The School of Communication Studies welcomes Tewodros (Teddy) Workneh, Ph.D., who will assume the role of assistant professor in the global communication concentration beginning the Fall 2016 semester. Before coming to 鶹Ƶ, Workneh worked as a postdoctoral fellow for the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon. He also served as a lecturer for the Department of English Language and Literature at Arba Minch University in Ethiopia.
Workneh graduated with a Bachelor of Education in English from Debub University in Ethiopia in 2004 and attained a Master of Arts in journalism and communication from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia in 2007. In 2014, he went on to earn his doctoral degree in media studies with a concentration in international communication from the University of Oregon.
Workneh is very excited for his new position at 鶹Ƶ. He will be teaching two undergraduate courses in the fall 2016 semester: Communication Theory (COMM 25902) and Communication Research Methods (COMM 30000).
“The faculty and staff here at the School of Communication Studies have been so supportive and welcoming. I feel very comfortable and I am excited to work with them and to help the school’s students achieve their goals here at 鶹Ƶ and in their career track,” Workneh said.
When it comes to his teaching philosophy, Workneh believes everyone is a learner. He believes in a fundamental and collaborative learning environment, where everyone is able to engage and participate. He is aware of the diverse backgrounds students come from and will use tools to reach students differently for the best learning opportunity possible.
“Just because someone is not speaking in class, doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to say,” Workneh said. “My goal is to find resources to make the classroom experience as useful as possible for everyone.”
While Workneh’s research is focused on international communication and global media, he believes it is important for research to be interdisciplinary for a robust scholastic experience. His current research target includes African diaspora communities, specifically communities from his home country of Ethiopia. The east coast has a large African diaspora community, and Workneh finds his move to 鶹Ƶ as strategically important to foster his research goals. Workneh also looks at information communication technology and its effects on everyday users.
“While I have my research interests, I am open to exploring other disciplines in communication and beyond,” Workneh said. “The richness of communication studies as a field lies in its nature to interact with, borrow from and expand to other disciplines.”
Workneh is excited to begin his first semester at 鶹Ƶ and looks forward to discussing international communication with his peers and students.
“Education is a lifelong process where the possibilities of learning are infinite,” Workneh said. “The classroom is just a small window in this process, where the educator’s goal, more than anything, is to inspire.”