Faculty
The Department of Communication Faculty Bios and Contact
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 177
Dr. Kelly Carr is the department chair and an associate professor of communication.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 124
Adam Blood, instructor of communication, teaches public speaking and is the director of the UWF Speech and Debate program.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 133
Dr. Athena du Pré, a Distinguished University Professor in Communication, teaches leadership, health communication, workplace dynamics and interpersonal communication. She also directs graduate programs in strategic communication and leadership, and health communication leadership.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 124
Dr. Chris Fenner, associate professor of communication, teaches public relations, strategic communication and persuasion.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 178
Christian Garman is a full-time faculty member at the University of West Florida, teaching in the Department of Communication. Garman teaches courses on public speaking, media relations, multimedia journalism, advertising and PR, and more.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 184
Kristi Gilmore, assistant professor, teaches media relations, crisis communication, and advertising and public relations concepts.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 141
Dr. Ying Huang, professor of communication, teaches advertising, quantitative research methods and visual communication.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 178
Will Kennedy is an assistant professor of clinical practice in the UWF Department of Communication. He teaches courses focusing on journalism, video production, content creation and writing for new media.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 185
Laura Kirby, instructor of communication, teaches business and professional communication, writing for communication, and public speaking classes. She also coordinates the internship program for the department.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 139
Paul Pilger teaches mass communication and communication writing courses.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 136
Dr. Heather Riddell, associate professor of communication, teaches social media communication and media writing.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 178
Martha Dunagin Saunders is the sixth president of the University of West Florida.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 183
Dr. Willie Tubbs is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication.
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 110
Dr. Kurt Wise is a public relations professor and oversees the master’s program capstone courses.
Emeritus Faculty
The Department of Communication Emeritus Faculty Members
- Department: Communication
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 142
Dr. Thomas Groth, professor of advertising and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Communication, taught advertising methods, advertising creative direction, and advertising strategy and tactics.
Adjunct Faculty
The Department of Communication Adjunct Faculty Members
Nicole Allen
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailnallen1@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
Stacy Bathrick
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailsbathrick@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Courses: SPC2608 Basic Comm Skills - Online
- Short Bio: Stacy Bathrick has 20 years military experience. She served as a military spokeswoman for 12 years at various organizational levels including coalition forces in Afghanistan. Stacy earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Auburn University and a master’s degree in Management and Leadership from Campbellsville University. She is also an honorary member of Lambda Pi Eta Communication Studies honor society.
Jeff Cassady
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailjcassady@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Short Bio: Jeffrey Cassady has taught news reporting at UWF since 2015. Before joining UWF, Cassady worked as a reporter, copy editor and page designer for several newspapers, including the Pensacola News Journal, the Daytona Beach News-Journal and the Marietta Daily Journal. Cassady has a bachelor's degree in communication arts/journalism from the University of West Florida and a law degree from Stetson University.
Kianna Cutts-Abel
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailkcuttsabel@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
Sonya Daniel
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailsdaniel@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Courses: PUR 3100, Public Relations Writing
- Short Bio: Sonya Daniel has spent more than 30 years in the communications field. Most of that time has been in Public Relations for local government agencies in Florida. She joined the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office in 2011 and currently serves as the Deputy Supervisor of Elections for Administration. She received a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Shorter University, in Rome, Georgia and a master’s degree in strategic communications and leadership from UWF.
Kirsten Efird
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailkefird@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Short Bio: Kirsten Efird has taught design for newspaper and publication at UWF since 1996. She earned her undergraduate degree in journalism from Auburn University, and a master's degree in journalism, with a specialty in newspaper design, from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Gary Ghioto
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailgghioto@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Short Bio: Ghioto has taught online and in the classroom at UWF since 2003. He teaches JOU 3314, Environmental Reporting; JOU 3100, News Reporting; and JOU 3700, Issues in Journalism. Ghioto worked as a reporter, bureau chief, editor and correspondent for daily newspapers in New England, including The Boston Globe and Foster’s Daily Democrat. He was employed by United Press International and Reuters and worked at the Pensacola News Journal from 2009-2014 as content editor and chief content editor.
Jonathan Hovell
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailjhovell@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
John James
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailjjames3@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Short Bio: John James received his Bachelor of Arts in communication from UWF in 1999 and Master of Arts in strategic communication and Leadership at UWF in 2012. He has primarily worked in the field of graphics/visual communication and serves as a Senior Strategic Communication Specialist for the U.S. Air Force Air Research Laboratory's Munitions Directorate.
Ed Parent
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emaileparent@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Short Bio: Ed Parent has more than 35 years of experience in the communication field and 22 years of service in the United States Navy. He holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication and a master’s degree in health communication leadership.
Nathan Smith
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailnsmith1@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Short Bio: Nathan "Briton" Smith has many years of experience working in the radio, television, and live performance mediums and holds an Extra Class radio license from the FCC as well as Certified Broadcast Technologist certification.
Kay Tappan
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailktappan@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Short Bio: Kay Tappan earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from UWF in 2005 and a Master of Arts in mass communication from the University of Florida in 2011. She was a lecturer in the Department of Public Relations at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications for six years before returning to her hometown of Pensacola. At UF, she focused her teaching on visual communication. She has also taught courses in public relations strategy and communication for social change.
Suzanne Tuzzeo
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emailstuzzeo@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Short Bio: Suzanne earned her Bachelor of Arts in journalism with a minor in advertising from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Arts in interdisciplinary humanities, emphasis in film and English, from the University of West Florida. Suzanne owned and operated a full-service, award-winning advertising agency in Pensacola for more than 20 years and has brought that hands-on experience to the classroom for the past 18 years.
Dewey Ware
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emaildware1@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Short Bio: Dewey Ware spent 20 years the advertising agency business and ten years in the finance field.
David Zimmerman
- Adjunct
- Department: Communication
- phone8504742874
- emaildzimmerman@uwf.edu
- Office Location: Building 36, Room 137
- Courses: David Zimmerman has been teaching Graphic Design, Intro to Computer Graphics, and Business Communications since 2003.
- Short Bio: Since earning his degree in communications/advertising from UWF, Zimmerman has worked as the marketing director for All Pro Sound and the Building Industry Association of West Florida. He has freelanced for Coca-Cola, Reading is Fundamental, and Advantage Credit. He is Past President of the West Florida Advertising Federation and served on the Florida Advertising Association's 4th District board of directors.
