaping a thriving community. Thanks for your service to the Fayetteville community and for showing our students that there really is no limit to what you can achieve with a COMM degree!

Congrats to Jennifer "JJ" Davis on being a 2026 recipient of the department's Outstanding Alumni Award! After graduating with a degree in Communication in 1993, Davis began her career as a correspondence secretary in the Arkansas Governor’s Office and has since worked her way up through various leadership positions at Dell Technologies, where she currently serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs. Beyond her career success, Davis stands out for her commitment to supporting students at the U of A. Despite her busy schedule, Davis consistently makes time to return to campus to speak with our COMM majors, offering advice and mentorship. Thanks to Davis for being a shining example of what one can achieve with a degree in Communication and for giving back to our COMMunity!

It's graduation day!! Let's give a big round of applause for all of our graduating seniors, and especially for our 2026 Athens Scholars. To be recognized as an Athens Scholar, a student must be a graduating senior Communication major who has maintained at least a 3.75 cumulative GPA at the University of Arkansas. It is the highest honor we give! Congrats!👏👏👏

Congratulations to Kaleb Turner on being the 2026 recipient of the department's Early Career Alumni Award! After graduating from our M.A. program in 2021, the U of A named Turner's thesis the Outstanding Master’s Thesis for Humanities and Fine Arts and the National Communication Association's M.A. Education Section recognized his work with the Outstanding Qualitative Master's Thesis Award. Turner has also succeeded professionally in the years following graduation. After serving as Assistant Director of Communications, he was promoted to Chief of Staff in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences in 2024. Within this role, Turner provides professional, confidential, and strategic support to the Dean and serves as the administrative liaison between the Dean, the campus, and the community. We couldn't be prouder of all you have accomplished!

This spring, we recognized nine faculty members who have a collective total of 95 years of service to the department. Full-time faculty and staff are recognized at each 5-year mark. Thanks to the following department members for their dedication:
🏆 Five Years: Veronica Mobley
🏆 Ten Years: Margaret Butcher, Lauren Lambert, John Wayne Morris, Meredith Neville-Shepard, Ryan Neville-Shepard, Matthew Spialek, and Hannah Suggs
🏆 Twenty Years: Kasey Walker