Interpersonal Communication
Overview
An interest area
John Gray, Ph.D., wrote the book “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus,” and his observation made it one of the top-selling works of nonfiction in the 1990s. The well-known differences in how men and women communicate are among many areas you will examine as part of the Interpersonal Communication interest area.
Understanding how we relate to each other – on the job, with our co-workers and bosses, and in our personal lives – is an important tool in achieving long-term goals. Through the Interpersonal Communication interest area, you learn how to listen, interpret body language, resolve conflicts, and how to relate to people from different cultures, genders, personalities, and backgrounds.
Future careers, post-grad opportunities
Communication skills are fundamental to any successful career. Many of our graduates go on to work in areas specific to facilitating communication, such as human resource management, labor relations, and conflict negotiation.
PASSIONATE ABOUT TEACHING
Wendy Samter, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Communication
Samter, who holds a Ph.D. in Interpersonal Communication from Purdue, was instrumental in developing Bryant’s communication program. She is the editor of Communication Research Reports . Her recent studies explore communication strategies for youngsters in the local foster care system as they are adopted or reunified with their families.
Samter has received awards for excellence in teaching as well as for her work with campus media organizations and Hillel.
“My students would say that I’m passionate about the subjects I teach and that I challenge them to see the world of communication from different perspectives,” she says.
THE PERFECT FIT
Delia Glover ’09
Currently: New Balance
In 2009, Glover parlayed her classroom skills and leadership abilities as captain of the volleyball and lacrosse teams into a job at Hanover Insurance. With a professor’s help, she also landed a gig as a field reporter for Nike.
Today, she’s an assistant product manager for Warrior Apparel at New Balance.
“Once you’re an athlete, you’re always an athlete, and the successful ones continue to compete in new ways, in new sports, and in life,” blogged Glover. “Maybe I’m not CEO material just yet, but all the values I learned over the years at Bryant have prepared me for life.”
COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Steven Proulx ’05
Currently: Travelers
Proulx was recently appointed market research analyst at Travelers in Hartford, CT. Prior to that, he was a research associate at MIT’s AgeLab, which designs technologies to improve people’s health and quality of life as they age. Proulx conducted qualitative and quantitative market research and created marketing materials for digital space and print. He also interacted daily with researchers, business partners, universities, and the aging community.
“Interpersonal communication is critical in today's work environment,” he says. “Understanding how people behave and relate to one another helps you to successfully communicate thoughts, ideas, and feelings to target audiences.”
