Alumni Profiles

Anthony Galvez, Ph.D.

Dr. Galvez is currently working as an associate professor in the Communication department at Rhode Island College (RIC). He is the former chair to the department and the former co-chair of the RIC Dialogue on Diversity committee. He has worked on multiple important projects including the Central Falls Innovation Lab, Global Lens Film series, and Rhode Island College Hope scholarship; all of which focus on diversity and inclusion both at the college, and in the local community. 

He has published work looking at accessibility in digital workspaces and pedogeological strategies for implementing accessibility standards in higher education. He is an advocate for student success and inclusion. As faculty advisor to the Anchor newspaper, he encourages young journalists to consider covering news and events that reflect the diversity of Rhode Island College. Dr. Galvez teaches multimedia and journalism courses, but his true passion is working with incoming students in the First Year Seminar (FYS). His FYS course focuses on entertainment-education and is meant to introduce students to various learning styles, while also helping them understand the importance education in their lives and the impact it has on society. 

“Because of the work I was a part of while an active member of the Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic and International Communication, I now find myself in a position to take on leadership roles in Rhode Island. Thanks to the many lessons learned while working with HIHIC, I've been able to work with many great people to promote ideas that I am very passionate about. I certainly hope that HIHIC continues to play an important role in the TTU MCOM curriculum.”

Nancy Garcia, M.A.

Nancy Garcia is an assistant professor of media communication in the Department of Communication at West Texas A&M University and the adviser of the campus digital newspaper, The Prairie News. Garcia believes that her involvement with the Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic and International Communication as a graduate student helped her gain a greater understanding of the use of academic research to inform practices in healthcare, marketing, and intercultural communication with Hispanic audiences in mind. Most importantly, the knowledge gained through academic research and community interactions facilitated by HIHIC built the foundation for her current academic, intellectual, and professional contributions.

Garcia's areas of interest include intercultural communication, media communication and journalism pedagogy, first-generation and Hispanic/Latino/a/x student success and motivation, mentoring, and university teaching experiences. Her research has been published in journals like Communication Studies, Communication Teacher, and Journal of Latinos and Education. She is passionate about improving education opportunities, building equitable higher education environments for Hispanic/Latino/a/x and first-generation students, and programming and academic engagement to advance the efforts of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Her teaching practices focus on intentional experiential learning opportunities that develop key professional competencies for solutions journalism and community journalism. 

Garcia, a first-generation student and Mexican immigrant, earned an M.A. in Mass Communications and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Texas Tech University. She is a member of the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE), the National Association of Hispanics in Journalism (NAHJ), the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the College Media Association (CMA).

Dane Kiambi, Ph.D.

Dane Kiambi, Ph.D. (Texas Tech University, 2013) is an Associate Professor of Public Relations at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

With over eight years of combined professional experience in public relations and journalism, Dr. Kiambi teaches a wide range of courses among them strategy development for advertising and public relations, PR campaigns, communication research methods, media ethics, crisis communication, and international/multicultural PR.

Driven by his deep passion for teaching, research, and mentorship, Dr. Kiambi is a firm advocate of the transformative potential of strategic communication and storytelling in driving societal change.

Dr. Kiambi's unwavering commitment to teaching is exemplified by the remarkable success he has cultivated in his students, notably guiding a team from UNL to a first-place finish nationally in the prestigious Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Bateman Case Study Competition, 2022. This triumph in PRSSA's preeminent national case study challenge illuminates Dr. Kiambi's commitment to cultivating brilliance and achievement within his students.

Dr. Kiambi's commitment to offering high-quality educational experiences to his students requires him to stay updated on industry trends.

In 2017, he was selected as a Plank Educator Fellow, a prestigious two-week summer fellowship that allows PR educators to gain hands-on experience in major organizations. Dr. Kiambi was fortunate to be placed with the communications department at General Motors in Detroit where he learned a great deal about the evolving nature of applied research and how GM utilizes research insights in strategic communication efforts.

Driven by his commitment to mentorship and community service, Dr. Kiambi derives tremendous satisfaction from witnessing his students' achievements both in college and after graduation. Simultaneously, he finds great fulfillment in offering consultation to local nonprofit organizations, specifically focusing on how strategic public relations can effectively contribute to their overarching goals and objectives.

Dr. Kiambi's research, which focuses on international public relations, public diplomacy, and public affairs, won the Ecquid Novi African Journalism Studies Best Paper Award in the International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) held in Montreal in 2014.

He has published in peer-reviewed journals such as Mass Communication & Society, Public Relations Review, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Journalism, and the Journal of Communication Management.