Trudy L. Hanson, Ed.D.

Professor, Department Chair

Office: Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex, Room 194
Email: thanson@wtamu.edu
Phone: 806-651-2800
Home Page: www.wtamu.edu/~thanson/

Professional Profile

Dr. Hanson joined the WTAMU faculty in 1989.  She holds a bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University in speech/English education and a master's degree from Louisiana State in speech communication, with an emphasis in public address.  She completed her doctorate at Texas Tech in higher education with a minor in communication studies.

Teaching and Related Service

Dr. Hanson teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in rhetorical criticism, gender communication and storytelling.  She directs the annual storytelling festival produced by the Panhandle Storytelling Guild, a WTAMU student organization.  She has served as president of the Texas Speech Communication Association, the Southern States Communication Association and as editor of the Texas Speech Communication Journal.

Research and Creative Activity

Dr. Hanson's research interests include popular communication (she has analyzed the "Survior" reality series and NBC's "The West Wing"), gender issues and storytelling (her cover story, "The Twelve Dancing Cowboys," appeared on the cover of Storytelling Magazine.)  She is involved in a service learning project with Bushland Elementary, matching college students and third graders for a storytelling experience.

Personal Sketch

Hanson and her husband, Mike, are the parents of four children (Leah, Chad, Ashley and Tori) and six grandchildren. She volunteers as the parent chairwoman for the Amarillo College Suzuki String Program, is helping organize a wilderness camping experience for the young women at her church and loves telling stories--to anyone who will listen.