Tim Huffman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Courses Taught
Social Justice Communication, Organizational Communication (both undergraduate and graduate), Human Communication and Culture, Public Speaking
Education
Ph.D., Hugh Downs School of Human Communication - Arizona State University
Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership - Arizona State University
M.A., Speech Communication - Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
Research Interests
Social justice, nonprofit organizing, homelessness, compassion, community, pragmatic and relational epistemology, participatory and community-based research.
Huffman's research focuses on social justice organizing, particularly around issues of homelessness. He takes a community-based approach to understanding and promoting socially just communication, like compassion and community. He is committed to improving the way we communicate and organize in response to social justice issues.
Publications and Media Placements
Huffman, T. P.(2017). Compassionate communication, embodied aboutness, and homeless young adults. Western Journal of Communication, 81, 149-167.
Tracy, S. J., & Huffman, T. P. (2016). Compassion in the face of terror: A case study of recognizing suffering, co-creating hope, and developing trust in a would-be school shooting. Communication Monographs, 84, 30-53.
Huffman, T. (2015). Resolving spirited debates: Recasting communication inquiry as a spiritual practice. Journal of Religion and Communication. 38.
Huffman, T. (2015). Ruptures in organizational compassion. Electronic Journal of Communication in special issue on emotions and organization.
Huffman, T. (2014). Imagining social justice within a communicative framework. Journal of Social Justice, 4.
Honors and Awards
Top Paper Awards in activism and social justice, philosophy of communication, communication theory and research, and spirituality interest groups.
Professional Organizations and Associations
- Member, National Communication Association
- Member, St. Louis City Continuum of Care
Community Work and Service
- Gateway Greening Urban Farm, trainer and research partner
- St. Patrick Center, program committee member and research partner
- St. Louis City Continuum of Care, SLU representative
- Labre Ministries for and with the Homeless, faculty mentor
- Social Justice Communication Collaborative, co-founder
- Community Action Lab, founder and facilitator
- Social Launch, mentor and adviser
- Servant Leadership Program, workshop lead
- Leadership and Social Change Learning Community, presenter
