In January 2006 I returned to my academic home as Professor of Communication Studies, where I began my career in 1983. From 1999-2005, I served in two administrative roles: Assistant Provost for Enrollment Management and Retention, and then as Interim Dean of the Davidson Honors College from 2003-2005, both at the University of Montana. I have been an adjunct faculty member at the Chalice of Repose Project at St. Patrick Hospital, where I offered communication courses to graduate students preparing to be music thanatologists—people who use song and harp to counsel the dying.

I received my Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the University of Washington in 1985 and specialize in organizational communication, where my two major research areas are the mentoring and socialization of organizational newcomers. I enjoy listening to the experiences of organizational newcomers as they try to negotiate life in organizations, and find their experiences of change, contrast, and surprise very exciting. I use these stories to coach organizational “veterans” how to make the socialization experiences of newcomers less stressful (for both newcomers AND veterans). More recently, I am reading in and turning my research interests to health and crisis communication.

My passion is teaching, which I enjoy tremendously. I was honored to receive the University of Montana’s Distinguished Teacher Award in 1991 and the Master Teacher Award from the Western States Communication Association in 1992.

I also enjoy management responsibilities and was very grateful to be nominated by the COMM department for (and be awarded) Montana’s Academic Administrator Award in 1996, I have also served as President of the Western States Communication Association, and as Director of the Educational Policies Board for the National Communication Association. I have most recently been selected as one of two candidates to run for President of the National Communication Association, and am very honored by this selection.

I haven’t always been an academic. For three years I worked as a police officer in Holland, Michigan, where I served as Community Service Officer and Domestic Dispute Liaison (where I mediated a number of domestic disputes and learned to duck flying pots and pans).

Although I consider myself a fourth-generation Montanan (my great-grandfather settled here in 1863), I was born and raised nine miles from New York City. While I used to spend a great deal of time as a soccer Mom to my nineteen year old son, Ben, I don’t see him much as he is a third-generation student at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. I also am partner to my spouse, Paul, who is a clinical neuropsychologist. Although we once were avid fly fishers (and still get out on the river whenever we can), most of our weekends are spent in our vineyard in Plains, Montana. Wackernagel Vineyard is in its sixth year, although not yet producing grapes. We are growing Pinot Noirs and Pinot Gris for our parent company, Rock Creek Winery, which we operate with friends. We currently produce wine (Pinot Noir and Syrah) from grapes grown in Oregon and Washington for our company, Rock Creek Winery.