We each have in us the capacity to use communication to make a positive difference in ourselves and others
J
AUTHOR. SPEAKER. COACH
Originally from Paris, France, I traveled to the US in 1994 as a 15-year-old exchange student to learn English in Iowa. During the year, I fell in love with American culture and decided to continue my studies in the US. I returned in 1995 to live with my best friend and his family and formally graduated high school in 1996. The following academic year, I joined the University of Northern Iowa where I graduated in 2000 with a BA in Communication Studies.
Following my degree, I have spent my entire adult life teaching and researching the nature of effective and ethical communication. I earned an MA in Communication Studies in 2002 and a PhD in Communication in 2005 – both degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
In 2005, I took my first job as an Assistant Professor of Applied Communication at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock -- where I have worked for the last 15 years. During this time, I have moved through numerous roles and ranks ultimately earning the rank of full professor with tenure and serving along the way as Director of the Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence, as Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Associate Dean, and as Dean of the College of Social Sciences & Communication for three years. I have been a teacher, a scholar, and an academic leader in a career spanning 20 years.
My real passion is the study of effective and ethical human communication. I am “among the founding scholars in the emerging field of positive communication” and an award-winning teacher and scholar.
My research has been published in some of best academic outlets in the field of communication (e.g., International Handbook of Positive Communication Research, Communication Monographs, Discourse & Society, and Health Communication) and I am the author of two books on positive communication published by Peter Lang: The Art of Positive Communication: Theory and Practice and How Communication Scholars Think and Act: A Lifespan Perspective.
I have delivered hundreds of keynotes, trainings, and workshops on how to communicate effectively across contexts. My mission is to inspire individuals and groups to communicate more positively at home and at work.
Finally, I live in the wonderful city of Little Rock, Arkansas with my wonderful wife Meg and our 3 children: Hugo (12), John Luke (6), and Claire (3). I enjoy playing tennis and ping-pong, reading, meditation, and always the act of writing and speaking. It is my pleasure to share the art of positive communication with you.
For more information, check out my CV here.
