Welcome to the 2025 Fall Semester! Whether you are a returning BearKat or just starting your journey at SHSU, we are excited to have you as part of the Communication Studies Department. This semester promises to be filled with new opportunities for learning, growth, and connection. Our amazing Communication Studies faculty have been hard at work building engaging courses that will challenge and inspire

you. I encourage you to reach out and make connections with your professors and classmates. Take full advantage of college life, join clubs and activities, go to games, explore all that SHSU has to offer.

I hope you will dive into your studies with enthusiasm and curiosity. The communication skills you will learn will be invaluable as you prepare for your future careers. Have a great year!

- Dr. Frances Brandau

Communication Studies is about exploring how we connect with one another — whether through language, gestures, or technology. Research has consistently shown that communication is the most powerful predictor for the quality of a relationship, be it a romantic relationship, friendship, or co-worker relationship. But at the same time, both scholars and relational partners rate communication as one of the top problem areas in interpersonal relationships. Thus, communication, or effective communication, is the most important foundation for building a healthy and fulfilling relationship.

- Dr. Shaun Zhang

This course brings a passion and discipline together. The students learn about social identity, digital media influences, crisis management, interpersonal relationships, and more all through the lens of sports. This course allows for a more fun and personal approach to communication that students haven't encountered before.

Interested in this course? Message Instructor Michesha Washington at msk017@shsu.edu to learn more!

Students investigate health communication topics that relate to and influence the family and other relationships. By bridging theory and practice, you'll discover the vital role communication plays in public health, adolescent alcohol and drug abuse, parent-child-physician communication, telemedicine, and rural health concerns. No matter what your career goal is, this course will benefit you in many aspects of your personal and professional life.

Interested in this course? Message Dr. Cindy Chen at cindychen@shsu.edu to learn more!

I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the summer of 2025. My research focuses on how persuasive messages can promote security behaviors and perceptions, especially online. I have studied topic including cyberbullying, online privacy concerns, and cybersecurity. In the classroom, I aim to relate the course concepts to my students' personal and professional lives. 

I love watching the students become passionate about a topic and go above and beyond out of genuine interest.

My research falls at the intersection of persuasion, technology, and risk communication (all of which have corresponding classes here at SHSU). Right now, my focus is on technological threats - like cyberbullying or online scams - and how we can use persuasive techniques to help protect individuals. As digital lives and tools continue to invade our everyday lives, protecting ourselves and our information will continue to be of the utmost importance. I love collaborating and mentoring students, so if you have an interest in topics like these, reach out!

A few weeks ago, my middle schooler asked me, "Mom, what is your dream job?" I immediately replied, "I already have it!"

I have been teaching in the Communication Studies field since 2011, and I absolutely love it. Communication Studies allows me to combine my experience as an attorney, my background in political communication, and my interest in interpersonal communication. I also

enjoy interacting with students and learning what is important to them so I can tailor my classes accordingly! I have taught many different classes including Public Speaking, Organizational Communication, Freedom of Speech and Civic Communication, Media Literacy, Political Communication, Communication Theory, Research Methods in Communication, Digital Communication Literacy, Communication, Culture, & Technology, and Conflict, Negotiation, & Resolution.

Before coming to Sam Houston State University, I lived on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, and taught at the University of Maryland. I currently live in the Woodlands with my husband and three sons. A fun fact about me is that I grew up on a cattle farm in rural Kentucky where my parents still raise black Angus beef cattle.

Lamar Wilkerson, a Communication Studies graduate of Spring 2025, recently donated six figures of his NIL earnings to the Sam Houston State University Basketball Program. His generous contribution reflects a deep commitment to giving back and investing in the future of the SHSU community.

In an interview with Field of 68, Wilkerson says he made the donation "out of love, man. I did it out of love for coach (Chris) Mudge, for just Sam Houston. I'd been there for three years, so it was home for me. I got comfortable there, but I built a family with a lot of people. ... I want to keep seeing them get better over time. So, I was willing to help."

Watch the full interview below.

Keep an eye out for an email about our upcoming Communication Professional Experts panel on October 23rd! Come to learn more about how to use your Communication Studies degree in the real world, and network with others. 

The event will be held in-person and streamed virtually via YouTube. Details to come.

For more information, check out our About video and follow us on Instagram!

We are a communication organization with the goal to help other students like ourselves gain confidence in their communication skills. We want to empower students to not only gain confidence in their communication skills, but also to learn new skills to help them in their current and future endeavors.

We have lots of fun events coming up, so make sure to connect with us!

For more information, join us on BearKatHQ and follow us on Instagram!

Congratulations to Instructor Dena Horne for her promotion to Senior Lecturer! 
At the SHSU 2024 - 2025 Academic Awards, Instructor Horne was promoted from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer. This promotion comes after five years of excellence of teaching and service, and a lot of hard work.

Pictured below:

Instructor Dena Horne (left) and Dr. Frances Brandau (right)

Dr. Anya Lu's PAWsome Pet!

Brownie the Harris's Hawk

Major in Being the Coolest and Sweetest Bird Around

Allyzah Allene D. Cabugao, Instructor of Communication Studies (pictured on right)

Dr. Caleb George Hubbard, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies (pictured on left)

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