Richard G. Jones Jr. Eastern Illinois University
Richard G. Jones, Jr., Ph.D., is an academic, an educator, a consultant, and an engaged citizen and community member. As an academic, his research has been published in scholarly journals and books, and he regularly presents at local, regional, and national conferences. As an educator, he has won teaching awards as a graduate teaching assistant and as a tenure-track faculty member, and his philosophy of education is guided by the notion that the classroom is an entree to critical thinking, which prepares students to be engaged citizens who work for the public good. As a consultant, he has worked with non-profit organizations and social service providers on various topics related to diversity and communication, and is available to consult with organizations and businesses. Since much of his research is related to social justice and community building, Rich believes that being active in his communities is an important part of modeling the behaviors about which he writes and teaches.
Rich is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL, where he also serves as Basic Course Director, supervising the instruction of dozens of sections of Introduction to Speech Communication each semester. As Basic Course Director, Rich also has the privilege of supervising several graduate teaching assistants, mentoring them as they learn how to teach the introductory communication course. Rich recently won an Achievement and Contribution Award from Eastern Illinois University to honor outstanding achievements and contributions in the areas of teaching, research, and service. He was awarded in the "balanced" category, which considers teaching, research, and service as a whole.
Rich has a Ph.D. in Human Communication Studies with a concentration in Culture and Communication from the University of Denver; and an M.A. in Speech Communication, a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Women's and Gender Studies, and a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. In his spare time, Rich enjoys playing with his dogs, refinishing furniture, and being an active member of the community theatre scene in East Central Illinois.