Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others, 10th edition

About our authors

Steven A. Beebe is Regents’ and University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies at Texas State University. He served as Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at Texas State for 28 years and concurrently as Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication for 25 years. Before joining Texas State University, he was on the faculty of the University of Miami (Florida) for 10 years.

Steve is the author or co-author of 15 widely used communication texts, most of which have been through multiple editions (including Russian and Chinese editions), as well as numerous articles, book chapters and conference presentations. He has been a Visiting Scholar at both Oxford University and Cambridge University, and has given lectures and conference presentations internationally. During his 15 visits to Russia, he helped to establish the first communication studies programs in that country.

Steve served as President of the National Communication Association and has received his university’s top awards for teaching, research and service. He was named a Piper Professor for the State of Texas. He received the Scholar of the Year Award by the Religious Communication Association and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Communication Association, Division of Training and Development. He also received the Wallace A. Bacon Lifetime Teaching Excellence Award from the National Communication Association. The National Speaker’s Association has named him Outstanding Communication Professor in America.

He enjoys traveling, reading, researching and writing about C. S. Lewis, and playing the piano. He is also a struggling cellist.

Susan J. Beebe’s professional interests and expertise encompass both oral and written communication. Sue has co-authored 3 texts and has published a number of articles and teaching materials in both English and communication studies. She has received the Texas State University Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching and in Service and the College of Liberal Arts Awards for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, in Teaching, and in Service. After serving as Director of Lower-Division Studies in English for 11 years, Sue retired in 2014 from the Department of English at Texas State. An active volunteer in the community of San Marcos, Texas, Sue was the founding coordinator of the San Marcos Volunteers in Public Schools Program and has served on the San Marcos School Board, the Education Foundation Board, and the Lifelong Learning Advisory Committee. The Texas Classroom Teachers’ Association has honored Sue with the statewide Friend of Education Award, and the San Marcos school district has presented her with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Sue enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with family.

Mark V. Redmond is an Associate Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies who retired in 2017 after 35 years at Iowa State University. In 2012, he received the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching. Besides this title, Mark has authored an introductory text on communication theory and research, edited an upper-level text in interpersonal communication, and co-authored a public speaking text. His research focuses on social decentering (taking into account another person’s thoughts, feelings, perspectives, etc.), 1 of the themes incorporated in this text. His research studies include expectations associated with male–female relationships, social decentering’s impact in marriage, initial interactions between strangers, adaptation in interpersonal interactions, and intercultural communication competence. After retiring, Mark consolidated this theory and research in his 2018 book, Social Decentering: A Theory of Other-Orientation Encompassing Empathy and Perspective-Taking, published by De Gruyter Oldenbourg. Since 2017, Mark posted 10 chapters on communication theory and social decentering and 4 selected research studies on the Iowa State University Digital Repository, and these materials have been viewed by more than 250,000 readers. He contributed an essay entitled “Communication Wisdom: Symbols, Decentering, Active Listening, and Facework” to the forthcoming book, Communication Wisdom: Insights on Communication Principles, Messages, and Relationships. With a desire to reach beyond college students, Mark and his colleague, Denise Vrchota, published an Amazon text in 2020 designed for professionals entitled, Giving Effective Everyday Presentations: Adapting to Supportive/Open, Indifferent/Ambivalent, and Opposed/Hostile Listeners. Mark is a Cyclone sports fan with an avocation for playing basketball at least 3 times a week (despite an aging hook shot). An unaccomplished piano and guitar player, he loves composing and writing songs and vows to someday complete the musical he’s been working on for 30 years. Mark and his wife Peggy have 3 children: Beth, a graduate of the University of Iowa and Mount Mercy University; Nicole, a graduate of Iowa State University and McCormick Theological Seminary; and Eric, a graduate of Iowa State University and Northwest Missouri State University.