Reflections on attending the National Communication Association conference

by Dr. Laurie Diles 

As much as I love to travel, it isn’t always fun for me to take a trip alone to go to an academic convention with 5,000 colleagues. But it never takes long to get excited. This year on the plane, I happened to sit behind a colleague from Southern Methodist University — an academic friendship forged at the National Communication Association convention over the years. And the woman in the seat beside me was a Brazilian graduate student from Texas Tech University — on her way to the convention — perhaps a new academic friend with a shared heritage (I grew up in Brazil). And before I checked into the hotel, I saw another friend and former classmate from my graduate school days! So are conventions just a friend reunion? Not really, because our conversations are rich in our discipline. I learned about Luana’s research in media studies, Pui’s research in resilience and Carl’s teaching of immigrants in a small regional college. For three days I got to see my discipline from 30,000 feet — what is new in the field, how colleagues are approaching new challenges in higher education and new questions for scholarly inquiry. And I am reminded that I have brothers and sisters in Christ practicing our discipline in a way that integrates our faith.

This year, the convention planner (and rising association president) is a sister in Christ and one of my former students, Dr. Jeanetta Sims from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is being salt and light at the highest levels and is a reminder to me that our students often forge paths far beyond our own — one of the joys of teaching!

My path to NCA began in graduate school when my professors drove us from Abilene, Texas, to Louisville, Kentucky, for my first convention. My whole world was opened to the thrill of discovery — not just learning what was already known but discovering new knowledge. My eyes were also opened to the opportunities of collaborative work with others outside my rather insular world.

Over the years I have presented my own (and collaborative) research at NCA. And as I have gotten more involved, I’ve served in leadership roles in various divisions of NCA. The experience has enriched my teaching by exposing me to new research and by introducing me to researchers to bring back to my students and plant a seed that they too can be a part of the world of collaborative discovery of knowledge.