Profile for Daniel Modaff
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Daniel Modaff
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Associate Professor
Communication Studies
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Daniel Modaff Pronouns: He/Him/His
Associate Professor
Communication Studies
Specialty area(s)
Organizational Communication
Brief biography
Dan is an organizational communication scholar with degrees in communication studies from Northern Illinois University (BS & MA) and University of Texas at Austin (PhD). He started his full-time teaching career at Ohio University, where he taught and developed courses at the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels, and advised theses and dissertations. After Ohio University, Dan spent time as Director of the Department of Communication at Western Kentucky University. He and his family moved to UWL in 2010, where, in addition to teaching, he has served as the chair of the Department of Racial and Ethnic Studies, and then as the assistant to the chair of the Department of Communication Studies. Dan has won several university-level teaching awards over his career, and also was awarded the 2022 Outstanding Textbook Award from the Organizational Communication Division of National Communication Association for the 5th edition of the textbook he co-authored with Dr. Jennifer Butler Modaff.
Current courses at UWL
Fall 2024
CST 260: Professional Presentations
CST 350: Organizational Communication
CST 498: Research Methods in Communication
Education
PhD (1995) The University of Texas at Austin
MA (1991) Northern Illinois University
BS (1989) Northern Illinois University
Career
Teaching history
UW-L Courses Taught:
CST 110: Communicating Effectively
CST 260: Professional Communication
CST 350: Organizational Communication
CST 452: Contemporary Issues in Organizational Communication
CST 491: Leadership & Communication: Lessons from the Lakota
CST 498: Communication Research Methods
CST 499: Senior Project in CST
Professional history
Ohio University (1995-2009; Associate Professor) Courses Taught:
Introduction to Organizational Communication
Advanced Presentations
Practicum in Organizational Communication Organizational Culture (graduate)
Techniques of Small Group Discussion
Communication in Organizations (graduate)
Interviewing
Conversation Analysis (graduate)
Performance, Self, and Identity
Introduction to Graduate Study
Advanced Organizational Communication
Lessons from the Lakota
Lakota Traditions & Modern Problems
Service & the Academy (graduate)
Western Kentucky University (2009-2010; Associate Professor & Department Head) Courses Taught:
Organizational Communication
Applied Organizational Communication (graduate)
Research and publishing
Butler, J.A., Modaff, D.P., & Ploeger-Lyons, N. (2024). A structuration analysis of male organizational members' responses to sexual harassment. Pennsylvania Communication Annual, 80(1), 79-101.
Butler, J.A., & Modaff, D.P. (2024). “Like grasping at wisps of smoke”: Interactional and educational challenges for college students with invisible chronic physical and mental conditions. Communication and Theatre Association of Minnesota Journal, 47, 6-31.
Ploeger-Lyons, N., Butler, J.A., & Modaff, D.P. (2022). The role of hierarchy and relational closeness in confrontations about idea stealing. Ohio Communication Journal, 60, 1-15.
Modaff, D. P., & Butler, J. A. (2022). Organizational communication: Foundations, challenges, and misunderstandings (5th ed.). Cognella.
Modaff, D. P. (2019). Mitakuye oyasin (we are all related): Connecting communication and culture of the Lakota. Great Plains Quarterly, 39(4), 341-362.
Butler, J. A., Rogers, L. A., & Modaff, D. P. (2019). Communicative challenges in the parent-reacher relationship regarding students with special needs. Communication & Theater Association of Minnesota Journal, 43, article 3.
Schroeder, S., & Modaff, D. P. (2018). Exploring employee engagement through communication. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 19(2), 35-43. doi: 10.1080/17459435.2018.1468807
Modaff, D.P. (2016). Just-in-time: Organizing the Lakota Sun Dance. Journal of Organizational Ethnography, 5(1), 13-27.
Modaff, D.P., Butler, J.A., & DeWine, S. (2017). Organizational communication: Foundations, challenges, and misunderstandings (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Butler, J.A., & Modaff, D.P. (2016). Motivations to disclose chronic illness in the workplace. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 17(1), 77-84. doi: 10.1080/17459435.2016.1143387
Butler, J.A., & Modaff, D.P. (2015). The personal SWOT: An opportunity for student reflection, growth, and planning. Journal of the Speech and Theatre Association of Missouri, 45, 85-93.
Modaff, D.P. (2014). Leadership trails: Lessons from the Lakota Sun Dance. Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 7, article 3.
Butler, J.A., & Modaff, D.P. (2013). The communicative management of emotional display expectations by in-home daycare providers. Qualitative Communication Research, 1, 461-490.
Butler, J.A., & Modaff, D.P. (2012, summer). Constructing space and time for work and family: A structuration perspective on bed and breakfasts. Communication & Theater Association of Minnesota Journal, 39, 105-121.
Modaff, D.P., Butler, J.A., & DeWine, S. (2012). Organizational communication: Foundations, challenges, and misunderstandings (3rd ed.). AB/Longman.
Butler, J.A., & Modaff, D.P. (2008). When work is home: Agency, structure, and contradictions. Management Communication Quarterly, 22(2), 232-257.
Modaff, D.P., DeWine, S., & Butler, J.A. (2008). Organizational communication: Foundations, challenges, and misunderstandings (2nd ed.). AB/Longman.
Modaff, D.P. (2004). Native virtues: Applying traditional Sioux philosophy to the contemporary basic communication course. Basic Communication Course Annual, 16, 261-278.
Modaff, D.P. (2003). Body movement during the transition to task in the medical interview. In P. Glenn, C. LeBaron, & J. Mandelbaum (Eds.), Studies in Language and Social Interaction: In honor of Robert Hopper (pp. 411-422). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Modaff, D.P., & Medved, C.E. (2002). Illustrating the complexities of supervisor-subordinate communication. Communication Teacher, 17(1), 8-10.
Modaff, D.P., & DeWine, S. (2002). Organizational communication: Foundations, challenges, and misunderstandings. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Publishing Co.
Modaff, J.V., & Modaff, D.P. (2000). Technical notes on audio recording. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 33(1), 101-118.
Modaff, J.V., Modaff, D.P., & Modaff, L.M. (1999). Enhancement of speech evaluation through digitization. Iowa Journal of Communication, 31(2), 41-48.
Modaff, D.P. (1998). The World War II interview. L.W. Hugenberg and B.S. Hugenberg (Eds.), Teaching ideas for the basic communication course (pp. 145-156). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Modaff, D.P. (1997). Life and the speech communication major. Speech Communication Teacher, 11(3), 14-16.
Modaff, D.P. (1995). Understanding the jamming experience through metaphor. Journal of Illinois Speech and Theatre Association, 46, 53-62.
CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
Modaff, D.P. (2003). A River Ran Through It: Athens and the 1968 Flood. Conceived, wrote, produced, and narrated a radio feature broadcast on WOUB (1340 AM) December 24th.
Modaff, D.P. (2003). We were an occupied campus: Ohio University in May 1970. Conceived, wrote, produced, and narrated a radio feature broadcast on WOUB (1340 AM) May 19th, and in two parts on May 16th and 19th on WOUB (91.3 FM).
Modaff, K., Modaff, D.P., Modaff, J.V., & Modaff, L.M. (2003). CommuniCoach. Speech and communication evaluation software. Isoprime Corporation.
Modaff, D.P. (1997). Stories of World War II Veterans. Conceived, wrote, produced, and narrated a two-part radio feature broadcast December 4th and 5th on WOUB (91.3 FM).
Kudos
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