Katherine Hawkins Named Dean of College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences

Dr. Katherine “Kate” Hawkins has been named dean of Radford University’s College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences. She currently serves as department chair,  graduate coordinator  and a professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Clemson University. Hawkins will begin her tenure at Radford University on June 1, 2011.

“Dr. Hawkins was chosen from a rich and competitive pool of applicants,” said Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Joe Scartelli. “Her proven success as a leader and a scholar made her the obvious choice for this position, and we all look forward to welcoming her to the RU family.”

Prior to joining Clemson, Hawkins held teaching and leadership positions at Wichita State University and Texas Tech University. 

In addition to a successful career as a teacher, she is a prolific scholar in the discipline of communication with numerous publications and presentations in the field. Hawkins’ teaching is focused in the areas of health communication, communication theory and research methods. Her research has investigated gender and women’s issues, and she has examined how various forms of media influence the choices young people make about their health.  Hawkins has worked extensively with the Kansas Health Foundation designing and evaluating health communication campaigns intended to improve the wellbeing of youth in Kansas.  

Her most recent research focuses on how the issue of childhood obesity is framed in the national press, as well as the implications such coverage has for public policy regarding children’s health.

Hawkins holds a Master of Arts degree and a Ph.D. in speech communication from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Virginia.