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Brad Hall to head department at Utah

by DAVID J. CHAVEZ
C&J 375

A short-lived career in advertising led Dr. Bradford Hall back to college to earn a Ph.D. in intercultural communication--and a professor, author, adviser, director and chairman was born.

Hall said his choice of majors in college changed several times before deciding on the major that would lead him to a career where he has become well-known in the relatively young field of intercultural communications. His textbook, which is used at the University of New Mexico, is titled "Among Cultures: The Challenge of Communication."

Hall said he has made a sudden decision to leave UNM after 13 years for Utah State to take a position closer to family, he said.

"If you would've asked me about my future, just a few months ago, I would have told you that I would be retiring here," Hall said. "I think now is the right time for me and my wife to move closer to our families and more money is always nice."

Graduate student Fahed Al-Sumait has studied under Hall for the last two years.

Al-Sumait said Hall's textbook and expertise attracts a lot of students to UNM.

"He's well-known in the field and a lot of students including me came to UNM to work with Brad Hall," he said. "One of things emphasized in the department is the intercultural angle, so the students who aren't getting a chance to learn from Brad are disappointed. At the same time new people are being brought in that can bring new perspectives to the department."

Hall was born in California, but spent most of his adolescence in northern Utah. He grew up in the small town of Mandaway with a population of about 500 people.

Hall said his college career started in Utah, at Brigham Young University where he received a bachelor's degree in communications.

After working in advertising for three years he thought about where he wanted to be in the future.

"I enjoyed working in advertising, but I just wasn't sure whether I wanted to be in the field for my whole career." Hall said. "I really enjoyed teaching so I decided to go back to school and pursue a master's degree."

Hall said he went to Arizona State and got involved in the intercultural communications master's program. During that time Hall was married and had three kids, so he had to work three jobs to stay out of debt, he said.

His plans were to get a master's degree and teach at a community college, he said. Hall said all that changed when he decided the research that's done at a four-year institution is better suited for him.

Hall's career took another turn, he said, and the decision was made to pursue a doctorate at the University of Washington.

Hall said after all those years in school he earned himself a spot on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's faculty to teach intercultural and organizational communications.

Hall spent a few years in Wisconsin before deciding to make the move out west. Hall said he was attracted to UNM with its development of a doctorate program in the intercultural communications field.

Hall started off as an associate professor and worked his way up to chair of the Department of Communication and Journalism in 2000.

Hall said in 2002 he decided to write a chapter about intercultural communications for his class.

"It was interesting, because three publishers contacted me around the same time I had finished the chapter for my students," he said. "I decided on a publisher and the rest was history. I really enjoyed writing the book, and I have some other deals in the works for books on intercultural conflict and communications theory."

Hall said his career and book have earned him the honor of giving lectures in other countries. Hall recently returned from a trip to Wuhan, China, where he gave a series of six lectures at Zhonghan University.

"When I was there I had this book on facts about the culture in China and the person writing said that it's customary for a speaker to applaud the audience when they are applauding a speaker," Hall said. "In the first presentation I did that, but it felt really uncomfortable and the crowd didn't seem to understand it. I then asked a person in the crowd about it and they said that's not done here, so it was kind of embarrassing thinking about the 300 people who saw me do that."

Hall has also lectured in Ireland and traveled abroad for insight into different cultures, he said.

Hall is now taking a trip to Utah, but this time he's not coming back. A job as head of a department that combines foreign languages, philosophy and communications at Utah State is being offered, he said, and he's taking the position in the fall 2006 semester.

Patricia Covarrubias, an assistant professor in the communication and journalism department, said a feeling of shock and devastation came over her when she heard the news.

"I was the only one in the building when the e-mail came in that Brad was leaving," she said. "After reading the e-mail I started to cry."

Covarrubias said Hall played a key role in attracting her to UNM. One of the main reasons for coming to UNM was to collaborate with Hall, she said.

"UNM is losing a great mind and scholar who cannot be replaced," she said. "He's been the voice of reason on many issues within the department and his encouragement and advisement will surely be missed."

During Hall's reign as chair of C&J, Ilia Rodríguez was hired.

"My professional experience with Brad has been great since the first time I met him during my hiring process," Rodríguez said. "He has the type of personality that can make people feel comfortable even during a huge life-change, such as moving, and that's the type of professor and colleague we're losing."

Rodríguez said Hall's style as chair was appreciated by his colleagues. He is open to new ideas and opinions can be expressed freely and comfortably with support from Hall, she said.

"We are going to miss him," Rodríguez said. "We are also happy for this new chapter in his career, and I know that he will be successful anywhere he goes."

Current chair and associate professor John Oetzel said it will take a year for Hall's replacement to join the faculty at UNM. This year adjustments will have to be made by the current faculty members and students, he said.

Oetzel said the program is losing a lot with Hall leaving, but the program remains strong.

"We're never going to find anybody who can replace Brad, because he has a unique set of skills, and that's a compliment to him," he said. "At the same time we will go on, and continue to build the reputation of the program."

Oetzel said UNM has a minority doctoral scholarship program in which a student receives a doctorate degree at another university and comes back to UNM to teach. Tema Milstein is in that program and she will be replacing Hall in the fall of 2007, he said.

The last chapter in Bradford Hall's UNM career has been written. A new beginning for intercultural studies at UNM is underway, and the future for Utah State's communications program is bright with the addition of Hall.

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