About Dr. Salem

Dr. Salem came to Texas State in 1974. He lives in Austin with his wife, Cookie, and two dogs. He has one daughter, two sons and seven grandchildren.

Dr. Salem has completed The Complexity of Human Communication (2009), a book describing the process and evolving nature of communication. He recently edited Organizational Communication and Change, a collection of papers from scholars attending conferences he directed in 1976 and in 1996. Dr. Salem has received awards for his work about communication and technology and is known for his work in educational administration, including Organizational Communication in Higher Education, published by AAHE. He directed a project funded by the Department of Education to develop a theory of organizational factors influencing the incorporation of new units into an organization. His consultant work focuses on organizational communication development and routinely assists clients in assessing and planning organizational communication.

He recently directed an independent study with three graduate students that led them all to present the results of their research at a conference in Italy. The Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication chose him to give the Dean's Seminar in the spring of 2009, and the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and Life Sciences chose him to present one of their keynote addresses in 2010.

Dr. Salem has delivered lectures and taught at several universities around the world. He recently taught two courses at the University of Vienna, and he spent part of last summer lecturing, training, and consulting at the Institute for Management, Business, and the Law at Rostov-on-the-Don, Russia. He was awarded a Fulbright Senior Specialist fellowship for 2007-2008.

Sample of Courses Taught

COMM 2315 Interpersonal Communication
An introduction to material exploring face-to-face communication and relational development. Emphasis on conceptual foundations, personal growth and skill enhancement. Prerequisite: COMM 1310

COMM 3319 Organizational Communication
Examines contemporary research about the influence of communication on the organization. Prepares the student to understand and manage communication processes in organizations. Prerequisite: 6 hours COMM.

COMM 3325 Communication and Conflict Management
Demonstrates the ways basic communication skills can be used to manage conflict. The class also provides an analytic framework for diagnosing conflict, negotiation, and mediation. Prerequisite: COMM 2315 or 2330.

COMM 4325 Communication and Technology
The course explores how various forms of telephony, computer use, computer mediated communication, and broadcast media affect interpersonal, organizational, political, and intercultural communication.

COMM 5318 Seminar in Interpersonal Communication
A review of current research in the area. Includes an examination of contemporary theories and research methods.

COMM 5319 Organizational Communication
Examines organizational communication theory and research in applied organizational contexts. Provides communication professionals with an analytical framework for assessing and improving communication.

COMM 5329B Communication and Negotiation
Examines theory, research, and practice of conflict management and negotiation.

COMM 5332 Seminar in Communication Technology
Focuses on research and theories about the relationships between technology and communication behavior in interpersonal, group, organizational contexts. Also considers relationships between communication, technology
and culture.