Although we may be limited in our interactions, we definitely do not want to be strangers. Our Meet the Department series hopes to introduce you to our faculty and staff that support our undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Communication.

Meet: Dr. Kristen Okamoto

The next faculty member we would like to introduce you to is Dr. Kristen Okamoto, Assistant Professor, and researcher in the Department of Communication.

Dr. Okamoto’s first passion is teaching. When she got her masters, with the idea of wanting to teach non traditional students. Since then, she has developed a passion for research which led her to earn her doctorate. 

Dr. Okamoto’s goal is not to teach her students a specific skill, but instead to teach them how to think. To do so, she uses class discussion as opposed to long lectures which keep her students engaged in the classroom.

Learn more about Dr. Okamoto and her teaching expertise below!

Although we may be limited in our interactions, we definitely do not want to be strangers. Our Meet the Department series hopes to introduce you to our faculty and staff that support our undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Communication

Meet: Professor Lindsey Dixon

The next faculty member we would like to introduce you to is Senior Lecturer and Debate Team coach, Professor Lindsey Dixon.

Professor Dixon enjoys maintaining an interactive classroom environment by incorporating group discussion and debate into her instructional methods. She believes the best communicators are adaptable. Through teaching her students persuasion, she hopes to build their public speaking skills, their debate skills, and their deductive reasoning skills. 

As the Debate Team coach here at Clemson, Professor Dixon serves as a great resource and supporter of her students. When she is not traveling or coaching the team, she creates workshops for students around the world to develop their argumentation on topics such as civil discourse and civil discussion. 

While one of Professor Dixon’s favorite things about Clemson is the lake, she also enjoys the overall small-town atmosphere because it reminds her of where she grew up. Her advice for Clemson students is to figure what you love and go All In! 

Learn more about Professor Dixon and her experiences at Clemson below.

On behalf of the Communication Department, we would like to welcome you all back to Clemson and hope you had a safe and restful holiday break! We are also welcoming back our two fantastic interns, Bridget and Pepper. Bridget and Pepper are returning for their third and second semesters, respectively, under the guidance of Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Lori Pindar, Ph.D. Both interns are excited to get back to virtually engaging with department faculty, staff, and students! 

See below to learn about Bridget Kane and Pepper Kolman and how they have adjusted to their new virtual/ hybrid lives.

Bridget Kane 

My name is Bridget Kane and I am excited to continue working with Dr. Pindar and Pepper during my final semester at Clemson. This internship has helped me develop skills that will allow me to seamlessly transition into the workforce upon graduation. Specifically, over the past three semesters I have developed into a leader, sharpened my decision making skills, and enhanced my professional communication skills. I have greatly enjoyed engaging with department faculty, staff, and alumni and look forward to continuing to do so this semester. 

Transitioning from a social and outgoing person to one who spends most of my time behind a computer screen, has not been the easiest, especially as a Student-Athlete at Clemson. The interviews I have conducted with faculty, staff, and alumni were a much needed source of social interaction and I greatly enjoyed getting to know, and equally as importantly laughing with, these individuals via Zoom. Thankfully, after 7 months of the pandemic and the understanding of social distancing and mask wearing, I have been able to return to a life that is starting to resemble normalcy. Although I still take most of my classes from my bedroom, I have returned to rowing practice and interacting with friends in a safe manner. As more and more people are starting to get vaccines and my May graduation slowly approaches, I am hopeful for what the future holds and where my Tiger Pride will take me!

Pepper Kolman

My name is Pepper Kolman, and I am so excited to be returning as an intern for the Department of Communication. It was truly a pleasure to work with Bridget and Dr. Pindar last fall, and I can’t wait to see what is to come this Spring. I think my favorite part of this internship so far has been engaging with faculty and staff in the department. In addition, I have appreciated the opportunity to further develop my communication skills and fine tune my coachability. 

As someone who is comfortable spending most of my time at home, one challenge I have faced these past few months has been remembering to venture out and stay social. While meeting over Zoom is not the same as meeting in person, I have greatly valued getting to know Dr. Pindar and other faculty members during our interviews. I am also on the women’s rowing team here at Clemson, and seeing my teammates each morning is becoming a highlight of my day. If you happen to see bow lights dancing across Lake Hartwell at 6am, it is probably us. Even though I have another year here at Clemson, it is quickly dawning on me how fast this time truly passes. I am not yet done writing my story here at Clemson, but I am so grateful to continue being an adjunct part of this department.