Collegial Gold Mine

Gold–that’s what the Department of Communication struck when the 2004 National Communication Association’s (NCA) survey on PhD programs was announced in January 2005. Five departmental programs were ranked in the top 15, with three in the top 10: political communication (12), rhetorical communication (11), communication and technology (8), health communication (7), and the mother lode–organizational communication, which was ranked number 1 in the nation.

For the most part, organizational communication’s success rests on the stellar reputations of four faculty members: Charles Conrad, Kathy Miller, Scott Poole, and Linda Putnam. Poole and Putnam are two of only 52 scholars in the world to be selected Fellows in the International Communication Association. Conrad and Poole co-author and Miller authors the two best-selling textbooks in the field (both published by Wadsworth). Department Head Rick Street says in the communication discipline, handbooks are also important because they relay “state-of-the-art” knowledge about an area. Putnam has co-authored three such books, and Poole, one. Each of the four has been recognized by Texas A&M and national and international associations for teaching and research.

Even with the most recent success, the Department of Communication is still relatively young and, therefore, is still stretching its wings. This past year the department added three faculty to round out the field in its new Telecommunication Media Studies program. And even despite their recent success in the NCA study, the faculty members believe there is still room for improvement. “We recognize that we have an unparalleled opportunity to create at Texas A&M a communication department of national and international distinction,’ says Kurt Ritter, the department's first head. “And we plan to do it.”