San Diego State communication professor Brian H. Spitzberg has added one more award to his many accolades: the Monty Award. Arguably the highest achievement a professor can attain at SDSU, Spitzberg is a deserving recipient.
In 1978 he received his B.A. and in 1980 his M.A. at the University of Texas at Arlington and his Ph.D. in communication arts and sciences at the University of Southern California in 1981. He has taught at SDSU since 1989 and has been a professor since 1995.
“It’s quite an honor. They only give this to one person from each college each year, so it’s something that indicates that my peers think something of the cumulative work I’ve done,” Spitzberg said.
The cumulative work Spitzberg speaks of is both extensive and important. He has affected the way students are taught through the IMPACCT assessment, which is an online assessment of communication skills. Through its use of peer review, students can learn how others view them and how they view themselves in order to improve their communication abilities.
Spitzberg also focuses his work on the less pleasant sides of communication: conflict and jealousy. He examines how nothing is entirely one way or the other and analyzes the two dimensional qualities of things considered good or bad. Spitzberg said his investigative fieldwork also delves into stalking. He is currently conducting a meta- analysis of stalking and a second edition of one of his books regarding the subject.
Spitzberg’s scholarly research leaves little time for rest.
“I want to find some time for my personal life. I’d like to sleep,” Spitzberg said concerning his goals for the near future.
Spitzberg is currently working to help complete a National Science Foundation research project. He is collaborating with two geographers, a political scientist and a computational linguist to examine how ideas spread geographically in terms of diffusion into cyberspace.
The work Spitzberg has completed, including his current projects, demonstrates his value to the SDSU community, as affirmed by the Monty Award. He acknowledges his dean, chair, colleagues, graduate students and former students for helping him achieve this award.
“One of the things that’s important about this kind of award that isn’t always recognized,” Spitzberg said, “is it’s great to be individually recognized but no one gets there alone.”
