Dr. Leonard is the quintessential guy. He's intelligent, well-rounded, funny, professional, athletic, compassionate; and he's my mentor/professor/friend/brother. Read a little about his journey in life so far and see why he's the perfect person to discuss interpersonal growth and development through the lens of the This I Believe essays by Jay Allison.
Dr. Robert G. Leonard-- Associate Professor of Communication
I graduated from Kettering Fairmont High School. Immediately after high school I began my formal education at Wright State University where I earned a B.A. in Communication (Go Raiders!) It was at WSU where I fell in love with the field of communication and began teaching communication at the college level. While pursuing my B.A. at Wright State I was also able to study in both Japan and Brazil, work with the Leadership Development program.
After graduating from Wright State University I moved to Orono, Maine to attend graduate school at the University of Maine. As I was preparing to graduate from Maine, Wright State University had a full-time position open in the Communication Department. I applied for the position, was hired, and subsequently moved back to Dayton, Ohio as a full-time Instructor of Communication at Wright State University.
While teaching full-time at Wright State University, I began teaching part-time at Sinclair Community College. While teaching at Sinclair Community College, I was bitten by the American Sign Language bug. I began taking courses in ASL and ended up earning an A.A. in Manual Communication along with a Certificate of Deaf Studies. I still maintain my knowledge of deaf culture and American Sign Language and refer to both regularly in my courses.
After teaching at Wright State University for four years, I knew it was time to move on and pursue more education. I applied and was accepted to The University of Utah's doctoral program in Communication. So, I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in pursuit of my Ph.D. in Communication.
Ohio seems to have some magnetic pull to it. As I was nearing the completion of my Ph.D. at The University of Utah, I learned that Sinclair Community College was hiring a full-time Professor in the Communication Department. I applied for the position, was hired, and once again moved back to Ohio. While I dearly miss the West, I am grateful to be back in Kettering, near my family, and in living in a good solid community. I am also excited to be at a nationally ranked community college that has been written-up in both the LA Times and the NY Times and has been referred to as the "Harvard of community colleges."
I have been fortunate to be honored by my peers for the work I have done in Communication and in my community in the following ways:
· 2014 Leadership Award, Ohio Diversity Council, 2014
· Outstanding Alumni, Department of Communication, Wright State University, 2013
· Master Teacher, Western States Communication Association, Communication and Instruction Interest Group, 2013
· Community College Outstanding Educator, National Communication Association, 2012
· National Teaching Excellence Award, University of Texas, 2010
On a more personal note, in my free time I like to spend time with my family and friends over a good dinner and/or glass of wine. I have season tickets to theatre, baseball and basketball – so each season I’m watching something on a stage, field or court. I enjoy outdoor concerts and have a wide array of musical interests. If the weather is nice I prefer to be outside – running or at a concert or on the golf course. In the fall and winter I can be found inside at the gym or the bowling alley where I bowl on a league and travel to tournaments on weekends. At this time, I am preparing for my 20th half marathon which I will run in Indianapolis in November of 2015.
*I completed my A.A. at Sinclair Community College after I had received my M.A. and was back in Ohio teaching at WSU and at SCC.
Dr. Robert G. Leonard-- Associate Professor of Communication
- A.A., Manual Communication, Sinclair Community College*
- B.A., Communication, Wright State University
- M.A., Communication, University of Maine
- Ph.D., Communication, University of Utah
I graduated from Kettering Fairmont High School. Immediately after high school I began my formal education at Wright State University where I earned a B.A. in Communication (Go Raiders!) It was at WSU where I fell in love with the field of communication and began teaching communication at the college level. While pursuing my B.A. at Wright State I was also able to study in both Japan and Brazil, work with the Leadership Development program.
After graduating from Wright State University I moved to Orono, Maine to attend graduate school at the University of Maine. As I was preparing to graduate from Maine, Wright State University had a full-time position open in the Communication Department. I applied for the position, was hired, and subsequently moved back to Dayton, Ohio as a full-time Instructor of Communication at Wright State University.
While teaching full-time at Wright State University, I began teaching part-time at Sinclair Community College. While teaching at Sinclair Community College, I was bitten by the American Sign Language bug. I began taking courses in ASL and ended up earning an A.A. in Manual Communication along with a Certificate of Deaf Studies. I still maintain my knowledge of deaf culture and American Sign Language and refer to both regularly in my courses.
After teaching at Wright State University for four years, I knew it was time to move on and pursue more education. I applied and was accepted to The University of Utah's doctoral program in Communication. So, I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in pursuit of my Ph.D. in Communication.
Ohio seems to have some magnetic pull to it. As I was nearing the completion of my Ph.D. at The University of Utah, I learned that Sinclair Community College was hiring a full-time Professor in the Communication Department. I applied for the position, was hired, and once again moved back to Ohio. While I dearly miss the West, I am grateful to be back in Kettering, near my family, and in living in a good solid community. I am also excited to be at a nationally ranked community college that has been written-up in both the LA Times and the NY Times and has been referred to as the "Harvard of community colleges."
I have been fortunate to be honored by my peers for the work I have done in Communication and in my community in the following ways:
· 2014 Leadership Award, Ohio Diversity Council, 2014
· Outstanding Alumni, Department of Communication, Wright State University, 2013
· Master Teacher, Western States Communication Association, Communication and Instruction Interest Group, 2013
· Community College Outstanding Educator, National Communication Association, 2012
· National Teaching Excellence Award, University of Texas, 2010
On a more personal note, in my free time I like to spend time with my family and friends over a good dinner and/or glass of wine. I have season tickets to theatre, baseball and basketball – so each season I’m watching something on a stage, field or court. I enjoy outdoor concerts and have a wide array of musical interests. If the weather is nice I prefer to be outside – running or at a concert or on the golf course. In the fall and winter I can be found inside at the gym or the bowling alley where I bowl on a league and travel to tournaments on weekends. At this time, I am preparing for my 20th half marathon which I will run in Indianapolis in November of 2015.
*I completed my A.A. at Sinclair Community College after I had received my M.A. and was back in Ohio teaching at WSU and at SCC.