Faculty
Faculty members in the UIS Communication Department have diverse backgrounds in teaching and professional experience. Assistant Professor Ann Strahle, left, teaches video storytelling. She comes to UIS with over 16 years professional experience in broadcast journalism. Associate Professor Beth Ribarsky, right, specializes in interpersonal communication and recently co-edited Activities for Teaching Gender and Sexuality in the University Classroom.
See more faculty bios below.
Timothy Bill
Instructor and Director of Speech and Debate
M.A. Communication, University of Kentucky
Areas of Specialization: Instructional, interpersonal, and political communication; persuasion; argumentation; and oral communication
Email: tbill2@uis.edu
Office: UHB 3013
Phone: (217) 206-7365
Michael Cheney
Professor
Ph.D. Communication, The Ohio State University
Burks Oakley II Distinguished Online Teaching Award at UIS, 2011
Areas of Specialization: Political economy of communications, media and politics, popular music and society.
Email: mchen1@uis.edu
Office: UHB 3023
Phone: (217) 206-8271
Scott Faingold
M.A. Communication, University of Illinois Springfield
Instructor, Director of Student Media
Advisor, UIS student newspaper, The Journal and student radio, The Prairie Star
Email: sfain2@uis.edu
Office: UHB 3021
Phone: (217) 206-7717
Jae Sik Ha
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. Mass Communication, Indiana University
Areas of Specialization: Entrepreneurial journalism, media writing, multimedia news gathering and writing, communication technologies, mass communication.
Email: jha28@uis.edu
Office: UHB 3021
Phone: (217) 206-8511
Amie Kincaid
Associate Professor and Chair
Ph.D. Intercultural Communication, University of New Mexico
Areas of Specialization: Intercultural, interpersonal and organizational communication; race and critical theory; public relations; and oral communication
Email: akinc2@uis.edu
Office: UHB 3024
Phone: (217) 206-8415
Ric Perez
Instructor
M.A. Communication, Central Michigan University
Area of Specialization: Oral Communication.
Email: rpere2@uis.edu
Office: UHB 3013
Phone: (217) 206-7442
Kathy Petitte Novak
Associate Professor
Ph.D. Communications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Keynote Speaker/Guest Lecturer, University of Rzeszow, Poland, Spring 2017
Guest Lecturer, Vellore Institute of Technology, India, 2014
UIS China Faculty Exchange Lecturer, 2008
Areas of Specialization: Research Methods, Global Film and Culture, Media and Culture in China, Media Criticism, Feature Writing, Photojournalism and Photo Documentary, Advertising, Leadership in Communication and Media, Global Studies affiliated faculty
Email: kathy.novak@uis.edu
Office: UHB 3020
Phone: (217) 206-8032
Elizabeth Ribarsky
Associate Professor
Ph.D. Communication, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
NCA Rookie Advisor of the Year for Lambda Pi Eta 2011
Student Organization Faculty Advisor of the Year, University of Illinois Springfield 2010
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2007
Areas of Specialization: Dating and sexual communication, constructing individual and relational identities through interpersonal communication.
Email: eriba2@uis.edu
Office: UHB 3016
Phone: (217) 206-8416
Professor Ribarsky on dating and sexual communication
Ann Strahle
Assistant Professor
M.A. Journalism, Indiana University School of Journalism
Areas of Specialization: Mass media, broadcast journalism, interviewing, public relations.
Email: astra2@uis.edu
Office: UHB 3012
Phone: (217) 206-7421
Jim Grubbs (1948-2018)
Associate Professor
Ph.D. Communication and Culture, Indiana University
Burks Oakley II Distinguished Online Teaching Award at UIS, 2009
Areas of Specialization: New communications technologies, broadcasting and mass media systems.
Hazel Rozema
Associate Professor
Ph.D. Communication, University of Kansas
Pearson Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching at UIS, 2001
Areas of Specialization: Interpersonal/organizational communication, public relations, family and interracial communication.
Email: hroze1@uis.edu