Dr. Gary A. Copeland

Dr. Gary A. Copeland is a professor in the department of communication studies and professor and chair of the department of telecommunication and film in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama. He has a B. A., and M. A. from California State University, Fresno and a Ph. D. from The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Copeland is primarily known for his research in political advertising though he has written in several areas of study. Dr. Copeland has served as a consultant to political campaigns at the local, state, federal, and international levels.

He has taught courses in a variety of fields such as: media effects, communication theory, mass media research methods, broadcast production, media ethics, public speaking, interpersonal communication, nonverbal communication and broadcast aesthetics.

His work has been published in Journalism Quarterly, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Critical Studies in Mass Communication, Communication Yearbook, Southeastern Political Review, Communication Inquiry, and Journalism Educator. Dr. Copeland is co-author of BroadcastingCable and Beyond, 3rd ed., a telecommunication text published by McGraw-Hill, Negative Political Advertising: Coming of Age, a research text on negative political advertising published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Manipulation of the American Voter: Modern Political Commercials, and Inside Political Campaigns: Theory and Practice both published by Praeger and Strategic Political Communication: Rethinking Social Influence, Persuasion and Propaganda published by Rowman & Littlefield. He is co-editor of Critical Questions: Invention, Creativity, and the Criticism of Discourse and Media, a critique of critical discourse published by St. Martin's Press.

He has made numerous presentations to academic associations on the international, national and regional levels and has been an invited speaker at colleges and universities. Dr. Copeland has also taught at the University of Klagenfurt in Austria and the University of Aruba.

He is a lifetime member of the International Communication Association, and the National Communication Association and a member of the Broadcast Education Association, and . He served as President of the Southern States Communication Association. Dr. Copeland received the first Knox Hagood Outstanding Faculty Award at the University of Alabama. This award is given to those who demonstrate excellence in teaching, research and service. He also received the Board of Visitors Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award.

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