Political theorist to be in residence at UCA

By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

CONWAY — Communication scholar Dr. Bill Benoit, an expert in political campaign communication and image restoration, will be at the University of Central Arkansas as Artist in Residence Sunday, Oct. 5, and Monday, Oct. 6.

"I wanted to bring a communication scholar to UCA who would have a wide appeal to students and faculty," said Dr. J.J. McIntyre, assistant professor of speech communication and the faculty sponsor for the residency. "With this being an election year, bringing a political scholar made good sense." Benoit's residency will begin Oct. 5, three days after the only vice presidential debate of the 2008 presidential campaign at Washington University in St. Louis. His residency will end Oct. 6, one day before the second presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

The residency will begin at 3 p.m. Oct. 5 when Benoit will speak in the Great Hall at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. The lecture will cover political campaigns and campaigns throughout the years. A reception will follow. The lecture is free and open to the public.

On Oct. 6, he will hold master classes on the UCA campus regarding image repair in courses in Organizational Communication and Persuasion in Political Communication in Thompson Hall room 211. At 7:30 that evening, he will give another public lecture on current political campaigns in Stanley Russ Hall. That lecture, too, is free.

The Artists in Residence program is funded through UCA's arts fee and administered by the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

For more information, call (501) 450-3293 or e-mail MCastens@uca.edu.

River Valley Ozark, Pages 150 on 09/28/2008