AFTERGROWTH
Communication of Hope, Resilience, & Relational Discovery
ABOUT ME
Featured Review
NCA, 2013.
Welcome! My name is Dr. Gary Beck, and I am currently an Assistant Professor of Communication at Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Virginia). While research and teaching are a part of my occupation, my real intentions are discovering and practically clarifying how we use communication to coordinate, negotiate and develop relationships. Simply put, let's find ways to live better, more satisfying, and "growth-fostering" lives!
I received my training at the University of Texas at Austin while pursuing my doctorate in Interpersonal and Relational Communication. In addition to working with Dr. Anita Vangelisti, Dr. Rene Dailey, and Dr. Matt McGlone, I served as a lab assistant in Dr. Cathy Surra's UT-TRAC (Tracing Relationships and Commitment) relationships lab.
These collaborations led to publications and conference papers, but more importantly fueled my passion for identifying "what makes relationships work." Our communication with our partner, family, and others can play an important role in how we manage the challenging circumstances in life, no matter how big or small. These are challenges the true tests of our lives.
This has led me to my current work, exploring a mosaic of overlapping topics including hope, resilience, surviving and thriving, post-traumatic growth, coping, support messages, and conflict management. My most recent efforts were published in an edited volume (with Dr. Tom Socha), Communicating Hope and Resilience Across the Lifespan (published by Peter Lang International, 2015). Looking forward to more good work!
Dr. Gary Beck is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Old Dominion University. His research and teaching focuses on relational communication used to help manage challenging circumstances in life (particularly employment transitions, and health complications and treatments).
While at Old Dominion Dr. Beck teaches courses in theory and methods related to interpersonal, relational and family communication including:
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Introduction to Communication Reserach Methods
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Interpersonal Communication Theory and Methods
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Conflict Management
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Communication Theory
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Lifespan Communication Theory and Methods (Graduate)
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Relational Communication Across the Lifespan(Graduate)
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Hope, Resilience, and Communication Across the Lifespan (Graduate)
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Positive Communication Across the Lifespan(Graduate)
Dr. Beck recently recieved the ODU College of Arts & Letters "Joel S. Lewis Award for Award for Excellence in Student Mentoring," and was twice nominated for ODU's "New Faculty Award," recognizing professional excellence in teaching, research, and service. He has been teaching college courses for approximately 10 years, and has coached and consulted with MBA students, Leadership conferences, and Independent School Districts.
Dr. Beck and his amazing wife live in Virginia's Hampton Roads Area with their two dogs.
E-Mail: gbeck@odu.edu
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Select Recent Publications
Beck, G. A. (forthcoming, Winter 2016). Towards Midlife Resilience: Adapting Developmental & Ecological Models. In Waldron, V. (Ed.) Communicating in Midlife Relationships. Peter Lang.
Beck, G. A., & Carr, K. (forthcoming, Fall 2016). Fostering Resileince in Children. In Socha, T. & Punyanunt-Carter, N (Eds.) The Children's Communication Sourcebook. Peter Lang.
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Socha, T. J. & Beck, G. A. (2015). Positive Interpersonal Communication and Human Needs: A Review and Proposed Organizing Conceptual Framework. Review of Communication, doi: 10.1080/15358593.2015.1080290
Beck, G.A. & Socha, T. (Eds.)(2015). Communicating Hope and Resilience across the Lifespan. Peter Lang Publishers.
Cheney, G., Beck, G. A., & Cline, R. (2013). Community Conflict, Ethics, and Civic Engagement. In Oetzel, J. & Ting-Toomey, S. (Eds.). The SAGE Handbook of Conflict Communication: Integrating Theory, Research, and Practice.
Dailey, R. M., Jin, B., Pfiester, R. A., & Beck, G. (2011). On-again/off-again relationships: What keeps partners coming back? Journal of Social Psychology, 151 (4), 417-440.
Dailey, R., Pfiester, R. A., Jin, B., & Beck, G. A. (2009). On-again/Off-again Dating Relationships: How Are They Different from Other Dating Relationships? Personal Relationships, 16, 23-47.
Recent Grants & Awards
Nominated (Spring 2016) New Faculty Award. Old Dominion University Alumni Association
Lead Facilitator (Fall 14 – Fall 15). “Positive Communication and Personal Wellness” Learning Community; Involved funding towards the development of related Smartphone Research “App”, program support, and research presentation travel.
Co-Recipient (Summer 2015). Lietzenmayer, A., Beck, G., Harrell, C., & Lefever, S, (Awarded, Summer 2015). COMM ePortfolio Factuly Workship. Grant awarded from the Communication Department, ODU, CommOnline Faculty Innovator Grant.
Awarded (Spring 2015). “Joel S. Lewis Faculty Award for Excellence in Student Mentoring,” College of Arts and Letters, Old Dominion University. This annual, college-level award goes to "a full-time faculty member in the College of Arts & Letters who most successfully mentors students as they plan for life after college. The mentoring may include preparing students for future graduate or professional school study, or for employment in a relevant career."
Recipient (Spring 2015). Communication ePortfolio: An Online Writing Portfolio to Enhance Disciplinary Student Writing. Grant awarded from the Quality Enhancement Plan Committee, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA.
Co-Recipient (Spring 2015). Preparing to Teach CommOnline: Best Practices for Successful Delivery. Grant awarded by the Communication Department, ODU, CommOnline Faculty Innovator Grant.
Nominee (Spring 2014) – New Faculty Award, Old Dominion University Alumni Association (Nominees are “members of Old Dominion’s non-tenured faculty who demonstrate outstanding achievement in teaching, discovery, knowledge integration, and service,” http://www.odualumni.org/index.asp)