Contributors

Kara Coker
Kara Baird Coker is an adjunct professor of Speech at both Collin College and Dallas College in the Dallas Fort-Worth Metroplex, as well as a full-time educator in the Garland ISD. Additionally, she works as a public speaker instructing educators in Texas and Oklahoma on such topics as communication in the classroom and beyond, as well as how to make learning engaging and fun. Coker is also a public speaker in a ministry capacity, teaching a wide range of topics to groups in the United States, and as far as Ethiopia. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and a graduate degree from Dallas Baptist University. Kara is a proud mother of six and grandmother of six under the age of five.

Lisa Marie Coppoletta
Lisa Marie Coppoletta (LMC) began her interest in Communication Studies as an academic debater and is the first and only woman to qualify for the National Debate Tournament from Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University. She taught and coached intercollegiate Speech and Debate at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, Texas Lutheran University, and Texas State University. She has served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor, Central Texas College, San Antonio College. She has been Associate Adjunct Instructor at Austin Community College since 2007 in the Department of Communication Studies.

Tasha Davis, PhD
Dr. Tasha Davis is a Professor of Communication Studies at Austin Community College and Lecturer in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. She has published learning material for Kendall Hunt Publishing and MacMillan Learning. She holds undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of Texas at Tyler, and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in Organizational Communication and Technology. Her research and writing focuses on flexible work arrangements and career development through the lifespan. Dr. Davis has worked with students and faculty in higher education for 25 years.

Elizabeth Hanson Smith, PhD
Elizabeth Hanson Smith earned her doctorate in Communication Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi. She has been the Managing Editor of Words of Work and Persona Magazine and is a certified writing tutor. Currently teaching at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Hanson Smith firmly believes in the value of a quality education that is based in effective writing and speaking skills. Communication is the key to understanding differences!

Rachael Tiede
Professor Rachael Tiede is a Professor in the Communication Studies Department at Dallas College. She is an online educator, consultant and communication specialist who has worked and taught in the higher education industry for over 25 years and is skilled in nonprofit organizations and events, editing, public speaking, resume writing and communications. Professor Tiede holds a Master of Arts Degree focused in Speech Communication and a Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations from California State University-Los Angeles.

Daniel Usera, PhD
Daniel Usera is the Business Communication faculty member for five graduate programs at Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. He earned his doctorate from the University of Iowa in Communication Studies. His research focuses on persuasion, identity, and pragmatics. He has worked in retail, hospitality, state politics, and in nonprofit sectors. He loves his field and finding ways to share it with as many people as possible, whether that's through corporate training, Toastmasters, or helping someone with their resume. He is constantly learning and aims to build a world-class business communication curriculum at Mays Business School.

Victoria VanNest, EdD
Victoria VanNest is an educator in the field of Communication Studies. With a professional background in business management and 15 years as a Project Manager in the automotive field, she is able to bring her professional experience into the classroom. Victoria's education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from Michigan State University. Her doctorate work is in retention in the field of leadership in higher education at Walden University.

Joansandy Wong, PhD
Dr. Joansandy Wong is a Professor of Communication Studies at Austin Community College. She is an educator and an assistant dean of assessments who has worked in higher education for eighteen years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Speech Communications and a Master of Arts in Communication Studies from Baylor University. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Rhetoric and Language Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.