The National Communication Association awarded special recognition to four faculty members in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The awards were presented at the organization's recent annual convention in Chicago.
Howard Giles, a professor of communication, received the Distinguished Scholar award in recognition of his outstanding scholarship. Along with his UCSB colleagues Linda Putnam and David Seibold, he is one of only 50 National Communication Association distinguished scholars, and one of only 11 scholars, including Putnam, who have been honored by both the National Communication Association and the International Communication Association.
Other honors received by UCSB faculty members include the 2007 Best Article award, which was presented to Michael Stohl, professor and chair of the communication department, and his wife Cynthia, also a professor of communication. The scholars were recognized for their article titled "Networks of Terror: Theoretical Assumptions and Pragmatic Consequences," which was published in the May 2007 issue of the professional journal Communication Theory.
In addition, the organization awarded top paper honors to Karen Myers, an assistant professor of communication, for her work titled "Toward an Integrative Theory of Membership Negotiations: Socialization, Assimilation, and the Duality of Structure."
"The recognition received by Howard Giles, Michael Stohl, Cynthia Stohl and Karen Myers are all emphatic reminders of the stellar status of our communication department," said Melvin Oliver, dean of social sciences at UCSB. "Moreover, receipt of these awards also represents the depth of excellence that is in the department, from those who are icons of the field to our junior scholars. The Department of Communication is in a position to be a leader in the field for years to come."
Said Giles about his award: "I am deeply honored to receive this high profile award given the small number and caliber of prior recipients. I am blessed to have such incisive colleagues and graduate students here at UCSB without whose diverse and valued contributions this would not have been possible."
An expert in intergroup communication, Giles has conducted research in a variety of domains. His current work involves intergenerational communication, lifespan aging, andófrom cross-cultural and law enforcement perspectivesócivilian interactions and community policing issues. A reserve officer with the Santa Barbara Police Department for over 10 years, Giles recently joined the department's Crisis Negotiation Response Team while at the same time assuming the role of police chaplain. At a police department awards ceremony earlier this week he was named Reserve Officer of the Year and received the Lt. R.E. Bond Award for the most hours served by a reserve officer in 2007.
"The National Communication Association's Distinguished Scholar award is presented to a select group of individuals who have been recognized by their peers for a career of outstanding scholarship devoted to improving our understanding of human communication," said Michael Stohl. "Professor Giles's contributions to the study of communication have been remarkable."
Founded in 1914, the National Communication Association is a nonprofit scholarly society whose mission is to promote the study, criticism, research, teaching, and application of the artistic, humanistic, and scientific principles of communication. Its membership includes more than 7,000 educators, practitioners, and students in the United States and 20 foreign countries.
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