Em Griffin is Professor Emeritus of Communication at Wheaton College in Illinois,
where he taught for over 35 years and was chosen Teacher of the Year. He received
his M.A. and Ph.D. in communication from Northwestern University; his research
interest is in the development of close friendships. Em is the author of three applied
communication books: The Mind Changers (persuasion), Getting Together (group
dynamics), and Making Friends (close relationships). For three decades, Em has
been an active volunteer with Opportunity International, a nonprofit development
organization providing financial solutions and training to empower people living
in poverty to transform their lives. He also serves as a mediator and coach at the
Center for Conflict Resolution in Chicago. Em’s wife, Jean, is an artist and a musician.
They recently celebrated 50 years of marriage and have two adult children, Jim
and Sharon, and six grandchildren, Josh, Amy, Sam, Kyle, Alison, and Dan. You can
reach Em at em.griffin@wheaton.edu.Andrew Ledbetter is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Texas
Christian University. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in communication studies
from the University of Kansas. His research addresses how people use communication
technology to maintain their interpersonal relationships. A related interest
concerns how parent–child communication predicts health and well-being.
Andrew has published more than 35 articles and received recognition for teaching
excellence from both the National Communication Association and Central States
Communication Association. His wife, Jessica, is a former attorney who teaches
business law at Texas Christian University. With their daughters, Sydney and
Kira, they enjoy involvement in their church, playing board and card games, reading,
cooking, and following the TCU Horned Frogs and Kansas Jayhawks. You can
reach Andrew at a.ledbetter@tcu.edu, visit his blog at www.andrewledbetter.com,
or follow him on Twitter via @dr_ledbetter.Glenn Sparks is a professor in the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue
University in Indiana, where he has taught for 28 years. He received his Ph.D.
in communication arts from the University of Wisconsin–Madison; his research
focuses on the effects of media. Glenn is the author of Media Effects Research: A
Basic Overview and a personal memoir, Rolling in Dough: Lessons I Learned in a
Doughnut Shop. He’s co-author of Refrigerator Rights: Our Crucial Need for Close
Connection. Glenn is an avid sports fan and also enjoys trying to increase his skill
playing the theremin. He is married to Cheri, a developmental therapist; they
have three adult children, David, Erin, and Jordan, and one grandchild, Caleb.
You can reach Glenn at sparks@purdue.edu.
2015