Center for Communication Health & Risk Communication

Gary Kreps, PhD, Chair

Gary L. Kreps (Ph.D., University of Southern California) is the Eileen and Steve Mandell Professor of Health Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication at George Mason University. He is also the Director for the newly founded Center for Health and Risk Communication at George Mason University. His research focuses on health communication and promotion, information dissemination, cancer prevention and control, organizational communication, information technologies, multicultural relations, and risk/crisis management. His published work includes approximately 250 books, articles, and monographs concerning the applications of communication knowledge in society. Before his appointment at George Mason in 2004, he served as the founding Chief of the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute, the founding Dean of the School of Communication at Hofstra University, Executive Director of the Greenspun School of Communication at UNLV, and in faculty and administrative roles at Northern Illinois, Rutgers, Indiana, and Purdue Universities. He has received numerous awards and honors for his active program of research, teaching, and scholarship.

Founding CHRC Faculty Scholars

	LaKesha Anderson, M.A. Director of Undergraduate Advising and Instructor of Communication	LaKesha's research focuses on women's health, e-health, and public relations.
	Joani Bedore, PhD Assistant Professor of Communication	Joani's research focuses on interpersonal, gender, workplace, and public communication
	Don Boileau, PhD Professor of Communication	Don's research focuses on intercultural & public communication, communication education, and rhetoric & society
	Carl Botan, PhD Professor of Communication	Carl's research focuses on strategic, risk, and health communication, public relations, and research methods
	Xiaomei Cai, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Communication	Xiaomei's research focuses on media & society, family communication, new media, and research methods
	Warren Decker, Ph.D. Professor of Communication	Warren's research focuses on public communication, argumentation, communication theory, and social movements
	Michael Dickerson, M.A. Outreach Coordinator and Instructor of Communication	Mike's research focuses on public relations, risk communication, and media systems
	Andy Finn, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Communication	Andy's research focuses on public & political communication, media systems, new media, and methods
	Sheryl Friedley, Ph.D. Professor of Communication	Sheryl's research focuses on interpersonal, gender, health, workplace, & public communication
	Tim Gibson, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Communication	Tim's research focuses on health & urban communication and media advocacy
	Mark Hopson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Communication	Mark's research focuses communication & culture, rhetoric & society, and communication & violence
	Steve Klein, M.A. Journalism Coordinator and Instructor of Communication	Steve's research focuses on electronic journalism, media & society, and public policy
	Bob Lichter, Ph.D. Professor of Communication	Bob's research focuses on political, health, & scientific communication, media ethics, and methods
	Cindy Lont, Ph.D. Professor of Communication	Cindy's research media & society, gender, visual com, media production & theory
	Ed Maibach, Ph.D. Professor of Communication	Ed's research focuses on social marketing, health & environmental communication, campaigns, and social influence
	Jim McAuley, Ph.D. Professor of Communication	Jim's research focuses on health & aging, health services, communication & culture, and research methods
	Megan McCutcheon, M.A. Term Research Instructor of Communication	Megan's research focuses on health and aging, health services research, social work, and methods
	Star Muir, Ph.D Associate Professor of Communication	Star's research focuses on new media, environmental comunication, communication education, and public communication
	Nithya Muthuswamy, PhD Assistant Professor of Communication	Nithya's research focuses on health communication, culture & communication, social change, and methods
	Anne Nicotera, PhD Associate Professor of Communication	Anne's research focuses on interpersonal, organizational, health communication, and communication & conflict
	Peter Pober, PhD Associate Professor of Communication and Director of Forensics	Peter's research focuses on public communication, communication & culture, and rhetoric & social movements
	Gerald Powell, PhD Assistant Professor of Communication	Gerald's research focuses on public communication, rhetoric & philosophy, and communication & culture
	Kathy Rowan, PhD Professor of Communication	Kathy's research focuses on scientific, risk & crisis, written communication, and public relations
	Melinda Villagran, PhD Associate Professor of Communication	Melinda's research focuses on interpersonal, org, & health communication, communication & culture, and methods
	Catherine Wright, PhD Assistant Professor of Communication	Catherine's research focuses on new media, communication education, and communication & society
	Xiaoquan Zhao, PhD Assistant Professor of Communication	Xiaoquan's research focuses on health communication, communication campaigns, media & social influence, and methods