About our authors
Steven A. Beebe is Regents' and University Distinguished Professor emeritus at Texas State University. He served as Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at Texas State for 28 years and concurrently as Associate Dean for 25 years. Steve is the author or co-author of 14 widely used communication books, most of which have been through multiple editions (including Russian and Chinese editions), as well as numerous articles, book chapters and conference presentations. He has been a Visiting Scholar at both Oxford University and Cambridge University in England. He made international headlines when conducting research at Oxford; he discovered a manuscript that was the partial opening chapter of a book that was to be co-authored with J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis called Language and Human Nature. Steve's book, C. S. Lewis and the Craft of Communication, chronicles the discovery of and identifies Lewis's contributions to communication. Steve has travelled widely in Europe and Asia, and has played a leadership role in establishing new communication curricula in Russian universities. He has received his university's highest awards for research and twice for service, has been recognized as Honors Professor of the year, received the Texas State Everette Swinney Excellence in Teaching Award twice, was designated a Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, and was named Outstanding Communication Professor by the National Speaker's Association. In 2013 he served as President of the National Communication Association. His passions include his family and a lifelong love of music; he is a pianist and organist and a struggling cellist.
Susan J. Beebe's professional interests and expertise encompass both oral and written communication. Sue has co-authored 3 books and has published a number of articles and teaching materials in both English and communication studies. She has received the Texas State University Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching and in Service and the College of Liberal Arts Awards for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, in Teaching, and in Service. After serving as Director of Lower-Division Studies in English for 11 years, Sue retired in 2014 from the Department of English at Texas State. An active volunteer in the community of San Marcos, Texas, Sue was the founding coordinator of the San Marcos Volunteers in Public Schools Program and has served on the San Marcos School Board, the Education Foundation Board and the Lifelong Learning Advisory Committee. The Texas Classroom Teachers' Association has honored Sue with the statewide Friend of Education award, and the San Marcos school district has presented her with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Sue enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her family. Sue and Steve have two sons: Mark, a senior marketing manager for a Dallas security technology company; and Matt, a middle school teacher in Austin.
Diana K. Ivy, Ph.D., has been a Professor of Communication for nearly 40 years, 27 of which have been spent at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in nonverbal, interpersonal, and gender communication, in addition to a new course entitled Communication and Sexuality. Her master's degree and Ph.D. in communication are from the University of Oklahoma; her Bachelor's degree is in speech and theatre from Texas Wesleyan University in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. Her first faculty appointment was at Texas State University, where Steve Beebe hired her as Basic Course Director. Ivy is author/co-author of 3 communication textbooks (GenderSpeak, 6th Edition; Nonverbal Communication for a Lifetime, 3rd Edition; Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 8th Edition) and a book chapter entitled "College Students' Sexual Safety: The Verbal and Nonverbal Communication of Consent," included in Contemporary Studies of Sexuality and Communication. She has published articles in Communication Education, Southern Communication Journal and Women & Language and has held multiple offices in the National Communication Association and Western States Communication Association. In 2012 she received NCA's Teachers on Teaching distinction. She has served as Speaker of the TAMUCC Faculty Senate; Director of the university's Women's Center for Education and Service; Internship Coordinator for the Department of Communication and Media; and President, current Board member, and singing member of the Corpus Christi Chorale. In 2006, she received both the College of Liberal Arts and the University's Outstanding Service Award. In 2002, she was named Gender Scholar of the Year by the Southern Communication Association. She also hosted a call-in radio show, "Call Me Ivy," and has pursued post-doctoral coursework at Oxford University, studying C. S. Lewis and communication. She was granted a sabbatical for the academic year of 2015 to 2016, with a research focus on the communication of consent in sexual settings. Her sabbatical projects included guest teaching, presentations and interviews with faculty and staff associated with student sexual safety, both at U.S. and Australian universities. Her primary non-academic interests include choral singing and making floral creations from a studio in her home, using unique materials such as antlers, feathers, berries, seashells and other natural materials found in the South Texas area.
