Veronica R. Dawson

I am a doctoral candidate in the Deparment of Communication at the University of Utah, specializing in organizational communication and identity representation in digital media contexts. I am also interested in the communicative constitution of organizational identity and the qualitative study of organizational member and stakeholder identification processes. Current research projects include: post-acquisition member identification as influenced by (discrepant) internal and external organizational image, the interactive co-construction of organizational identity online, and approaches to organizational identity in social media contexts. I have presented original communication research at national and regional conferences, including the National Communication Association, Organizational Communication Mini Conference, and Western States Communication Association. I have taught undergraduate and graduate level classes on topics of introduction to communication, interviewing and negotiation, and organizational communication. For the past two years I have also been working as a technology and science communication instructor in an interdisciplinary program headed by the Department of Communication and the College of Engineering at the University of Utah. I coach science and engineering students on the creation of effective professional presentations, engaging science posters, persuasive resumes and cover letters, and job interview preparation. Originally from Sofia, Bulgaria, I moved to Chicago, Illinois to continue my undergraduate education in communication and English at University of Illinois at Chicago. I obtained my M.A. in organizational and multicultural communication at DePaul University. Prior to beginning the doctoral program at University of Utah, I worked for years in sales and customer loyalty as an account representative for SPSS, Inc. and later, IBM. Outside of research and teaching I am passionate about the outdoors, long-distance running, swimming, skiing, kayaking, backpacking, and adventure travel. Visit my page at University of Utah to learn more about my research, teaching, and current projects.