Meet the Author: Douglas M. Fraleigh

[juliabartz]

Douglas M. Fraleigh is a professor and chair of the Department of Communication at California State University, Fresno. He is the co-author of Speak Up: An Illustrated Guide to Public Speaking, 3e.

Q: What courses are you teaching this semester?

DF: I just finished two sections of public speaking for our Honors College this spring and I am teaching Persuasion to our majors this summer.

Q: What advice do you give your students who have public speaking anxiety or general communication apprehension?

DF: Believe in yourself; I can't wait for you to share your ideas with our class.

Q: What has been your favorite course to teach and why?

DF: Freedom of Speech, because it is essential for society (and it was my favorite course as an undergraduate).

Q: What advice do you have for other instructors who teach this course?

DF: Help and encourage students to apply the principles they are learning to the many free speech issues confronting society today.

Q: What are some of your research interests?

DF: Freedom of Speech, Argumentation, Public Advocacy.

Q: If you could create (and teach) a brand new course for your department, what would it be?

DF: Evolutionary Psychology and Communication or Sports Communication.

Q: What do you think is one of the biggest challenges students face now when they enter college?

DF: Balancing the greater academic workload that college entails with other life obligations (especially work).

Q: What motivates you to continue teaching? 

DF: I really enjoy going to class and working with our students and sharing my passion for the subjects that I teach.

On a personal note...

Q: How do you spend your time when you're not teaching?

DF: Running (5k, 10k, half-marathons); spending time with my family (especially sporting events, plays, and our family fantasy football league); walking and hanging out with our dogs, Dawson and McCarthy; reading.

Q: If you hadn't pursued a career in higher education, what career path do you think you would have chosen?

DF: Civil rights/civil liberties attorney.

Q: What was the last book you read?

DF: I'm reading Hamilton right now.  Can't wait to see the musical when it comes to Cali.

Q: Where is one place you want to travel to, but have never been?

DF: The Andes.

Q: When you sit down to listen to music, which artists or genres do you go to most?

DF: Alt Nation XM36.  Love the Hamilton Soundtrack too.

Q: What is something you want to learn in the next year (communication-related or otherwise)?

DF: I'm very interested in Evolutionary Psychology and I'm trying to incorporate it into my teaching more.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to learn about you (i.e., What's your "fun fact")?

DF: I dance when students' phones go off in class.