Faculty List

Joanne R Gilbert, Ph.D.

Joanne R Gilbert, Ph.D.

Chair and Professor of Communication/New Media Studies
Joined Alma College Faculty in 1994
(989) 463-7054
Office Hours: MW 10:30-12:00, 1:30-2:30, and by appointment

Joanne Gilbert is the Charles A. Dana Professor and Chair of Communication and New Media Studies at Alma College where she teaches courses in Relational Communication, Intercultural Communication, Performance, Humor, and many other areas of the field. She is deeply committed to service learning and often includes student-community interaction in her classes.

Dr. Gilbert’s book, Performing Marginality: Humor, Gender, and Cultural Critique was published by Wayne State University Press in 2004, and has been featured on WCMU Public Television, WGVU Public Radio, KZSC Public Radio, an in The Chronicle of Higher Education and invited presentations at colleges and universities around the country. Her scholarly work on gender and performance-- focusing on the relationship between humor and power, autobiographical and cultural performance, advocacy, and the discourse of marginalized groups-- has appeared in journals and edited volumes such as Text and Performance Quarterly, Modern Rhetorical Criticism, and others.

Dr. Gilbert’s own performance background includes: acting, directing, and performing professional stand-up comedy. Additionally, she is a Communication Consultant to groups and individuals nationwide, providing training in presentational and interpersonal communication skills. She is the recipient of the 2000 Michigan Campus Compact Faculty Staff Community Service-Learning Award, the 2003 Alma College Posey Award for Faculty Excellence, the 2007 Omicron Delta Kappa Faculty Excellence Award, the 2009 Athena Award (given by the Gratiot Area Chamber of Commerce), and the Charles A. Dana Professorship (2010).

Education

  • Ph.D., Communication, The University of Texas at Austin (1994)
  • M.A., Speech Communication, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1986)
  • B.A., English, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1984)

Research Interests

Advocacy, humor, autobiographical and cultural performance, and the discourse of marginalized groups

Recent Courses Taught

  • Performing Advocacy.  COM 123.
  • Gender and Communication.
  • Relational Communication.  COM 201.
  • Intercultural Communication.  COM 220.
  • Seminar in Communication Inquiry.  COM 350.
  • Human Communication: Messages and Meaning.  COM 101.

Directed Student Presentations and Achievements

Selected Book Publications

Selected Articles

  • Joanne R Gilbert.  "Why I Feel Guilty All The Time: Performing Academic Motherhood."  Women’s Studies in Communication.  2008. 31 (2), 203-208

Selected Reviews

  • Joanne R Gilbert, Ph.D..  Review of Just the Funny Bits, by Terry Galloway.  Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies.  2:3, 1-4.  November 2006.

Selected Chapter Book Publications

  • "Texts and Contexts: Performance, Community and Service Learning." In Quick hits for educating citizens, edited by J.L. Perry and S.G. Jones, pp. 53-65. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2006.

Selected Creative Works

Recent Presentations

Awards, Honors, Recognitions

Service to the College

  • Member, Service Learing Task Force
  • Chair, Women's Issues Advisory Board
  • Chair of Communication and New Media Studies Department
  • Chair of Communication and New Media Studies Department
  • Chair, Women's Issues Advisory Board
  • Member, Service Learing Task Force
  • See More...

Service to the Community

  • Board of Directors, Women's Resource Center of MidMichigan
  • Athena Group
  • Service Learning activity with senior citizens at the Michigan Masonic Home
  • Board of Directors, Women's Resource Center of MidMichigan
  • Volunteer Coordinator, Academy of Performing Arts Recital
  • Board of Directors, Women’s Resource Center of MidMichigan
  • See More...

Service to the Profession

  • Member, Performance Studies Division Awards Committee, National Communication Association
  • Editorial Board Member (Peer Review) for Women's Studies in Communication
  • Associate Editor (Peer Review) for Text and Performance Quarterly
  • Associate Editor (Peer Review) for Text and Performance Quarterly
  • Editorial Board Member (Peer Review) for Women's Studies in Communication
  • Member, Performance Studies Division Awards Committee, National Communication Association
  • See More...

 

Colleges of Distinction, a national college guide for students, parents and counselors, identifies Alma College as "one of the best places to learn, grow and succeed." The Colleges of Distinction publication recognizes institutions for their commitment to engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful outcomes.

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Leadership Profile

Bob Devaney

Bob Devaney

Bob Devaney began his football career at Alma College, playing on the varsity for three years and earning a most valuable player award. His love for the game didn't vanish after graduation. He eventually became head coach at the University of Nebraska, where he created a legacy as one of the greatest coaches in collegiate football history.

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