If you are a communications major at the University of Delaware, you were probably fortunate enough to have had Dr. Dannagal Young as a professor. Even if you haven’t enrolled in her classes, with stellar rate my professor reviews, her classes are worth looking into.
Her Campus had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Young and learn more about her career at our school.
Her Campus: What is your background in communications
Dannagal Young: Well I was actually a political science and French major for my undergrad and I studied communications for my PHD at the University of Pennsylvania.
HC: What is your current position at the University of Delaware?
DG: Associate Professor
HC: What is your favorite class to teach?
DG: Oh, you can’t do that to me! Mainly I teach three classes, a giant lecture hall, comm245 which is basically a giant circus and I love that. I teach comm452 which is persuasion which is teaching students how to change the world. Then comm418 is politics and entertainment which is my own area of research where I teach the stuff that is close to my heart because I’m researching it at the moment. I can’t answer the question, I love them all.
HC: What advice do you have for those in the communications field?
DG: Always be producing, do not wait until you have a job to to decide that you now have the opportunity to be productive. You guys are the experts in learning technology of today so actively use them and hone your skills. You don’t need a job to make cool videos and have a blog and be writing and producing. When you do those things outside the context of a job, the people who have jobs will find you.
HC: Good advice! Has anything funny or embarrassing ever happened to you while teaching?
DG: Well I have two kids so I receive many a phone call during class saying they have fevers and have to be picked up from school. Which is never ideal. Also, the day that I got the letter that I had won the University of Delaware Teaching Award, was right before I had walked into my big class and I got there crying and everyone thought I was so sad and I had called my husband to tell him about this so he called back during that class so I told my students “I want to take this call so I can tell him” and the 200 students were like “take the call!” so I answered the phone and was telling him I got this award and started crying again.
HC: What’s your favorite social media platform and why?
DG: They all have different functions but I prefer Facebook because if you set the privacy settings right you can really hone in on your audience. Twitter to me is like the wild west. You put something out there and anyone can read it, interpret it and let you know how they feel and start yelling at you.
HC: What is the best part about working at the University of Delaware?
DG: The people. First of all the students are magically kind, super friendly and they have so much gratitude. I’ve taught at other places and it was early in my career but at UD, the students are truly appreciative of what you’re there to give them. Also our faculty is so kind, warm and loving so I would say the people.