Thomas Socha, Ph.D.

Ph.D., (University of Iowa); M.A. (University of Illinois at Chicago), BA (Loyola University Chicago) is University Professor and tenured, Associate Professor of Communication.

Department of Communication & Theatre, Old Dominion University, Virginia Beach Higher Education Center, Room 205, 1881 University Drive, Virginia Beach, VA. 23453 

Curriculum Vita

Current

• NCA 2009 Paper: Missing Links Between Family and Group Communication: Children and Communication Development
• Vice President, Southern States Communication Association, Primary Program Planner for SSCA Convention in Memphis
• Member of the Editorial Board of the Southern Communication Journal
• Chair of SSCA Publications Committee charged with development of a second SSCA journal
• Co-edited a new book with Dr. Glen Stamp (Ball State University) that examines communication interfaces between parent-child relationships and agents of societal organizations (e.g., teachers, physicians, coaches, law enforcement, etc.) Title--Parents & Children Communicating with Society (2009, NY: Routledge) 
• Co-authored a book with Dr. Julie Yingling that provides a review of children's communication research and theory in the context of family life, Families Communicating with Children (working title) (2010, Polity Press, Cambridge,UK).
• Proposing two new books, The Positive Side of Interpersonal Communication and Studies in Positive Communication with Dr. Maggie Pitts (ODU)
• Re-appopinted as a Member of the Speech Communication Praxis II Exam Advisory Board, ETS, Princeton, NJ. 

Upcoming

• 2010 SSCA 80th Annual Meeting (April 7-11, 2010), Memphis. Conference Theme: Positive Communicaton.

Selected Accomplishments

• Founding Editor of the Journal of Family Communication, a national research journal.
• National Communication Association's, Bernard J. Brommel Award for Outstanding Scholarship and Distinguished Service in Family Communication.
• Robert L. Stern Award for Excellence in Teaching (from ODU's College of Arts & Letters);
• Names one of ODU's first "University Professors" for distinguished teaching;
• Twice nominated by ODU for the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia's Outstanding faculty award;
• Recipient of three "Most Inspirational Faculty Awards" from ODU honor students
• Three top-three paper awards at national and regional conferences,
• July/August, 2008. Taught a course, "A Positive Perspective on Family Communication" at the National Communication Association's Institute for Faculty Development, Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, VA.) Click here for details
• SSCA 2008 Paper--Communciation in Service of Positive Relationships: A Reflection on Values and Approaches.
• NCA 2008 Paper: Top Paper in Experiential Learning in Communication.