The Executive Board meets three times each year. The fall meeting is the Thursday evening prior to the conference at the host location of the upcoming conference. The winter meeting is virtual and is held from 10am-2pm on the first Friday in January. The spring meeting is held from 10am-2pm on the first Friday in June at the upcoming conference location and includes a tour of the campus for the Executive Board. The annual business meeting, which is open to all OCA Members, is held as a part lunch on the Saturday of conference weekend in October.
Executive Director
Elycia Taylor
Elycia Taylor (M.A., West Virginia University) is an Assistant Professor and Lead Instructor of Business and Technical Communication at Columbus State Community College. She teaches Communication, Public Relations, Media, and Journalism courses.
The Executive Director is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is three to five years. Elycia was appointed in 2021.
President
Rhiannon B. Kallis (she/her/hers)
Rhiannon B. Kallis (Ph.D., Indiana University of Pennsylvania) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at The University of Akron. Dr. Kallis’s primary research and teaching foci are in Strategic Social Media and Interpersonal Communication.
The President is an elected position. The term of service is two years, followed by two years of service as Immediate Past President. Rhiannon took office in 2024.
Vice President
Phokeng M. Dailey (she/her/hers)
Phokeng M. Dailey (Ph.D., The Ohio State University) is an Associate Professor and Endowed Chair in the Department of Journalism & Communication at Ohio Wesleyan University. Her current research focuses on the implications of racializing disease and public policy support. She teaches courses on communication theory, media effects, cinema and health communication.
The Vice President is an elected position. The term is two years, followed by two years of service as President. Phokeng took office in 2024.
Immediate Past President
Cody Clemens (he/him/his)
Cody M. Clemens, (Ph.D., Bowling Green State University) is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Management at Ohio University’s College of Business in Athens, Ohio. Dr. Clemens’s primary research and teaching focus are Business, Health, Organizational, Relational, and Gender Communication.
The term of service for the Immediate Past President is two years. Cody served as OCA president from 2022-2024.
Editor-in-Chief for the Ohio Communication Journal
Patrick Dillon (he/him/his)
Patrick Dillon (Ph.D., University of South Florida) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Studies at Kent State University at Stark. He teaches courses in the Applied Communication concentration and conducts health communication research on three primary topics: (1) end-of-life care, (2) HIV/AIDS, and (3) substance abuse.
The Journal Editor is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Patrick was appointed in 2022.
Associate Journal Editor for the Ohio Communication Journal
Andrea Meluch (she/her/hers)
Andrea L. Meluch (PhD, Kent State University) is an Associate Professor of Business and Organizational Communication in the School of Communication and Department of Management at The University of Akron, Akron, OH. Her research focuses on the intersections of health, organizational, and instructional communication. Specifically, she is interested in issues of organizational culture, mental health, and social support.
The Associate Journal Editor is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years, followed by two years as Journal Editor. Andrea was appointed in 2022.
Communication Coordinator
Ryan Eisenhuth (he/him/his)
Ryan Eisenhuth (B.A., Geneva College) is a graduate student in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. Ryan teaches public speaking and his primary research interests are rhetorical theory, religious communication, and media ecology.
The Communication Coordinator is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Amber was appointed in 2024.
Conference Coordinator
Melissa Cumberbatch
Melissa Cumberbatch (Ph.D., Ohio University) is an Instructor in the Languages and Communication Department at Columbus State Community College. Melissa is the Lead Instructor of Oral Communication, Introduction to Mass Communication, Introduction to Communication Theory, and Introduction to Film. She teaches Communication and Media courses.The Conference Coordinator is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Melissa was appointed in 2024.
Conference Coordinator
Seth M. Smith
Seth M. Smith (M.S., Minnesota State University, Mankato) is an Instructor in the Languages and Communication Department at Columbus State Community College. His classroom teaching focus is in Public Speaking and Intercultural Communication. His research interests include athlete mentorship, enclothed cognition and the intersection of athletics and the arts.
The Conference Coordinator is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Seth was appointed in 2004.
Awards Coordinator
Jeff Tyus (he/him/his)
Jeffrey Tyus (Ph.D., Ohio University) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH. Dr. Tyus is also the Graduate Program Director for the MA in Professional Communication program at YSU. He teaches Intercultural Communication, Media Relations Campaigns, Communication Research, and several graduate-level courses.
The Awards Coordinator is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Jeff was appointed in 2008.
Sponsorship Coordinator
Nancy Jennings
Nancy Jennings (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is a Professor in the Department of Communication in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Cincinnati. Her research focuses on children’s media use and their cognitive and social development.
The Sponsorship Coordinator is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is three to five years. Nancy was appointed in 2021.
Archivist
Bill Jennings
William Jennings (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is an Associate Professor in the Department of English & Communication at the University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash. As a career educator, he has taught middle school, high school, undergraduate, and graduate level students in both face to face and online environments. His general research interests focus on the intersection of language, culture, and politics.
The Archivist is a position that is appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Bill was appointed in 2022.
Member-at-Large
Ashley Kennard (she/her/hers)
Ashley R. Kennard, PhD, is an assistant professor in communication at Ohio Wesleyan University. She received her B.A. in Communication from the University of Cincinnati, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication at The Ohio State University. She is a first-generation teacher-scholar who centers her curricula and research around intercultural and intergroup communication, attitudes and persuasion, social identity, and media effects, particularly exploring the impact of media representation on identity and attitudes. In the classroom, she challenges students’ existing schemata and integrates theory and praxis to explore the role of communication in social advocacy, social justice work, and the dismantling of contemporary systems of oppression.
Member-at-Large is an elected position that serves a two-year term. Ashley was elected in 2023.
Member-at-Large
Gwen A. Hullman (she/her/hers)
Gwen A. Hullman (Ph.D., Kent State University) is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at Cleveland State University. Dr. Hullman’s primary research and teaching interests include Conflict Resolution, Mediation, Training and Development, and Conversational Goals.
Member-at-Large is an elected position that serves a two-year term. Gwen was elected in 2024.
Member-at-Large
Mary Catherine Kennedy (she/her/hers)
Mary Catherine Kennedy (Ph.D., Ohio University) is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Management in the College of Business at Ohio University. Dr. Kennedy’s primary research and teaching foci are in Strategic Business Communication, Interpersonal Communication, and Communication and Religion.
Member-at-Large is an elected position that serves a two-year term. Mary was elected in 2024.
Member-at-Large
Mary Olivia Roberts (she/her/hers)
Mary Olivia Roberts (MBA, Youngstown State University; MA, Ohio University) is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Management at the Ohio University College of Business. Mary’s primary area of instruction is Business Communication and Professionalism. She also is a consultant in the healthcare marketing and communication industry.
Member-at-Large is an elected position that serves a two-year term. Mary was elected in 2024.
Graduate Student Representative
Man Luo (She/Her/hers)
Man Luo is a third-year Ph.D. student at Bowling Green State University School of Media and Communication. Man teaches public speaking, and her research interests are media studies, AI technology, and users’ analysis.
Graduate student representative is an elected position with a 1-year renewable term. Man was elected in 2024.
Graduate Student Representative
Peace Chinenye Nwachukwu (She/Her/Hers)
Peace Chinenye Nwachukwu is a graduate student in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. She received her B.Sc. in mass communication from the National Open University of Nigeria, Peace teaches public speaking, and her research interests are comparative social change, organizational communication, and strategic communication.
Graduate student representative is an elected position with a 1-year renewable term. Peace was elected in 2024.
If you’re interested in serving on the Executive Board, contact Rhiannon B. Kallis, OCA President.
