Nora Radway-Moore
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Nora Radway-Moore, did not immediately know what she wanted to study or do once she graduated.
In college, she “was placed in a public speaking class which felt like a nightmare for me,” she said.
Though by the end of that semester, things had gotten more comfortable. She took more communication courses and soon became a communication major.
Communication “just clicked in my head and brings together a lot of what I find interesting academically like psychology, sociology, and I like that with Communication, you really learn and practice practical life skills,” said Radway-Moore.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Radway-Moore went on to teach at the University of Kentucky as a Master’s student and at West Virginia University as a Ph.D. student.
At Western Carolina University, Radway-Moore enjoys teaching COMM 201: Foundations of Communication. She likes how each day of class is different and fun.
“Introduction speeches gave students a chance to practice public speaking and get to know each other better. The speeches led to some fun conversations about bear hunting, tattoos, cool things about WCU, and so much more,” said Radway-Moore.
In her classes, students should also expect to be challenged to see common parts of life from different perspectives,” she said.
They recently covered verbal communication, in which they discussed how much of an impact words can have if not much thought is applied.
Moving forward, Radway-Moore is “really looking forward to teaching smaller courses again and getting to have more interaction with students and facilitating more interaction between students.”
Grace Cheshire
Grace Cheshire, was born in Sylva and raised in Andrews, North Carolina.She has most recently worked at Tri-County Community College in Murphy, North Carolina as a staff member and as an adjunct for their Communication department.
After seven years at the Tri-County Community College, Cheshire left for Western Carolina University and is so far enjoying her time here.
“The most memorable thing so far for me has to be attending the opening U-Club meeting for faculty and staff at WCU–I got to catch up with others I know on campus and make new friends, which is always fun! I love having these opportunities to build community at a new place,” said Cheshire.
At Western, Cheshire is teaching COMM 201: Foundations of Communication, where she focuses on three learning objectives regarding communicating. These objectives include students’ critical awareness, thinking, and consciousness around communication. To convey these objectives, she teaches using small groups, short lectures, facilitating class discussions, and conducting various activities.
Cheshire also strives to model vulnerability so that her students are well aware that they have a safe space in her classroom to be and speak on course concepts.
Her draw to communication came from high school when she took her first communication course. An instructor who developed into a mentor and then a friend was a significant cause of this draw.
“I’ve always been drawn to how and why we communicate when we do, especially through the lens of digital culture. Ultimately, I love communication so much because it’s about one of the oldest and most beloved traditions in humanity—stories. We communicate our own stories and learn from the stories of others. Communication is the bedrock of society, and studying this field offers such a rich and deep tapestry to explore. There really is an area for everyone within the subject, which makes communication a lucrative and endlessly interesting area of study,” said Cheshire.
Moving forward, she is “really excited for more opportunities to connect and do scholarship and research with others at WCU,” said Cheshire.
Cheshire also looks forward to guiding and facilitating the learning because she attributes much of her learning to happen from students.
Gabriel Wisniewski-Parks
Gabriel Wisniewski-Parks is originally from Jackson, Mississippi. Before moving to Waynesville, North Carolina, he taught the introductory communication course at UNC Greensboro for two years.
When he was in college, a passionate public-speaking professor convinced him to become a teacher and go into communication studies. However, before becoming a communication professor, Wisniewski-Parks was always interested in people and the power of having a good conversation.
“When I was younger, I was frequently that friend who you could call and talk to at 2 a.m. about a hard problem, or just about life in general,” he said.
Wisnewski-Parks has enjoyed his first few weeks at WCU while teaching COMM 201: Foundations of Communication. The primary learning objectives are for students to understand their own identities and how recognizing common misconceptions about communication is valuable to achieve personal and professional goals.
Wisnewski-Parks describes his teaching style as dialogic because his classes are heavily built on discussions. The most memorable moment for him was when he asked his students for their thoughts on whether ‘liking’ social media posts counts as ‘free speech.’
“The discussion with my students went far better than I anticipated,” he said. “It was exciting to have students constructively sharing so many opinions and observations,” said Wisniewski-Parks.
Apart from class discussions, students can expect to participate in group exercises and analyze communication concepts through media to write reflections and speeches. The class will also expand their understanding of the reach of communication across various contexts of their lives.
During class, he enjoys asking students what their thoughts are because he wants his students to feel motivated to keep thinking for themselves.
“My main mission is to encourage students to feel confident when communicating,” said Wisniewski-Parks. “As well as thinking about how communication can help us better understand and transcend the many social and political divisions that plague society.”
Kelsea Schoenbauer
Kelsea Schoenbauer is originally from Minnesota, where she got a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Concordia College. Schoenbauer then pursued a master’s degree in Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she also taught for two years. After this, she earned a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Denver, where she studied interpersonal and family communication with a secondary emphasis on health communication and taught for three more years.
At WCU, Schoenbauer teaches three sections of COMM 301: Interpersonal Communication.
Schoenbauer looks forward to working with and investing in the students and community.
“For me, teaching isn’t a purely academic endeavor. It’s equally relational, emotional, social, etc. So, taking time to interact with students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to listen to their stories,” she said.
Beyond teaching, Schoenbauer is looking forward to continuing her endeavors of scholarship, which involve a visual and creative display of her research findings to educate the community about women’s eating disorders.
“I plan to reflect the counter-narratives identified in my dissertation project during data analysis through an artistic (re)construction of life-sized female mannequins,” Schoenbauer added.
Schoenbauer is thrilled to be at WCU and wants students to grow through engagement and continuous learning.