Department of Communication Studies
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Catch Up With Communication Studies |
Volume 2, Issue 4: December 2025 Newsletter
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Broadly, communication is a purposeful behavior that people use to satisfy conversation goals. During interactions, people produce verbal and nonverbal messages that assist them in their pursuit of multiple conversation goals. As such, communication serves as a purposeful behavior that allows people to achieve various goals, such as providing comfort, maintaining the identity of their interactional partner, or avoiding topics. In sum, communication can be viewed as a means to achieve outcomes.
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COMS3393: Environmental Communication |
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This course will empower you to identify pressing challenges facing our environment and implement strategic communication methods to address them. You will engage in dynamic discussions with your classmates and work on thought-provoking reflective writing assignments, including analyses of environmental documentaries and controversies.
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By bridging theory and practice, you’ll discover the vital role communication plays in environmental journalism, popular culture, reducing environmental risks, delivering environmental campaigns, and mitigating climate change. Consider taking this course to become an advocate for environmental protection and sustainable practices!
Interested in this course? Message Dr. Cindy Chen at cindychen@shsu.edu to learn more!
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COMS5366: Sexual Communication |
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This course dives into how communication shapes our understanding of intimacy and sexuality across different relationships. Students will explore real-world examples, analyze research, and discuss how sexual communication impacts everything from long-term partnerships to casual encounters. One of the fun assignments lets students apply communication theories to popular media, offering a unique perspective on how sexuality
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is portrayed. This course is essential for anyone looking to understand the nuances of intimate communication in today’s world.
Interested in this course? Message Dr. Lisa Dahlgren at lisa.vanraalte@shsu.edu to learn more!
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Want to see what else we offer? |
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Dr. Shaun Zhang, Professor |
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Teaching communication means helping my students develop the necessary skills to convey and interpret messages effectively across various contexts. This includes verbal and nonverbal communication, active listening, empathy, conflict resolution, and building rapport. Communication studies, to me, is about exploring how we connect with one another — whether through language, gestures, or technology.
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A fun fact about myself: I love swimming. If time permits, I would like to swim for at least half an hour a day.
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Dena Horne, Senior Lecturer |
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I earned both my BA and MA from SHSU (Eat 'em up, Kats!) and have been teaching here full-time for the past five years. I'm all about making course content connect to the real world — because what's the point of learning something you can't actually use, right? My favorite part of teaching is getting to know my students and watching them grow more confident over the semester (especially when it comes to public speaking!).
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At the end of the day, I want my classes to feel like a space where students can challenge themselves, laugh a little, and walk away with skills they'll actually use.
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| Be on the lookout for future Lambda Pi Eta events in the Spring semester!
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For more information, check out our About video and follow us on Instagram!
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| It was great seeing you all at our latest event! We're planning more fun times for the Spring semester, so keep in touch with us on BearKatHQ and Instagram to get the latest updates!
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For more information, join us on BearKatHQ and follow us on Instagram!
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CHSS Skills Workshop: From Clarity to Confidence: Communication Skills for the Workplace |
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| Dr. Hubbard hosted the first CHSS Skills Workshop of the year, where he explained clarity in communication and how clarity and confidence go hand-in-hand.
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Council Member and Alum Tiffany D. Thomas |
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We had the joy of welcoming Council Member Thomas for her campus visit early November. Council Member Thomas represents District F in the Houston City Council and chairs the Housing and Affordability Committee. She was also a BearKat in our department!
Council Member Thomas was recognized at the 52nd Annual Distinguished Alumni Gala with the Alumni Service Award. During her visit, she spent time with our department to catch up with some of her former professors and network with the department and some of our students.
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Pictured, left-to-right:
Back row: Sr. Instructor Dena Horne; Dr. Terry Thibodeaux; Dr. Frances Brandau; Council Member Tiffany D. Thomas; Instructor Allyzah Allene D. Cabugao; Zoey Giles; Instructor Kristen Hester; Dr. Ethan Morrow
Front row: Admin Mrs. Michelle Plitt; McKenna Marler; Damikka Willis; Dr. Cindy Chen
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Pictured, left-to-right:
Dr. Frances Brandau; Council Member Tiffany D. Thomas; Dr. Terry Thibodeaux; Dr. Cindy Chen
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National Communication Association Conference |
Dr. Frances Brandau; Dr. Lisa Dahlgren; Dr. Ethan Morrow; Dr. Akansha Sirohi; Dr. Caroline Waldbuesser; Dr. Sandra Wood; Graduate Student Izabella Urbani; Alum Princess Spikes |
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Our department traveled to Denver for the 111th National Communication Association Conference, themed Communicate to Elevate! We had a variety of presentations and represented the Graduate program at the Graduate Fair.
Dr. Lisa Dahlgren, graduate student Izabella Urbani, and their coauthor presented their paper "Rules in Friends with Benefits Relationships in Established Adulthood".
Dr. Ethan Morrow and coauthors presented their paper "Reusing to Reduce: A Test of Dynamic Norms and Framing to Promote Reusable Bottles on Campus".
Dr. Akansha Sirohi and coauthors presented their paper "Preventing Child Corporal Punishment: The Influence of Racial Cues on Intervention Message Reactance and Behavioral Intentions". She also presented a paper with her coauthor titled "Young Adults' Perceptions of Sexual Consent and its Role in Romantic Relationships — An Indian Perspective".
Dr. Sandra Wood was a panelist on the "Communicating to Elevate International Students' Voices" research panel.
Alum from both our undergraduate and graduate programs, Princess Spikes, PhD Student, presented her paper "Is That Really How You Feel? The Effects of Relationship Type, Seriousness and Closeness on Communicative Responses to Partner Jealousy in Romantic Relationships".
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Pictured, left to right:
Picture 1: Dr. Ethan Morrow; Dr. Frances Brandau; Dr. Caroline Waldbuesser; Izabella Urbani, Current Master in Communication Studies Student at SHSU; Dr. Lisa Dahlgren
Picture 2: Dr. Sandra Wood; Dr. Frances Brandau; Dr. Akansha Sirohi
Picture 3: Dr. Frances Brandau; Princess Trichell Spikes, Bachelor/Master in Communication Studies Alum from SHSU, Current PhD Student at Louisiana State University
Picture 4: Dr. Caroline Waldbuesser; Dr. Frances Brandau
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International Community Welcome Celebration |
Dr. Anya Lu; International Student Organization |
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Dr. Lu attended the International Student Organization's 10th International Community Welcome Celebration where attendees got to learn about our international community. She is pictured here with two of the dancers from the event.
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| Mrs. Michelle Plitts's PAWsome Pets!
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Daisy May
Major in Communication Through Belly Scratching
Nosey Rosey
Major in Furniture Redesign
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| Zuma
Major in HISStory
Double Minor in Bite Me and I Was Meant to be an Only Child
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University-sanctioned Reading Day to provide students with additional study and exam preparation days.
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Monday, December 8th - Thursday, December 11th |
For the general in-person exam schedule, please see the Final Exam Schedules page. Please also check your course syllabus in case your final is online or otherwise does not follow the in-person exam schedule.
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Commencement for College of Humanities and Social Sciences
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Johnson Coliseum, 9:30 AM
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For more information about Commencement, including the full Commencement schedule and livestream links, please see the Commencement page.
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Campus Residence Halls, 12:00 PM
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Deadline for Filing Grades with Registrar's Office
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All final grades are due.
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Final Grades Available in Degree Works
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Online on Degree Works, 12:00 PM
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Final grades are now available for students to view on Degree Works. For help accessing and navigating Degree Works, please see the Degree Works FAQ page.
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Friday, January 9th - Sunday, January 11th |
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University Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
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Last Day to Register and Process Schedule Changes
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Census Day / Last Day to Drop Without a "Q"
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12th class day of the semester. Drops must be processed by 11:59PM Central in order to avoid a "Q" and to receive a 100% refund.
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Deadline for Spring Graduation and Certificate Application
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Join the conversation and use the form below to help us tell your stories!
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| 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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This email is being sent to Communication Studies students, faculty, and staff.
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1905 University Ave | Huntsville, TX 77341 US
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