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ASU Communication Prof Honored

October 17, 2013

Dr. June Smith of Angelo State University’s communication faculty was recognized by the Texas Speech Communication Association (TSCA) at its recent annual conference for her longtime dedication to mentoring students and bringing them to TSCA conferences.

The TSCA Executive Council voted unanimously to rename the organization’s Graduate Student Teaching Award as the TSCA June Smith Graduate Teaching Award.  The award is given annually to a graduate student for exemplary performance inside and outside the classroom.

“This organization has been a big part of my professional life,” Smith said.  “I, like my graduate professors, feel it is important to introduce our students to the professional associations through which they will gain updates to the discipline, networking connections and colleagues across the state.  I was surprised and deeply honored to have this award named after me.”

A member of TSCA since 1975, Smith has served as its president and executive secretary.  Her previous TSCA honors include an Educator of the Year Award and an Outstanding Service Award.  As a TSCA officer, she served on various Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board committees and testified regarding speech communication curriculum to the State Board for Educator Certification.

An ASU faculty member since 1991, Smith was recently named interim dean of the ASU College of Graduate Studies.  She also served as head of the former Communication, Mass Media and Theatre Department from 2006-09.  She earned her bachelor’s degree at ASU, her master’s degree at Texas Tech University and her doctorate in organizational communication at the University of Texas at Austin.

TSCA is the largest of the state-level professional organizations of the National Communication Association, and publishes the Texas Speech Communication Journal.  It also hosts an annual conference at which communication professionals from across the state attend to present original research and provide innovative strategies for teaching.  More information is available online at www.etsca.com/.