Patricia Clasen
Dean - Cois, Professor

Educational Background

Ph.D., Communication and Culture, University of Nebraska

M.A., Communication Studies, Wichita State University

B.S., Speech Communicaiton, University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Biography

Tricia has been a faculty member in Communication at UW-Whitewater at Rock County since 2002.  She currently serves as Dean of the Colleges of Integrated Studies and Asst. Vice Chancellor of the Rock County Campus. She's previously served as Chair of the Integrated Studies Department as well as the Communication and Theatre Arts Departrment of the former UW Colleges. She's twice served as the Acting Associate Dean.

She's taught a wide range of courses including: Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, Intercultural Communication, Popular Culture in the Media, Group Discussion, Persuasion, Gender and Communication, First Year Seminar, and Education in a Pluralistic Society. She' has taught courses in all modalities including online, hybrid, and via distance with up to five additional sties. Her philosophy of teaching revolves around "voice" with a passion for helping students find their own as well as hearing voices in society not typically amplified. 

Her recent research has focused on gender in popular culture, particularly young adult literature. She co-edited Gender(ed) Identities: Critical Rereadings of Gender in Children's and Young Adult Literature and has a forthcoming book chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Young Adult Literature.  Upcoming presentations will focus on leadership in a college branch campus.

She's been married for 23 years, and is mom of two daughters. Most of her time away from work is spent walking her two dogs and being theatre parent. One of her special talents and joys is finding great travel deals. She also writes middle-grade fiction, having published The Haunted House Project.