Dr. Sydney Yueh, Director of M.A. Communication
Dr. Yueh has been a full-time faculty member for six years at Northeastern State University and is the director of the master's program of communication studies. She oversees graduate student applications and enrollment, and she advises each student's plan of study and teaching assistantships.
When I was on the job market in the last year of my Ph.D. study at the University of Iowa, I saw the job announcement of NSU looking for someone to teach intercultural communication, said Yueh. I applied for the position, got a phone interview, as well as a campus interview, and got hired. Amy Aldridge Sanford, the former Department Chair of Communication Studies, also an alumnus of Iowa, influenced my decision to come here.
Yueh works with multiple national organizations, such as the National Communication Association and the Oklahoma Speech, Theatre, Communication Association. She is a representative of the Legislative Assembly of NCA and has recently completed a term as a chair of the Intercultural Communication Interest Group of the Central States Communication Association.
I was naturalized to become a U.S. citizen recently, said Yueh. Originally, I am from Taiwan. I care about issues of immigration and immigrant status in general. I am involved in Asian/Pacific American Caucus in NCA and am a permanent member of the North American Taiwan Studies Association.
Yueh is also an associate professor and specializes in intercultural communication, minority studies, language and social interaction. All of her classes are online and available to anyone on any NSU campus. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, including Intercultural Communication, Communication Theory, and Communication and Social Change seminar.
Students at NSU are humble and motivated, said Yueh. Many of them are economically underprivileged, so they are struggling to earn their degree while working two to three jobs. I admire their dedication to education. I also hope that they can get more financial aid or scholarships to complete their education.
Yueh encourages students to engage with professional groups related to their chosen career field to help build networking skills and confidence in themselves.
When I teach the introductory course for graduate students, I encourage them to join in at least one professional organization in the field of communication, said Yueh. It is extremely important to start networking with other graduate students and professors through membership. By attending the annual conferences hosted by the organization, students can have a better idea of the field and also build up their confidence.
Yueh has written many peer-reviewed articles and a book titled Identity Politics and Popular Culture in Taiwan: A Sajiao Generation. She has also had an article published by an NSU journalist, and she recently promoted the NSU master's program.