COMMUNICATION ARTS

Erin Hayes is an Associate Professor of the Practice of Journalism at College of the Ozarks and a retired national news correspondent for the ABC News national network.

She is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Columbia University Alfred I. DuPont- Columbia Award, a four-time recipient of the national Edward R. Murrow award for Outstanding Reporting, and a recipient of the Society of Professional Journalist's Medallion for Excellence in Reporting, the National Headliner Award, the Investigative Reporters and Editors Award, and three regional News Emmy awards for news reporting, among other awards.

Her career as a broadcast journalist spanned 34 years. She covered the 2000 presidential election decision, the nation’s response to the 9-11 disaster, the Space Shuttle Columbia explosion, and the Oklahoma City bombing.  Her awards for investigative reporting recognized her work covering gang crime, terrorism, aviation disasters, and government blunders, among other topics.   

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at College of the Ozarks in 1979. She went on to work in newsrooms at KTHS Radio in Berryville, Arkansas, KYTV in Springfield, Missouri, WSMV-TV in Nashville, and WDAF-TV in Kansas City.  In 1989, she became a news correspondent for the CBS News national network.  In 1993, she became a national news correspondent for the ABC News network. She retired from ABC News in early 2013.  

She served as an adjunct professor of Journalism at College of the Ozarks from August of 2010 to May of 2015.  In June of 2015, she was named a Professor of the Practice of Journalism at College of the Ozarks.

As a journalism professor, she works to encourage and guide young people of integrity to shine the light of truth in newsrooms across the nation.

Gary Hiebsch Ph.D. (1995 Indiana University) teaches courses in Public Speaking, Intercultural Communication, Business and Professional Speaking, Argumentation and Debate, Persuasive Speaking and Free Enterprise. He has been with the college since 1995.

Kalah Kemp is an associate professor of Communication Arts. She teaches courses on public relations, social media, media effects, and public speaking.  Kemp’s research interests are social media activism and medie effects Below is a list of her recent scholarly activites:

Panelist: Streaming Christianity to the Masses: What Happens When Faith-based Movies Go Mainstream? (2023). BEA conference, Las Vegas, NE.

Kemp, K., & Palmer, C. (2023). CSR: Global Storytelling for Diverse Audiences. CSCA conference, St. Louis, MO.

Kemp, K., & Palmer, C. (2022). Crisis Exchange Program. Journal of Public Relations Education, 8(3), 89-100. *Awarded second place at AEJMC conference in Detroit, MI.

Panelist: Mediatized: Social Media Influence on Society and Culture. (2022). BEA conference, <virtual>.

Panelist: Fact vs. Depiction: Disability Awareness in Entertainment. (2022). AEJMC Midwinter conference, Norman, OK.

Harwood dissertation finalist: Kemp, K. (2021). Rape Culture and The Spiral of Silence: An Analysis of #MeToo in India and the US. BEA conference, <virtual>.

Panelist: Humanization and Invitational Rhetoric Between Stakeholders in Online Spaces. (2021). NCA conference, Seattle, WA.

Kemp, K. (2021). Cultural Dimensions and the Fear of Isolation: #MeToo in India and the US. NCA conference, Seattle, WA.

Kemp, K. (2019). NFL national anthem protests: A cluster analysis of President Trumps's tweets. In Pro football and the proliferation of protest, (Perry, S., ed).

Panelist: Spreading the word: Promoting Christian publications through social media. (2025). EPA conference, Branson, MO.

Kemp, K., & Palmer, C. (2025).  Crisis Exchange Program. In Frisby, B.N., & Kaufmann, R. (Eds), Teaching Communication: Volume IV: Instructional Resources. Cognella.

Kemp, K., & Roberts, M. (2025). Trump and Twitter: A Study of Parasocial Interaction, Identification, and Social Presence. In Hendricks, J. A., & Schill, D. (Eds.), Political Communication and Digital Advocacy: Strategies and Implications.  Peter Lang.

Panelist: God’s media savvy messengers: how priests, pastors, and faith-filled personae utilized mass media and communication theory to move the masses. (2024). BEA conference, Las Vegas, NE.

Dr. Stacy McNeill has served at College of the Ozarks (C of O) since 2002. She is the dean of academic enrichment and a professor of communication arts, specializing in the areas of public relations, speech communication, interpersonal communication, and communication law.

Dr. McNeill is the division chair of performing and professional arts. In this role, she provided administrative support to the art, communication arts, music, and theatre programs at the College.

Prior to her time at C of O, Dr. McNeill worked at Missouri State University as a lecturer and at Columbia College as an administrator. She holds a BA in Mass Media from College of the Ozarks (Summa Cum Laude), an MA from the University of Arkansas in Communication, and an EdD from the University of Missouri in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.

Among Dr. McNeill’s honors and awards are the University of Missouri Cockrell Dissertation of the Year Finalist Award (2006), the Wittick Teaching Excellence Award (2010), the Portrait of Character: Hope Award (2017), and the Veteran Faculty Five-Fold Mission Award (2019). She has also provided many campus and community service roles, including as an officer on several boards, and is a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission.

Curt Wilkinson is a professor, filmmaker, and visual artist. His research and creative projects have assisted non-profits and NGO's around the world.

In addition to teaching, his work experience includes five years in corporate media production, and five years in Latin America doing media development. His PhD was conducted in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Chicago. His findings explore ethical issues of power and agency; seeking a shared approach to filmmaking in developing countries and marginalized communities.

Wilkinson grew up in Chicago, received his BA degree in television and photography from Columbia College, an MA in communication strategy from Wheaton College, and a PhD in film by practice from the University of Exeter, England. He has been a professor at the university level since 1995, maintaining his film practice throughout.

Past credits include media projects for non-profit organizations in South Africa, Israel, Russia, France, and extensive work throughout Central and South America. He has worked on behalf of children around the world to develop media literacy skills and provide them with access to media production training.

Curt lives in Branson, MO with his wife and two daughters.