Dr. Sara Frank Named Associate Professor of Communication at McKendree University
LEBANON, Ill. (07/29/2021) — McKendree University is proud to announce the recent promotion of Sara (Trask) Frank '05, Ph.D., to associate professor of communication in the University's Division of Humanities. While Frank has been working at the University for three years, she has called McKendree home for far longer as an alumna.
"When I began my journey to obtain my PhD, my dream was to return to the place that made such a lasting impact on my life. To not only be able to return to McKendree but also earn tenure and promotion has meant more to me than words can describe," said Frank. "I am committed to the mission of this institution and look forward to my future at McKendree!"
Frank teaches a variety of topics, including fundamentals of communication, public speaking, nonverbal communication, gender and communication, persuasion and University 101. She has authored many publications, book chapters and conference papers, including a 2019 publication titled "Deceptive affection across relational contexts: A group comparison of romantic relationships, cross-sex friendships, and friends with benefits," which was published in Communication Research. She has presented at numerous conference panels, most recently at the 2021 Eastern Communication Association Annual Conference in the Interpersonal Communication Division, in which she presented "Resiliently Fighting Against Social Injustice: A Round Table Discussion on How Interpersonal Communication Professors Can Take a Stand" via Zoom and at the 2020 Focus on Teaching and Technology Conference, in which she presented "Quarenteaching: What the lockdown taught us about technology and teaching" via Zoom.
Frank has also served McKendree in many areas, including mentorship and university service. She is a member of the University's Academic Integrity Committee, the College of Arts and Science Steering Committee, the COVID Response Team, the Faculty Internship Advisory Board, SLATE and SLATE Effective Communication Sub-Committee. She served as the chair for the Intellectual Climate Committee from 2019 to 2020 and for the Publications and Broadcast Advisory Committee from 2020 to 2021.
A member of The National Communication Association, Phi Kappa Phi and her local school district's PTO, Frank enjoys watching anything that revolves around sports, especially watching her son play ball.
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