This award recognizes that this faculty member is one of our best teachers at Millikin University, where he or she has developed effective means of integrating theory and practice, built opportunities for effective collaborative work for students, and created innovative courses and improvements to instructional practices.

Matthew Tucker
Instructor of Communication

Academic Bio

Matthew Tucker has taught for Millikin’s Communication Department since 2000.  Previous to arriving at Millikin he taught at Bradley University in Peoria, focusing on small group communication and public speaking.  He completed a graduate teaching assistantship with Illinois State University in 1997 and majored in Speech Communication at Eastern Illinois University. At Millikin, he has advised the Communication organizations Lambda Pi Eta and the Millikin Communication Association.  In 2006, he was named General Manager of WJMU, the campus radio station.
 

Teaching Approach

Mr. Tucker’s teaching approach is based on applied activities for his students.  In addition to discussion and case studies, hands-on group projects are used in a process-learning model.  For example, public speaking students apply their knowledge and skills to a mock political campaign, small group communication students select a community organization to represent and design message strategies, and students being introduced to the radio industry create and record public service announcements.