Faculty:
CCPA faculty combine academic credentials with professional experience as leaders
in their field. They publish books, write for leading communications journals,
and serve as consultants to corporations, nonprofit organizations and political
campaigns. Their accolades include writing awards, leadership positions in industry
organizations, and numerous teaching awards, including one University Distinguished
Professor.
Mark McPhail
Chair, Division of Corporate Communications and Public
Affairs
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Dr. McPhail comes to Southern Methodist University from Miami University in Ohio, where he was a Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Coordinator of Creativity and Culture, and Director of the Ida Montimer Windate Writing Center in the Western College Program of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. Read
more.
Christina Baily-Byers
Senior Lecturer, Division of Corporate Communications and Public
Affairs
MBA, Nova Southeastern University
Christina Baily-Byers has led classes for SMU’s CCPA department since 2005. For the past 14 years, she has developed and taught public relations, communication and business management courses for Texas Woman’s University, the University of Hartford and the University of Memphis. Read
more.
Maria Dixon
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia
Dr. Maria Dixon received a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the
University of Alabama, Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees at
The Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and a Ph.D. in organizational
communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her research emphasis
is organizational rhetoric, power and organizational culture, and her work focuses
on non-profit, religious and Greek-letter organizations. Read
more.
Rita Kirk
Professor, Division of Corporate Communications and Public
Affairs
Ph.D., University of Missouri
Professor Kirk is recognized for her analysis of political and persuasive campaigns
and is the author of several award-winning books and articles. Specializing
in communication strategy, she has more than 15 years of experience as a strategist
for city council, mayoral, state, U.S. Representative and gubernatorial races.
She has been consistently recognized by SMU for the excellence of her teaching.
Read
more.
Nina Flournoy
Senior Lecturer
B.A., Louisiana State University
Nina Flournoy joined SMU in 1997, leaving a position as senior editor for Dallas
Family magazine. Prior to this, she was regional editor and a correspondent
for Women's Wear Daily and W Magazine. She has received the
Dallas Press Association's Katie Award for excellence in feature writing and
the Junior League of Dallas Community Service Award.
Read more.
Tony L. Kroll
Visiting Senior Lecturer
Texas A&M University
Tony L. Kroll is a doctoral candidate in health and communication at Texas A&M
University and is completing the final year as a qualitative research specialist
on a federally-funded grant with the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
His work focuses on patient descriptions of illness and on interventions designed
to enhance communication between patients and healthcare providers. Read
more.
Owen Hanley Lynch
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. Texas A&M University
Owen Hanley Lynch received his Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from Texas
A&M University in May of 2005. Lynch also holds an M.A. in organizational
communication from Texas A&M and a B.A. in communications from the University
of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He has published work in Communication Theory
and co-authored the concluding chapter in Perspectives on Organizational
Communication (Corman & Poole 2000). Read
more.
Dan Schill
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. University of Kansas
Dan Schill received his Ph.D in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas in June of 2006. Schill also holds a M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas and a B.A. in Communication and Sociology from the University of North Dakoka.
Read
more.
Becky Hewitt
Administrative Assistant
Becky Hewitt is the administrative assistant to the Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Division, and has been with SMU since November of 2002. Becky graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Psychology; she then earned her master’s degree in Educational Facilities Management/College Student Personnel from the University of North Texas.
Joe McNamara, Adjunct Lecturer
Cecilia Stubbs Norwood, Adjunct Lecturer
Kelly Reddell, Adjunct Lecturer
Eric VanSteenburg, Adjunct Lecturer
