Dr. Karen Anderson-Lain

Personal Bio:

Dr. Karen Anderson-Lain received her doctorate from University of Kansas in 2003 and her masters from Texas Tech University in 1999. Dr. Anderson-Lain joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2004 and left in 2012 to serve as Director of Academic Services with Academic Partnerships, LLC in Dallas. Dr. Anderson-Lain returned to the faculty full time as a Senior Lecturer and Basic Communication Course Director in fall 2015. Dr. Anderson-Lain was promoted to Principal Lecturer in 2017.

As Basic Communication Course Director Dr. Anderson-Lain coordinates the TA Training and Orientation. Dr. Anderson-Lain's commitment to mentoring new pedagogues is an important component of her teaching and research interests. Dr. Anderson-Lain has been awarded over $28,000 in grants and fellowships for her research on the Basic Communication Course (COMM 1010). Her work in this area has resulted in three peer-reviewed journal articles, publication of an interactive digital textbook, the development of the Communication in Action workbook, and ten conference presentations.

Additionally, Dr. Anderson-Lain coordinates Core and Program Assessment for the department. Dr. Anderson-Lain is a UNT Faculty Senator (2020-2023) and Co-Chair of the Committee on the Status of Women (2019-2021).

In 2015, Dr. Anderson-Lain was competitively selected as a Teachers on Teaching by the National Communication Association. In 2018, Dr. Anderson-Lain was awarded the UNT Foundation Outstanding Lecturer Award. This award is the university's highest honor for full-time lecturers.

Dr. Anderson-Lain and her partner, Dr. Brian Lain, have two children.

Teaching:

COMM 1010 Introduction to Communication

COMM 2020 Interpersonal Communication

COMM 3620 Intercultural Communication

COMM 4020: Communication Theory

COMM 4420 Relational Development

COMM 5085 Pedagogy & Communication (graduate)

Research Interests:

• Pedagogy and Communication: Service-learning and community engagement; assessment; critical pedagogy; popular culture pedagogy; narrative and pedagogy; online and blended learning
• Interpersonal & Health Communication: communication and aging; intergenerational communication; age-stereotypes; grandparent-grandchild relationships; media representations of aging; family communication

Selected Publications:

Lain, B., & Anderson-Lain, K. (in press). Demonstrating academic relevance and rigor: Linking the NCA Learning Outcomes in Communication to debate program assessment through portfolios. In D. Hample (Ed.) Local Theories of Argument: Selected Works from the 21st NCA/AGA Alta Conference on Argumentation.

Hammonds, K., & Anderson-Lain, K. (2020). The Batman comes to class: Popular culture as a tool for addressing reflexive pain. Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy, 7 (1). http://journaldialogue.org/issues/v7-issue-1/the-batman-comes-to-class/

Lain, B., & Anderson-Lain, K. (2020). Networking debate and civic engagement: Measuring the impact of high school debate camp. In C. Winkler (Ed.), Networking Argument: Selected Works from the 20th NCA/AFA Alta Conference on Argumentation.

Lain, B., Anderson, K., & Oliver, L. (2017). Making debate normal: Different audiences and debate's pedagogical mission. Contemporary Argumentation & Debate.

Anderson-Lain, K. (2017). Cultural identity forum: Enacting the self-awareness imperative in intercultural communication. Communication Teacher, 31, 131-136. doi:10.1080/17404622.2017.1314529

Hammonds, K., & Anderson-Lain, K. (2016). A pedagogy of communion: Theorizing popular culture pedagogy. The Popular Culture Studies Journal, 4, 106-132. (Awarded the Michael T. Marsden Top Paper in Journal Award at Midwest PCA/ACA Annual Conference)

Waters, S., & Anderson-Lain, K. (2014). Assessing the student, faculty, and community partner in academic service-learning: An analysis of internet campus compact member surveys. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 18, 89-122.

Anderson, K., & Brown Deel, R. (2012). Drawing connections: Exploring the role of learner-to-learner immediacy in online classrooms. International Journal of Learning: Annual Review, 19, 47-60. (Funded by QEP II Grant)

Anderson, K., & May, F. A. (2010). Does the method of instruction matter?: An experimental look at information literacy retention in the online and blended classrooms. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 36, 495-500. (Funded by Blended Learning Research Grant/ Selected as Library Instruction Round Table Top Twenty Library Instruction Articles of 2010)

Awards/Honors:

2018 Outstanding Lecturer Award, University of North Texas, University Foundation (highest level University Award a Lecturer can receive at UNT)

2018 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching- Finalist, College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences (CLASS) Advisory Board Awards, University of North Texas

2018 Distinguished Connect Partner Award, University of North Texas, Career Connect

2017 Top Paper in Argumentation & Forensics Division at National Communication Association (NCA) Convention, Dallas, Texas. (Paper co-authored with Brian Lain and Laura Oliver)

2016 Michael T. Marsden Paper Award from The Popular Culture Studies Journal (Paper co-authored with Kyle A. Hammonds)

2015 Teachers on Teaching, Honoree, National Communication Association

2012 Outstanding Teaching, Communication Organization of Graduate Students, Communication Studies Department, University of North Texas

2011 Top Paper in Instructional Development Communication at National Communication Association (NCA) Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Paper co-authored with Christine Keller)

2011 Library Instruction Round Table Top Twenty Library Instruction Articles of 2010 (Paper co-authored with Frances May)

2010 Media Partner Award for development of "Faces of Arthritis" PSA, North Texas Arthritis Foundation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QalNSrYKJ_U)

2010 Outstanding Teaching, Communication Organization of Graduate Students, Communication Studies Department, University of North Texas