National Communication Association with Dr. Steven Beebe

Whether you’re a student, early-career professional, or established academic, the National Communication Association (NCA) conference offers unparalleled opportunities to connect with peers, share ideas, and grow as a communicator. In this episode, Dr. Steven Beebe shares his expertise on the importance of attending the NCA conference. A seasoned communication scholar and active participant in NCA events, Dr. Beebe unpacks how NCA serves as a hub for networking, professional development, and staying on top of the latest research and trends in the field. Tune in for tips on making the most of this essential event in the world of communication studies.

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Transcript

 Jen R. Lewis   1:00
 Welcome on into the Higher Education Podcast with Kendall Hunt Publishing.
 I am your host, Jen Lewis, and we are back for season 2 and I have a really, really exciting guest with me.
 I've got doctor Steven Beebe here and we are going to be talking all things communication and NCA. He's got a lot of titles, a lot of accomplishments. So I'm going to go ahead and let him introduce himself. Doctor Steven Beebe.
 Why don't you go ahead and let everybody know who you are and a little bit about your background?
Steven Beebe   1:45
 Well, Jen, it's so nice to visit with you today. You know, usually when I introduce myself, what I like to just simply say is I'm a speech teacher from Missouri, grew up on a farm in Missouri, but my formal title is I'm Regents and University distinguished Professor EM.
 Which again just means I'm old at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. I've been here.
 About 35 years.
 And before that, I spent 10 years at the University of Miami.
 As a faculty member there in the School of Communication so.
 But I'm delighted to chat with you today.
Jen R. Lewis   2:23
 Wonderful. Thank you so much for being on the podcast with me today.
 So a little back story for anyone listening.
 We've got the National Communication Association coming up, and when I thought about who I wanted to be on this episode, your name was tossed around and I looked you up and it was kind of like a cold call, right?
 I just sent you an e-mail and I was like, I would love to have you on the podcast and you were so welcoming with your e-mail and I appreciate it so much so.
 I think let's just dive on in and maybe let everybody know a little bit about kind of like your career.
 In communication, maybe a little about nca know you've had a lot of involvement with them, so anything you want to highlight before we kind of dive into the actual convention conversation.
Steven Beebe   3:04
 Oh, I'm. I'm happy to talk about those kinds of things.
 As I mentioned, I grew up on a farm in Missouri and I thought it was going to be a music teacher.
 My original.
 My first major was music.
 I play the piano and in college I studied classical pipe organ music.
 But I realized wanted to keep music as something.
Jen R. Lewis   3:21
 Wow.
Steven Beebe   3:24
 Not that I did for my work, but something for fun and I think there's a connection between.
 The performance of music and.
 Performance of communication, ideas and principles.
 So I switched to communication and continued my undergraduate degrees from today, known as the University of Central Missouri.
 My master's degree is from there as well, and I just continued straight through and went to the University of Missouri, Columbia for my doctorate in communication and then taught at the University of Miami.
 Actually my first job.
 I have a job between my doctorate and the University of Miami.
 My first job with my PhD in communication was selling mobile homes.
 I.
 Finished my doctorate.
 I was 25 years old and that year was difficult for finding position teaching positions in communication, and it came when I finished up in April or May and didn't have a job. And when I was working my way through college, I built factory, built mobile homes and.
 My wife Sue and I, during our doctoral studies years.
 Lived in a in a trailer, and so this fellow schools advertising for a trailer salesman, a mobile home salesman.
 I applied and it was actually an interesting job.
 It was a combination trailer sales and Turkey Hatchery.
 He had.
 He had a Turkey and duck hatchery and but he had his large pasture out fronts put on some, some out, some trailers, and needed somebody to sell them.
 So my first communication job was really applied communication, selling trailers and I got my first job.
 They they'd run out of money. The University of Miami, and I didn't have any money as a poor college student.
 So I didn't go to Miami at the University of Miami, but between sitting there in a trailer mobile home, taking orders for Turkey and duck eggs, I interviewed for the position at the University of Miami and tenure track position and was selected. So.
 Then I've been at Texas State.
 First known as Southwest Texas State, then Texas, then changed the name to Texas State.
 So that's my career from trailer salesman, Turkey Hatchery aficionado to communication professor.
 Who still plays the piano a little bit?
 So that's, that's my journey.
Jen R. Lewis   5:55
 Wow, I love asking everybody their story because you think careers are really interesting because not often do people end up in a career field that they choose.
 But I think people sometimes fall into stuff.
 I mean, there's intention behind what you choose to go to school for, but I don't think I ever was.
 Not my bingo card that you were involved with turkeys, so.
Steven Beebe   6:16
 Help.
Jen R. Lewis   6:16
 That's really interesting.
 But so let's back it up a little bit.
 So the purpose of this episode, as I mentioned, is to talk about NCA.
 It's in New Orleans this year.
 I'm very excited.
 I actually lived in Louisiana for about eight or nine years, so I'm excited to get back to the food.
 It's a little different than food up here in Iowa, so I'm very excited about that. And to meet everybody and have a wonderful convention.
 So let's talk about NCA, your involvement with NCA in the past, what that looked like and what it looks like now.
Steven Beebe   6:47
 Excited. I always enjoy our national conference.
 This one in particular, Jen, it's the 50th anniversary of me attending NCA conferences.
 The first one was speech communication association, when it was still called SCA. When I was a doctoral student at the University of Missouri and presented a paper. And like a lot of graduate students, we piled in a car and drove to Chicago and.
 And.
 Had no money and lived as cheaply as possible.
 But Chicago has great hot dogs.
 And so between hot dogs and I don't know how many can't remember, there may be five or six of us in that hotel room at the Palmer House.
 But, but I've been. I've gone to every convention except one and the first one I missed was my first year as an assistant professor at the University of Miami. Because.
 I focused on my dissertation.
 I didn't have a presentation at NCAA and I didn't have any money and.
 So that's the only one I've missed.
 I've gone to everyone since then and I really enjoy it.
 I too am looking forward to the collaboration conversation as well as the cuisine at New Orleans.
Jen R. Lewis   8:02
 And do I have this right?
 Were you president of NCA at one point?
Steven Beebe   8:06
 I was president of NCAA.
 My Presidency was in 2013.
 It's when I served as President, and those are typically four or five year commitments.
 You start as second Vice president and then first Vice President and President and immediate past President. And in those days, we were even before we were Second Vice President. There was sort of a year of training and observing.
 So it was about a five year commitment.
 It was a highlight of my academic career.
 I simply loved being involved.
 And still remember, as a doctoral student, sort of those who were in those leadership roles.
 Just they were the communication gods.
 Now I know.
 That definitely not.
 And that's not me.
 I was just thankful to be able to participate and I really enjoyed learning about NCA pulling back the curtain. As you say about.
 Publishing and.
 But also looking at the conventions and the association, it was a great joy.
Jen R. Lewis   9:13
 That's awesome.
 So what does it look like to be president of NCA?
 What are some of the responsibilities?
 I think that's really interesting.
Steven Beebe   9:22
 Well, there's the you lead the Legislative Assembly as president.
 So there's an actual applied leadership function. What I think I enjoyed the most every president gets to pick a project or a theme or something that he or she wants to focus on. I had a couple. My primary project was focusing on the basic communication course because.
 I just saw that as integral to the discipline.
 Most of us, that's how we enter the discipline in our graduate in our graduate programs.
 Teaching as teaching assistants and most of our majors find us in that course.
 So I called it the I used a metaphor that that some people still use.
 I call the basic course, or sometimes the introductory course.
 Is a better label for it.
 I call it our front porch course.
 It's the we enter the house.
Jen R. Lewis   10:16
 Mm hmm.
Steven Beebe   10:18
 It's the way we find our way home and I found that that was well received and my colleagues in the basic course division appreciated that and I really enjoyed making that mine.
 Listen, I continue to enjoy last year, the 10th anniversary of that program, there was a pre-conference where I appreciated talking about the 10 year perspective of the our front porch course. So that was great fun.
 My other emphasis was on internationalization of NCA.
 And it is a National Association, and that's primarily in the United States, but.
 I saw it as having applications internationally.
 There is the International Communication Association.
 So I didn't want to compete with ICA, but I thought there were things we could learn by broadening our horizons and learning about how we can teach communication for a broader perspective. I one of my hobbies was going to Russia. I had 15 trips to Russia in the.
 1990s and early 2000s, sharing curricula development in Russian universities and colleges on communication studies.
 And that was grand fun. So I wanted to bring.
 Some of that to NCA.
 I've had opportunities to be a visiting scholar at both Oxford University and Cambridge University and have given talks in South America and Europe and talked in some Asian universities.
 And I know what it did for me.
 It helped me see that this discipline of communication is.
 Bigger than ourselves and by thinking about the international perspectives of the principles and practices that we teach.
 I thought that could enhance the participation in NCAA and so those were my two projects and I really appreciated doing that.
Jen R. Lewis   12:14
 Yeah, that's great.
 So. you've attended NCA as you know just a up and coming professor maybe a newbie in communication fields all the way down to president of NCA.
 So I think something I want to know and maybe anyone listening wants to know is how central are these NCA conventions and conferences to, you know, communication research and you know developments in this discipline.
Steven Beebe   12:40
 I think it's vital.
 I think it's important.
 I think it's so important.
 I spent almost 3 decades as a department chair at Texas State and one of the programs that I initiated there.
 Usually, if you're presenting a paper at a national conference or a regional conference, you get some money for travel expenses.
 But I wanted any of our graduate students to have that opportunity. And so I propose that.
 For any graduate student, if you just wanted to attend, you could attend.
 One national conference a year and we would contribute to that.
 We would at least try to provide enough money for a plane ticket and if you collaborated with some others, maybe it helped a room as well.
 Some basic expenses to get you to NCA.
 And that's a program that I think still continues at Texas State, but it was so important to answer your question, Jen, that I wanted graduate students.
 Even without presenting a paper to.
 Experience the culture of collaboration, and again, this discipline is more than just what exists in our local departments or colleges or schools. We are connected nationally to a network of scholars and educators.
 So I think it's very important.
Jen R. Lewis   13:58
 So if you mentioned people may be presenting their papers or research which actually was great, tie into my next question.
 So some people just attend, right?
 And some people do present. What do you think are some of the greatest benefits of people who do present their research and engage with their peers at NCA?
Steven Beebe   14:17
 I think the benefit is in the name of our association, and that benefit is communication. When you present, yes, you're speaking and people are listening, but it's a chance for conversation.
 Most panels of programs have a respondent, so someone then shares with you perceptions about your work.
 You find people in the audience, you find other panels, other presenters.
 And so it's a chance.
 Being a scholar, being an academician is an individual.
 Sometimes lonely pursuit.
 We sit here in our computers and tap out our messages and someday hope somebody will read them, just as those of us who are textbook authors do the same thing. We tap out our words and hope someday it helps someone teach. But going there in person is no.
 Substitute for that. There's no substitute for being there and having that natural conversation and connecting with someone.
 That's what I enjoyed about the past 50 years and as long as I can, I'm looking forward to it in the future.
 No substitute for being present. One of the variables that I research in the area of instructional communication is immediacy, and that is the very nature of being close psychological closeness.
 Or I think there's a value in being physically in someone's presence to talk about important ideas, so you can't do. Yes, you can share information.
 One of the bumper stickers I teach about communication is information.
 Is not communication.
 Just giving someone information. It's only communication when there's some kind of response.
 Well, that's what you get to see.
 Yes, on zoom calls.
 And there are ways to have response, but it's more immediate. It's richer and just a lot more fun to have collaboration with individuals live and in person than it is just sharing information.
 Or texting or emailing or attaching a paper that we've written, but to have so have a conversation with someone about what.
 Our ideas and about what we do.
Jen R. Lewis   16:26
 Yeah, we talk a lot about that.
 Obviously I feel like you know my next question is gonna involve COVID and kind of the landscape of conventions, but we talk about that a lot in the office, right?
 We have some people who work in the fields and you know, businesses have kind of changed in the last couple years post COVID and I agree with you.
 There's just something about that in person synergy that you can't replicate as much as I love that you and I are able to connect virtually today.
 You know, I think I look forward to meeting you in person because it's a little bit different, right? So.
 That kind of leads me into my next question of, you know, COVID kind of changed things, right?
 So what did that look like for, for NCA? And do you think conventions, conferences have changed post COVID or do you think they're kind of back to what they were?
Steven Beebe   17:11
 You know, that's a very interesting and I'm not sure we can see the future.
 We do know that in businesses people kind of like staying home, working in their pajamas and but yet there is pressure from corporate America to say no, we want you back here.
 There's no substitute for being here together and collaborating.
 It's a little bit like the difference, but when I do when I used to do research in a library and there were physical libraries and you'd wonder the stacks.
 Sometimes you discover things serendipitously.
 Well, today that's less likely to happen.
 I search for a particular article or particular book and I can find it and have it either delivered or haven't sent electronically, but I think we missed that serendipitous fun and I think it is fun in that collaboration.
 So I hope that there's always the space for personal connections.
 Information alone is not communication.
 Yes, we can have responses virtually.
 Via video, but it's still not the same thing.
 It's not the same thing as. It's not as much fun.
 It's not.
 We don't have the same emotional responses.
 One of the things that I study is emotional response theory.
 It's just simply different to be in someone's presence than it is to have a phone call from them, or to even watch them on video.
 So I am optimistic that there will always be.
 A space for live and in person collaboration and our national conferences give.
 Each of us that opportunity for the serendipity for the I hadn't planned on this.
 Yes, I knew I was presenting my program at 8:30 on Thursday.
 But the conversation, the lunch meeting.
 The enchants meeting or finding something in the book exhibit.
 Gosh, I didn't know. Kendall Hunt published that.
 Isn't that interesting?
 Oh, let me find that.
Jen R. Lewis   19:03
 Mm hmm.
Steven Beebe   19:05
 I wouldn't have known if I hadn't have been there.
 So I'm optimistic that there'll still be a space.
 For live and in person immediate communication.
Jen R. Lewis   19:17
 Yeah, I agree.
 You know, I think one of the one of the main things I try to focus on is I try to put myself into somebody's shoes. Who's listening to this and what information they would want to know.
 So I want I wanted.
 I want you to dig back into your very first, you know, NCA.
 What advice would you give someone if they're attending? Maybe their first, second, third year? If they wanna make connections, you know, 'cause, it's so important to network and collaborate. You know, what are some things people can do to kind of, you know, immerse themselves in this NCA experience?
Steven Beebe   19:48
 Long time ago and I forget who gave me this advice, but I think it's pretty good advice and I'll be thinking about it when I go to New Orleans in a couple of weeks.
 Is that at any convention?
 You should at least try to accomplish these three goals. If you do all three of these things, it'll be a successful convention.
 And the three goals are #1 renew an old acquaintance.
 Meet someone that maybe you've met before, or someone that you went to school with.
 Or maybe one of your former students.
 But renew a that's number one.
 #2 meet someone new at every convention.
 Try to establish one relationship that enriches your teaching or research life.
 And so there's someone new to connect with and you can only do that best live in person.
 The third is try to come away with at least one useful practical idea. Whether it's an idea for your teaching or an idea for your research.
 Now usually we come away with a lot more and we go to several panels and we meet lots.
 But if we can achieve those three goals, I'll be thinking about that advice in a couple of weeks.
 Who can I see that I haven't seen in awhile?
 Who will I meet?
 That's new and can I learn something new?
 I'm retired and I no longer teach.
 I still write. I still research.
 I still speak.
 I still they no longer send me free textbooks, but I still buy them because I think those who write textbooks know something.
 And so I will purchase.
 Now I can't say I'm using this for my class, but I will buy it because I think here's someone who's learned something about. I just bought a new book about negotiation 'cause. I valued the author and valued what they had to say about it.
 So I still want to learn new things and so there's nothing like a convention to do that.
 So those are my 3:00.
 Things I think about, and I encourage other folks to think about that as well.
Jen R. Lewis   21:46
 It's really well said.
 Thank you.
 I think those are really tangible things people can do.
 So in speaking to your very first convention right, we're still kind of on this topic.
 What do you think is different from the first one to now?
 Maybe it's, you know, the way booths are set up.
 Maybe it's the way people engage with each other.
 Maybe it's, you know, how many people are presenting or how it's grown in numbers.
 What? What's the biggest difference from your first couple ones until now?
Steven Beebe   22:11
 Couple things come to mind, Jen.
 One is the nature of what's presented.
 I can remember going to panels or they were paper sessions and the leading researcher in that particular area was presenting his or her research for the very first time.
 It was a study that had yet been published, and I can remember that's when they used to bring stacks of papers. Typically, don't do that anymore.
 Maybe you get AQR code or.
 Reference or a website, but there used to be literal papers and you'd go up and grab a paper and there was an exciting here is the latest.
 Bit of research and idea. I don't see that as much anymore.
 I do see a lot more panel discussions where people are presenting ideas. There are still paper sessions and I even see people who still bring papers. Not many.
 Most are electronic these days, and that's just fine.
 So I so I see a difference in in the way research is presented.
 It may have something to do that when I first went there were only three NCA journals.
 Now there are 12 I think.
 Count is there are many more outlets for that scholarship.
 And there are many more electronic outlets.
 So the immediacy of having that research has changed, but it's still valuable to learn it and have a conversation with the leading scholars and educators in person.
 So I think that's changed the.
 As higher education publishing has changed, you certainly know that the exhibit hall looks a little different than it did 50 years ago.
 At least it does to me.
 Some publishers are finding their other ways to connect with potential adopters rather than the convention.
 I still love the convention, exhibit hall and love to usually Kendall Hunt has the most prominent booth as I come into the convention hall.
 And there it will be. And congratulations to Kimball Hunt for doing that.
 But I still enjoy that process.
 But that's changed a little bit as well. What hasn't changed?
 Are the richness of the conversations and the people I meet and those that I want to shake their hand or give them a hug and welcome them in person?
Jen R. Lewis   24:30
 Yeah, I mean, well, thank you for saying that.
 We definitely value.
 Conventions, especially NCA, there's always value in meeting people face to face and you know showcasing the products that we love that we believe in, right.
 That's why we have the booth.
 It's not only to meet new people when people kind of budding in their careers, but it's also to you know, to showcase what books we have that we think are great for in a different communication courses.
 So I meant to ask this earlier.
 So sorry to kind of bounce back to this question, but we were talking about research.
 Been talking about panels.
 Since you've kind of been behind the scenes with NCA, if somebody wanted to present an NCA, what does that look like?
 How do they get involved with that?
 How do they become part of a panel? So like logistically, what does that look like for them?
Steven Beebe   25:16
 Are lots of ways to do that.
 The primary way is to attend to the call for the next convention. Typically the last page of the convention program announces the theme for the next year and offers the deadline that all now happens electronically, and now it's used to be like February. Now it's March, late March.
Jen R. Lewis   25:26
 Play.
Steven Beebe   25:38
 When you submit your panel ideas or paper ideas?
 I see lots of people use the NCA, Comm notes.
 Sometimes I have an idea for a program.
 Anybody else interested in that?
 Often we use our own network of colleagues and friends.
 If you're a graduate student or new and one of how do I break into that?
 My suggestion would be to partner with someone who already has that experience and expertise. I simply love it when I have younger scholars approach me and say Steve, here's an idea. How do I go about implementing that?
 I am retired from teaching.
 What I miss most?
 Are simply that interaction with students. I get that at NCA and I really enjoy that.
 But I think you'll find.
 Most older senior scholars are really interested in that kind of collaboration.
 We're in the communication because we enjoy communication.
 So I think if you're interested in collaborating, I know I am and I know many others are as well.
 But look at that call.
 Look at the way it's submitted at the call for papers and panels and individual sessions.
 And that's the way you get in.
Jen R. Lewis   26:51
 Perfect. Yeah. I think that's really valuable. Thank you.
 Is there any other pre work people can do before NCA?
 Would you recommend or do you?
 Do you think they should show up and kind of let it unfold organically?
Steven Beebe   27:04
 What?
 I'm old enough to know that about this time of year we used to get the Sears catalog in preparation for Christmas and I love going through that catalog in preparation.
 Well, I'm old enough to remember that.
 An NCA, we used to get a hard copy of the program before the convention.
 Sometimes it would appear just a week or two before the Convention, but I remember sort of like the Sears catalog going through that convention program.
 What? Who? Where? What's my chart?
 What's my plan?
 Who am I going to see?
 Now that's online, you can.
 It's not a hard copy.
 You can get a hard copy at the conference, so the best thing to do is to plan prepare.
 That's online now.
 And that the NC as Convention website is very well organized.
 You can search it for people and programs ideas and search it if you're interested in instructional development or interpersonal communication or group communication training and development.
 Rhetorical studies, you can search it to find out who's speaking on those topics.
 You can search it by name.
 Maybe you're doing a paper whether you're an undergraduate or graduate student, and you can find the name of a scholar and go meet her or him.
 They would love to hear from you.
 They love that kind of collaboration.
 I know I do and I don't know of anyone who doesn't appreciate that so.
 Like the old Sears catalog before Christmas, spend some time looking through it and making your list of what you want to do.
 Check it twice and then plan accordingly.
Jen R. Lewis   28:36
 So funny how now I think about I have a four year old son and we get the Amazon catalog now.
 And so he sat down last week and was circling all the things he wants, and it reminded me of that.
 Honestly, it's so funny you say that because I'm like, man, how times have evolved going from like a Sears catalog to, you know, like the Marshalls one in Chicago to now the Amazon Prime catalog.
 So we talked about preparing for NCA.
 Is there anything important we should touch on with maybe post follow up NC as or anything anybody should be doing at?
 They leave NCA that you think carries some value.
Steven Beebe   29:12
 Yes. And again it's in the name of our association and that is communicate as you we used to I think some people still have business cards, many people don't anymore.
 That's sort of old fashion. I still have business cards 'cause sometimes I'm with someone and I want to have their e-mail or I want to get a phone number from them, but.
 If you met a scholar that you want to collaborate with, write to them.
 Connect with them. e-mail them.
 Follow up the session.
 And it's also Inc.
 The current NCA is a good chance to find out what are the interesting hot topics that might be presented next year.
 My guess is we're going to see lots of programs about AI.
 My guess is that's going to be continuing theme or program, but get a sense of and you'll know at NCA what the, what the next year's theme is. So use that follow up.
 Don't wait until.
 February or March begin planning those programs at the convention or immediately after the Convention.
 So that would be a way to use and follow up on those contacts following the meeting.
Jen R. Lewis   30:15
 Right.
 Good advice. Do you think there's one particular thing like if you could only pick one thing to do at NCA, what would it be?
 I mean, I personally would say come see us at our booth, but obviously I have.
 I have a different view on this, so if you could say attend a panel or present or you know what do you think is something really important that somebody should do at NCA?
Steven Beebe   30:46
 One of my fundamental principles of communication, in fact, when I teach my public speaking course the first day of class, after I pass out the syllabus, I then say students I'm not going to give you the answer to every question.
 I'm going to give you about public speaking.
 No matter what I ask you, here's the answer.
 So they get their pins and they lean forward and they're ready for their professor. And then I tell them, after a dramatic pause.
 The answer to every question about public speaking is.
 Depends upon the audience.
 So I think the answer to your question, Jen, is it depends upon the audience.
 It depends on who you are. If you're new to NCA, there is a program designed specifically for you.
 For first time visitors, they typically it's catered. You get to meet the officers of NCA.
 It's a wonderful overview.
 So if that would be a thing to do if you are educator and you're looking for new ways, new ideas.
 Yes, we can see books and outlines of books online, and I can go to Kendall Hunt's website and look at what they have in the various topics. But there's nothing quite like picking up the book and talking to someone and looking at the index and looking at.
 The so if you're an educator, that was always a highlight for me of how can I enrich my education.
 If you are a seasoned scholar, my connection with the various divisions and sections that I associate with was always a highlight, especially the business meetings.
 Business meeting youth, any kind of meeting may sound boring or your eyes glaze over, but those are wonderful places to make connections.
 You learn about the politics of the association.
 You learn.
 That's a good way to get into leadership roles. That's how I got into leadership roles in NCA was being active in business meetings and then you get elected to leadership roles there and participate in the Legislative Assembly.
 So that would be a, A must event that's.
 Who you are.
 So I think it depends upon the audience.
 I think it depends on who you are and where you are in the process.
 But there's so many wonderful opportunities to this is a multiple choice question. Whether it's more than one answer to the question.
Jen R. Lewis   33:03
 Yeah, no, I get that.
 And I mean, obviously I you know can't bypass this question without saying the importance of I think coming to visit us, right. Like you said, having a tangible book is completely different than, you know us emailing you or just looking at our online catalogue. Because I think the.
 The thing that I think it's lost in publishing sometimes is, you know, we're not just trying to sell you a book, right?
 We find sometimes we find these people.
 We find professors like you who write these books and we think it's great content and we love our product.
 So we're trying, you know, to get.
 Other professors?
 Other schools to adopt these books that we believe in.
 So if you're interested in coming to see, you know, our communication catalog, definitely stop by.
 I will be there this year.
 I'm very excited.
 I think we've covered a lot of really great topics about NC as there anything you want to add about, maybe what people should do or anything you want people to know about NCA.
Steven Beebe   33:54
 Mostly we've talked about the task a little bit about the relationship, but conventions are fun.
 Conventions were in a wonderful city. New Orleans is known for its food.
 It's known for its music.
 And you might think that's not why my university is sending me here.
 Well, it's sometimes it's in those relational moments that we develop colleagues and relationships that blossom into research program.
 So I would argue.
 Yet that's exactly why I wanted my graduate students.
 To go to NCI, want them to have fun, and to realize that in this association, it's not just about coming to work and get a paper.
 And yes, I wanted them to attend programs, but I wanted them to have fun.
 I wanted them to enjoy and.
 The experience of meeting people, of having fun, of connecting with others that can result in lifelong friendships. The way I have.
 So it's fun.
 Don't overlook the purpose of a convention is to learn things.
 It's to increase your scholarship and enhance your teaching, but it's through the relationship.
 Ship. We say that almost everything happens through a relationship.
 Yes, you can have relationships online, but it's easier and it's simply more fun to do that in person.
 So I'm looking forward to learning things, renewing an old acquaintance.
 Meeting someone new and finding at least one really good idea that I can use in my writing or teaching.
Jen R. Lewis   35:29
 What does your role look like this year at NCA?
 I apologize. I guess I probably should have known this, but what are you are you doing? Any paneling?
 Are you doing anything?
 Are you just a just an attendee this year?
Steven Beebe   35:39
 We've a couple of things that I'm doing. I'm participating in the religious Communication Association has a pre-conference on Wednesday and I've become very interested in the writing and work of CS Lewis as a communicator.
 So we're coming up on the 75th anniversary of the Lion, the Witch and the wardrobe. One of his most popular books. And so I'm going to give a paper where I'm going to share from a communication standpoint.
 This is on the Wednesday before NCA at the Religious Communication Association meetings.
 Why is that?
 How can we explain that from a communication perspective and what I find interesting is CS.
 Lewis himself talked about what makes communication effective.
 I argue that community CS Lewis should be considered a communication professor, not just a renaissance and medieval literature professor or philosophy professor.
 So that's one paper.
 I'm excited to present and then on Saturday I'm giving a participating in a discussion about.
 What's it like in toward the end of your career?
 And as you're thinking about retirement, what are the pros and cons and what are your experiences?
 And how can you make the best of that even if you're not retirement age?
 It certainly happens sooner than you think, so I'm looking forward to that conversation that several good friends on that panel about to sharing and learning about retirement experiences and how can we make the best of our career and remain active as we think about.
 Another chapter in our life as communication scholars and educators.
Jen R. Lewis   37:12
 Yeah. Thank you for sharing that is there. If anybody wants to get in touch with you or maybe, you know, have a conversation like you said, meet someone new or connect with you again.
 Is there a best way someone can get in touch with you before NCA?
 I'm happy to also drop your information in the show notes, but is there a particular way you prefer people to get in touch with you?
Steven Beebe   37:32
 I would be delighted to talk with anyone and again one of the best things about what I do for a living and who is the relationships and the connections I make with others.
 My e-mail address that you can also find on the Texas State websites if you forget my e-mail address that I'm going to announce in a moment, you can find it by just Texas State University and I think I'm still there even though I'm an emeritus faculty member. I.
 Think they still claim me?
 My e-mail address is SBB SBEEBE.
 At txstate.edu.
 SBEEBE at txstate.edu.
 I'd be delighted to visit with folks or connect them or meet for coffee or or that's the fun part.
 So I really have a.
Jen R. Lewis   38:21
 I hope you stop by and see me.
 I'm gonna be at the booth this year and we can actually meet face to face, and I know you wanna see Paul. So of course we're gonna see you.
Steven Beebe   38:29
 I will be there, as I say, I haven't seen the.
 Layout for the exhibit hall, but I'll bet you a cup of coffee that when I come in the hall Kendall Hunt will be the very first thing I see in a large, impressive booth with happy, smiling, welcoming people with resources that can enrich your teaching and your life.
Jen R. Lewis   38:53
 That great way to put it.
 Thank you for saying that.
 We are very excited for NCA.
 There's a whole handful of us going.
 One, because we all love NCA.
 Two, because you know Paul Carty's retiring and we want to go support him. And obviously, New Orleans is fun.
 I'm very excited to go there, but yeah, I would encourage anybody to stop by, you know, talk to us about our communication books. If you're interested in adopting, you know, the wonderful reception dinner that we host that we can invite you too.
 So there's lots of things we've got going on at NCA.
 I appreciate your time today so much.
 I really value your insight, your experience.
 I think people will gain a lot of valuable information from our conversation today.
 So I just want to thank you again for your time and I really, really appreciate it.
Steven Beebe   39:38
 No, I appreciate you and my own book, communication training and development is with Kendall Hunt.
 And I'd be delighted to visit with anyone about that particular book, but just to connect about the joys and sometimes challenges of being a scholar educator in communication.
Jen R. Lewis   39:59
 I think that's a great way to say thanks to anybody who listened, and we look forward to seeing everybody at NCA.

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