Faculty Bio
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Jamie McKown brings significant cultural and political perspective to the Department as a visiting professor for 2003-2005. As the former Executive Director of the Nebraska Democratic Party he has been involved in political campaign operations at all levels of government for over a decade. He has also served as a senior communications consultant, project manager, and research analyst for a number of nonprofit and private sector clients. He has made academic-related appearances on ABC News: Nightline, CNN Morning News, CNN Today, CNN Saturday Morning News, and the BBC. He currently volunteers as a political analyst for WCSC Channel 5 here in Charleston.

McKown will receive his Ph.D. (Communication Studies/Rhetoric) from Northwestern University in 2004. His dissertation is a critical analysis of Abraham Lincoln's Ohio speeches in the fall of 1859. Aside from historical rhetoric, he also is pursuing research interests in political communications and media theory, with specific grounding in rhetorical criticism and close textual analysis.

At Northwestern, McKown taught courses in Public Speaking, as well as Rhetorical Criticism. At Loyola University, he taught Public Speaking and Critical Thinking. At C of C, he teaches courses in communication theory, rhetoric, public address, american studies, and political campaign communication.

His research includes three recent conference presentations at the National Communication Association annual conventions. He is also especially active in the service sector, having received the Warren Aiken Outstanding Alumni Award from Emory University in 2000, and the State Chair Award from the Nebraska Democratic Party in 2003. As a debate instructor and the Director of Research at Emory from 1995-1998, he supervised field work with the Atlanta Urban Debate League, and directed workshops for area high school students as well. He also coached three different national championship collegiate debate teams in his three years at Emory. McKown received his master's degree in Communication Studies from Georgia State University in 1998 and his B.A. in Political Science from Emory University in 1995.