Campus Directory

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Biography

Brad Mello, Ph.D., is a professor of communication at Saint Xavier University (SXU) in Chicago. He received his bachelor’s degree in telecommunications in 1985 and master’s degree in speech communication in 1987 from Penn State University. He completed his doctorate in communication at the University of Oklahoma in 1993. During his doctoral studies, his area of emphasis was political communication and media studies, which has guided various teaching and research interests, most often, the study of political cartoons and teaching various media history, theory and criticism courses.

Upon completing his doctoral work in 1993, Mello spent 13 years at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he chaired both the communication department and social sciences division. Additionally, he served as faculty co-chair of Trinity's Middle States Self-Study Reaccreditation Team, where he learned the challenges and benefits of a peer review accreditation process. Mello also created Trinity's master’s program in communication, aimed at adult learners working in the D.C. area seeking career advancement.

In 2008, Mello joined the National Communication Association (NCA) as the associate director for Educational Initiatives and subsequently as the associate director for Academic and Professional Affairs. During his time at NCA, he led a successful effort to obtain a grant of $588,000 from the Lumina Foundation to support NCA's Learning Outcomes in Communication project, which identified what students in communication should know and be able to do upon graduation.

In the fall of 2014, Mello returned to the classroom to once again work with a dynamic and diverse group of students at Saint Xavier. While at SXU, he has led efforts to revamp the communication major and create new programs in film and media studies and an online degree completion program in applied communication for working adults. Mello continues to write in the area of political communication with an emphasis on editorial cartooning, also collaborating with colleagues on issues of teaching and learning in communication.

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Presentations/Publications/Productions

Publications

"Revisiting Public Speaking as a Liberal Art at Hispanic-Serving Institutions." The Routledge Handbook of Public Speaking Research and Theory. Edited by Stevie Munez, et al, co-authored by Cyndi Grobemeier.

“Teaching Communication in a Pandemic and Post-Pandemic World.” Post Pandemic Pedagogy. Edited by Joseph Valenzano, with co-author and colleague, Cyndi Grobmeier.

“Clifford K. Berryman (1869 – 1949).” Encyclopedia entry in American Political Humor: Masters of Satire and Their Impact on U.S. Policy and Culture.

“Jay Norward “’ing’ Darling (1876 - 1962).” Encyclopedia entry in American Political Humor: Masters of Satire and Their Impact on U.S. Policy and Culture.

“Herbert “Herblock” Block (1909 - 2001).” Encyclopedia Entry in American Political Humor: Masters of Satire and Their Impact on U.S. Policy and Culture.

“Basic course strength through clear learning outcomes and assessment.” Basic Course Communication Annual, Forum Section, (2016 – Volume 28).

“Assessment and NCA’s Student Learning Outcomes”.  Communication Education, (2016), 65:4, 485-487, with Cindy White, Trisha Hernandez and Betsy Bach.

“Measuring College Learning in Communication,” with Nancy Kidd, Trevor Parry-Giles, Steven Beebe.  Book chapter. Improving Quality in American Higher Education: Learning Outcomes and Assessments for the 21st Century (2016).

“Public Relations Group Project Assignment” (2015).

“NCA Program Review Standards: Background, Application, and Data.” Communication Education (2011), 60:3, 279-295, with Phil Backlund, Betsy Bach, Claire Procopio, and Deirdre Johnson.

“Media Convergence.” William F. Eadie (Ed.).  21^st Century Communication: A Reference Handbook (2009).

“Political Cartooning in the 21^st Century: A Changing and Dynamic Future.” Critical Studies in Media Communication (2007), 24:1, 78-80.             

“Quick communicators: Editorial cartoonists in communication overdrive.” Communication Yearbook.  CA: Sage. 1998.

“Ethics Speech Assignment.” Speech Communication Teacher.  Washington, DC: National Communication Association, (Fall, 1998).

Book Reviews

The Business of Media by David Croteau and William Hoynes. Reviewed in The Southern Journal of Communication. (Spring, 2003).

Video Games: A Popular Culture Phenomenon by Arthur Asa Berger. (April, 2002).

Presentations

“Developing Meaningful, Operational Learning Outcome Statements.” Panel Speaker. Assessment Institute, Indianapolis, Ind. (November 2015).     

Maryland Communication Association Annual Conference. Keynote Speaker. (October 2008).        

50th anniversary of the 25th Mission of the B-17 Memphis Belle. Speaker. National Archives, Washington, D.C. (May 17, 1993).

Scholarly Presentations

“Apocalyptic Rhetoric in ‘Don’t Look Up.’” Competitive Paper Panel on Apocalyptic Rhetorical, Popular Culture Association Convention, Chicago, Ill., with Matthew Costello, Diego Espiña-Barros, Christine Fojtik (April 2023).

“Literature, Politics, and Society: Altern(narr)ative Realities in a Post-Truth Era. Ann Telnaes. Trump: Pushing the envelope of propriety in editorial cartooning.” Competitive Paper Panel, Popular Culture Association Convention, San Antonio, Texas, with colleagues Matthew Costello, Diego Espiña-Barros, Christine Fojtik (April 2023).

“Assessing Excellence in the Basic Course: Re-Connecting the Goals of Faculty and Administrators.”  Presentation with Dakota C. Horn, Mal Jason, Malynnda Johnson, Katie Marie Lever, and Elizabeth Ribarsky.  Competitive Panel sponsored by The Basic Course Interest Group and Undergraduate Education and Administration Section. Central States Communication Association Conference, Madison, Wis. (April 2021).

“Honest Assessment of Underprepared Students: Guiding the Ethically Perplexed to a Practical Paradigm.” Presentation with Leslie Reynard and Audrey Allison to be delivered for the American Association of Colleges and Universities General Education and Assessment Conference, San Francisco, Calif. (February 2019).

“Online Political Communication Ethics Discussion.” Presentation delivered for the GIFTS (Great Ideas for Teachers of Student) program at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Dallas, Texas. (November 2017).

“The Capstone Experience, A Celebration of Legacies.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Dallas, Texas. (November 2017). 

“Using VALUE and Tuning to Improve Assessment.” Presentation with Cyndi Grobmeier and David Marshall at the IUPUI Assessment Institute, Indianapolis, Ind. (October 2017).

“Learning Outcomes in Communication: Alignment and Local Implementation.” Panel participant at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Philadelphia, Pa. (November 2016).

“Communication’s Civic Calling to Improve Higher Education: Using Your Disciplinary Expertise to Improve Assessments throughout Your Campus.” Panel participant at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Philadelphia, Pa. (November 2016). 

“Articulating Communication's Civic Callings through an Assignment Design Charrette Process.” Panel participant at the annual National Communication Association convention, Philadelphia, Pa. (November 2016).

“Basic Course Top Panel: The Basic Communication Course Annual Forum: A SWOT Analysis of the Basic Course.” Panel participant at the annual National Communication Association convention, Philadelphia, Pa. (November 2016).

“Demonstrating Educational Quality Using the DQP and Tuning.” Panel participant at the annual Higher Learning Commission Annual meeting, Chicago, Ill. (April 2016).

“Assignment Design as a Hot Spot for Faculty and Institutional Collaboration: Lessons from NILOA’s Work with the DQP and Tuning.” Panel participant at the annual American Association of Colleges and Universities Annual meeting, Washington, D.C. (January 2016).

“Learning Outcomes in Communication: Assignment Workshop.” Panel participant at the annual National Communication Association convention, Las Vegas, Nev. (November 2015).

“The Past, Present and Promising Future of the Undergraduate Capstone Course at Small Colleges and Universities.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 2015).

“Learning Outcomes in Communication Projects.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 2015).

“The Presence of General Education Assessment: Identifying and Maintaining Our Role as Communication Experts in the Process.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 2015).

“Teaching Assessment and Evaluation: Exploring Methods of Convergent Cultures, Business and Educational Institutions.” Presentation delivered at the Annual Central States Communication Association convention, Madison, Wis. (April 2015).

“Dialogue, Diversity and Discourse for the Uninitiated: Engaging Students in Academic Research.” Presentation delivered at the Annual Eastern Communication Association, Providence, R.I. (April 2014).

“Back to the Future:  Addressing 21^st Century Issues and Challenges Facing Communication Teachers.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Orlando, Fla. (November 2012).

“How to Integrate Relevant, Engaging Digital Media into Classroom with NBC Learn.”  Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association Convention, New Orleans, La. (November 2012).

“Program Assessment: Involving ALL the Voices in your Program.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association Convention, New Orleans, La. (November 2011).

“Are You My Daddy? Exploring Generational Definition of ‘Daddy.’” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association convention, San Francisco, Calif. (November 2010).

“Integrating Student Learning:  The Capstone Course in Communication.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 2009). 

“Lambda Pi Eta -- Reflecting on the Past and Envisioning the Future: A Fiver Year’s Out Panel.”  Spotlight panel on the future of the Lambda Pi Eta communication honor society. National Communication Association Convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 2009).

“The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Communication: Stability and Change from Our Early Beginnings to Five Years Out.” Spotlight panel on the future of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. National Communication Association Convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 2009).

“Service-Learning in Communication: The Impact of a Decades Work and Agenda for Five Years Out.” Spotlight panel on the future of Service Learning in Communication. National Communication Association Convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 2009).

“Media Bias: A Media Literacy Assignment.” Presentation delivered for the GIFTS (Great Ideas for Teachers of Speech) program at the annual Eastern Communication Association Convention, Philadelphia, Pa. (April 2009).

“Marriages, Partnerships and Commitments: Personal, Theoretical and Political Reflections.” Spotlight panel on non-normative relationships. National Communication Association Convention, San Diego, Calif. (November 2008).

“Freedom Fight or Fallacy: Political Cartoonists Imagine the Iraq War.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Boston, Mass. (November 2005).    

“Reaching out to the alternative press: the cartoons of the Washington Blade.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Miami, Fla. (November 2003).   

“Cartooning Catastrophe.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association Convention, New Orleans, La. (November 2002).      

“Fool or Fibber: Editorial cartoonists weigh in on the 2000 presidential elections.” Presentation delivered at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Seattle, Wash. (November 2000).

“Clintoons.” Media Forum Series. Presented with Robert Content at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 1999).

“The Ethics Speech.” Presentation delivered for the GIFTS (Great Ideas for Teachers of Speech) program at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 1999).

“Do ask, do tell: Editorial cartoonists weigh in on gays in the military.” Poster session at the annual Eastern Communication Association Convention, Saratoga, N.Y., (April 1998).                                                                                                   

“The re-creation of the Memphis Belle:  Historical uses of the documentary and docudrama.”  Presentation delivered at the annual Speech Communication Association Convention, San Diego, Calif. (November 1996).

“Get to know ya, Glad to know ya:  Exercises for the first and last day of the basic course.”  Presentation delivered for the GIFTS (Great Ideas for Teachers of Speech) program at the annual Speech Communication Association Convention, San Antonio, Texas. (November 1995).

“Political response advertisements as apologia: The commercial apologies of Mike Dukakis.:  Paper presented for the Mass Communication Division at the Southern Speech Communication Association Convention, New Orleans, La. (April 1995).

“100 Years of Editorial Cartooning: Two Cartoon ‘Auteurs’ Build Community.” Media Forum Series. Presented with Christine Marley at the annual Speech Communication Association Convention, New Orleans, La. (November 1994).

“Editorial cartoons: Contributions to consciousness and culture.” Media Forum Series. Presented with Christine Marley at the annual Speech Communication Association Convention, Miami, Fla. (November 1993).

“Political cartoons: Propaganda and Palaver.” Media Forum Series presentation with Christine Marley at the annual Speech Communication Association Convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 1992).

“A Symbolic Healing Occurred in Flint Today.” Paper presented at the annual Speech Communication Association Convention, Atlanta, Ga. (November 1991).

“CNN's first month of Gulf War coverage: A content analysis of hard versus soft news.” Paper presented with Joan Bedore, Beverley Dewitt and Garry Noggle at the annual Speech Communication Association Convention, Atlanta, Ga., (November 1991).

“Resistance to early change efforts: The AIDS tragedy.” Paper presented at the Sooner Communication Conference, Norman, Okla. (March 1991).

“Reconceptualizing the double bind: How males are receptive.” Paper presented at the annual Speech Communication Association Convention, Chicago, Ill. (November 1990).

“The Rhetoric of Ordinary People.” Paper presented at the Florida State Film and Literature Conference. Tallahassee, Fla. (May 1988).