Dr. Julie Welker, professor of communication and chair of the Department of Communication at Howard Payne University, recently spoke at the 90th annual Texas Speech Communication Association conference on the panel “Hosting and Attending International Debates to Develop Global Citizens.” The conference was held in Irving.

Dr. Welker’s topic was “Developing Intercultural Critical Thinkers: Using Academic Debate to Explore Culture” and highlighted HPU’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team. The Student Speaker Bureau competes in several events each year, including a competition in Oxford, England, the third-largest debate tournament in the world.

Also attending the conference from HPU was Kim Bryant, associate professor of communication. Dr. Welker’s co-presenter was Wayne Kraemer, director of forensics at Texas State University, whose topic was “How to Build a Bridge: Beginning an International Debate Partnership.”

Dr. Richard Fiese, dean of HPU’s School of Music and Fine Arts, said he highly values Dr. Welker’s leadership of the Student Speaker Bureau as a distinctive feature of the programs within the Department of Communication and her commitment to developing intercultural critical thinkers among her students at HPU.

“I applaud Dr. Welker’s academic accomplishments as well as those of her students,” he said.

Photo cutline: HPU’s Dr. Julie Welker, right, recently spoke at the 90th annual Texas Speech Communication Association conference. She is pictured with co-presenter Wayne Kraemer.