Mark Congdon Jr. comes to UNT from the University of Maine as a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Communication and Journalism. He holds a M.A. (2013) in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Mark is also a former special education teacher and has worked with various community engaged projects aimed at increasing educational opportunities for students considered at-risk. His scholarship and pedagogy explore innovative teaching and learning practices that increase the civic engagement and career readiness of students by using a social entrepreneurship education model with a critical communication pedagogy. Mark's academic work has been published in Communication Education, The Qualitative Report, and Partnerships: A Journal of Service-Learning & Civic Engagement, among others. Outside of teaching and research, Mark loves to cook, perform karaoke, and travel, especially to the beach. He is excited to be a part of the "Mean Green" team, and looks forward to working with UNT's students.