Matthew Spialek Named Chair of Fulbright College's Department of Communication

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Matthew Spialek was recently named chair of the Department of Communication in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Spialek joined the communication faculty in 2016 and previously served as both the department's vice chair and undergraduate director before his appointment as chair. He brings to the role a demonstrated successful blend of academic leadership, research excellence, and passion for teaching at a time of unprecedented growth for the department.

"Over the past 25 years, the Department of Communication has experienced record growth in undergraduate enrollment and graduation rates, high levels of faculty research productivity, and recognition from our national and regional associations," Spialek said. "These achievements were made possible under the leadership of previous chairs, Bob Brady, Stephanie Schulte and Ron Warren, as well as our exceptional, student-centered faculty."

"I look forward to building on this work by increasing our department's high-impact practices and transformative experiences for students, engaging with our alumni, and supporting faculty research initiatives," Spialek added.

As a researcher, Spialek explores how individuals construct communication infrastructures to foster the civic life, public health, and overall resilience of communities that have experienced or are at risk of experiencing disasters. His work has been published in top national and international journals in the communication discipline, including Communication Monographs, Communication Research, the Journal of Applied Communication Research, the Journal of Communication, and the Journal of Health Communication.

Additionally, Spialek has taught numerous undergraduate courses on communication research, disaster communication, and community resilience, as well as graduate seminars focused on research paradigms and civic engagement.

As an embodiment of his and the department's commitment to the U of A's land-grant mission, Spialek has also developed service-learning courses and directed projects that encourage students to apply their communication skills to serve communities across the state of Arkansas. He has also advised multiple award-winning M.A. theses and capstone projects.

Spialek's commitment to teaching and advising has been recognized through numerous awards from the Southern States Communication Association, including the 2023 J. Donald Ragsdale Award for Mentoring, and the 2021 Dwight L. Freshley Outstanding New Teacher Award.

"We are excited to have Dr. Spialek continue to serve the Department of Communication, our students, and the community beyond as chair," said Brian E. Raines, dean of Fulbright College.

"He has been a thoughtful leader both inside and outside of the classroom, and an advocate and support for our students, all of which makes him well-suited for this new role," Raines added.

The U of A's Department of Communication was formed in 1891 as the former Department of Elocution at the then-Arkansas Industrial University. Now, 130-plus years later, it is still dedicated to the study of human communication, bridging the humanities and social sciences through research, teaching, and community outreach.

This story also appeared in the Fulbright REVIEW publication.