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Dr. Peter Andersen, professor of communication, San Diego State University, is the 2010 Thompson Lecturer at Western Illinois University.
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Sun Safety Topic of March 29 Thompson Lecture at WIU

March 11, 2010

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MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois University's department of communication will host the 20th Annual Wayne N. Thompson Lecture, "Sun Safety on the Slopes: A Health Communication Campaign on Sun Safety," at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 29 in the University Union Sandburg Theatre.

Presented by Peter Andersen, professor of communication at San Diego State University, the lecture, which is open free to the public, will be of interest to the general public and the medical community, according to Lisa Miczo, acting chair of communication.

Andersen has done extensive research on interpersonal relationships, persuasion and nonverbal communication. Much of his recent research focuses on cancer prevention, sun safety, helmet safety, tobacco control and homeland security, with recent publications in the Journal of Communication, The Journal of Health Communication, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Cancer Prevention and Control, The Handbook of Risk and Crisis Communication, Health Education and Behavior, Injury Prevention, Journal of Public Health Management and Practice and Pediatric Dermatology and Trauma.

He has been an investigator or consultant on 11 health communication grant teams from the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office of Homeland Security. Andersen has authored more than 150 book chapters, research papers and journal articles; and he has been recognized as one of the 100 most published scholars in the history of communication.

He has authored five books, including "The Handbook of Communication and Emotion." Three of his recently published books are "Nonverbal Communication: Forms and Functions" (2008), "Close Encounters: Communication in Relationships" (2007), with Laura Guerrero and Walid Afifi, and "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Body Language" (2004).

Andersen received his Ph.D. in communication at Florida State University (1975), his master's degree in communication from Illinois State University (1972) and his bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Illinois, Chicago (1969). He has been teaching at San Diego State University since 1981.

Western's annual lecture is named in honor of Wayne Thompson, a WIU alumnus and noted professor of speech communication. The Thompson endowment makes possible a number of departmental programs to enhance learning and scholarship in the field of communication, including the annual Thompson Lecture by a prominent scholar in the field.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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