Dr. Darren Valenta joined the faculty in the communication studies and theatre art department at ×ö°®ÊÓƵ in Fall 2021. He serves as an assistant professor of communication studies and director of the speech and debate program. In January 2025, he was appointed the new director of Core Curriculum and First-Year Experience.

Degrees and Education:

Ph.D. in Communication Studies, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
M.A. in Communication Studies, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
B.A. in Communication Arts, Linfield College, McMinnville, Ore.

Research Interests:

His research interests include stand-up comedy, mental health, anxiety and depression, performance studies, critical communication pedagogy, and autoethnography.

Read some of Dr. Valenta’s work:

Text and Performance Quarterly

 
Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research

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