Peggy Fisher

Education

B.A., 1982, Bowling Green State University
M.A., 1983, Bowling Green State University
Ph.D., 1986, Bowling Green State University

Teaching

COMM 210: Public Speaking
COMM 251: Business and Professional Communication
COMM 325: Interviewing
COMM 351: Organization Communication
COMM 370: Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction
COMM 369, 479, 669, 679: Graduate and undergraduate internships

Research

Selected recent publications:

Byers, P.Y., Zeller, R. & Byers, B. (2002). Focus group methods. In M.W. Wiederman and E. Whitley, Jr. (Eds.), Handbook for conducting research on human sexuality (pp. 173-195). Nahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Byers, P.Y., & Byers, B. (1998). Focus group research and juries: Literature and applications. Collected papers of the National Jury Project: Midwest.

Byers, P.Y. (Ed.) (1997). Organizational communication: Theory and behavior. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Byers, P.Y. (Ed.) (1997). Instructor's manual for organizational communication: Theory and behavior. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Byers, P.Y., & Weber, C.S. (1995). The timing of speech anxiety reduction treatments in the public speaking classroom. Southern Communication Journal, 60, 246-256.

Recent papers and Presentations:

Byers, P.Y. (2002, November). Developing a senior writing portfolio. Presented at the annual conference of the National Communication Association, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Byers, P.Y. (2001, November). Senior writing portfolio and assessment tools. Presented at the annual conference of the National Communication Association, Atlanta, Georgia.

Parrish-Sprowl, J., & Byers, P.Y. (2001, April). Student (re)construction of directed online discussions: Arguments, case studies, and presentations. Presented at the annual conference of the Central States Communication Association, Cincinnati, Ohio.

From Interns to Consultants: Broadening the View of the Student Client Relationship in a Business Fellows Program. With Kerry Byrnes. Competitivly selected and presented at NCA 2007.

Managing Our Communications: Strategies for Dealing with Problem Internships. NCA 2006.

Book Review:

Business Communication: Process and Product, 6th edition. By Mary Ellen Guffey. Southwester/Thompson Publishers.

Works in Progress:

Creating Graduate Education Partnerships within the University and the Community with Susan Klingel-Dowd. Manuscript submitted for publication to Communication Education.

AIMing for Better Business Writing with Mathew D. Fisher. Book In process.

Service

• BSU Training and Development, 2003-Present Presented on a variety of topics such as nonverbal communication, professionalism, and conflict.
• BSU Grade Appeals Committee 2007-Present
• Chair, BSU University Traffic Appeals Subcommittee, 2002-03.
• Member, Department Advisory Committee, 2002-03.
• Chair, Department Social Functions Committee, 1997-2003.
• Member, Department Curriculum and Program Development Committee, 1999-2002.
• CCIM representative for the ISGC NASA committee, 2001-02.

Further Duties and Recognitions
 
Dr. Fisher joined Ball State's faculty in the fall of 1995, although she has been teaching since 1987. Her duties include:

• Business Fellows Faculty Mentor 2007-Present. Directed team of 10 students working with the Emergency Department at Ball Memorial Hospital. Project included a survey for the Volunteer Services Department, and conducting observations, interviews and focus groups with staff, administrators and patients in the Emergency Department. The outcome is a set of communication strategies for improving the Emergency Department.
• Business Fellows Faculty Mentor 2006-2007. Directed a team of 6 students working with CVC Communications in Ft. Wayne, IN. The team developed client lists, media contact lists, electronic communication ideas, electronic newsletter ideas, and a sales protocol for a new division of the organization.
• Coordinated the graduate and undergraduate internship programs.
• Taught courses in Organizational Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Small Group Communication, Interviewing, Business and Professional Communication, and Research Methods in Communication.
• Received recognition for her contributions as a speaker/consultant for organizations such as:
  • Women in Communications, Inc.
  • Cancer Services of Delaware County Little Red Door
  • The Center for Business Communication at the University of Notre Dame
  • The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County
  • The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce
  • Bowling Green State University
  • WBST TV, South Bend, IN
  • Ball State University

Dr. Fisher’s academic career has been enhanced through scholarly activity in the areas of: focus groups, interpersonal communication, organizational communication, rhetorical analysis, metaphoric analysis, statistical analysis, technology, and jury research. She has presented over 30 papers at national and regional conferences in the areas of communication apprehension, jury research, organizational communication, interpersonal communication, research methods, and mass communication. She has published in scholarly journals, and has chapters in three books, as well as her own book titled Organizational Communication: Theory and Behavior, published by Allyn and Bacon. She is a former associate editor of the Quarterly Journal of Speech.