SOU’s Ruggerio receives Distinguished Teaching Award

(Ashland, Ore.) — Alena Ruggerio,  a professor of communication at Southern Oregon University, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award by the Western States Communication Association (WSCA), one of the leading academic organizations in the field of communication studies.

The WSCA Distinguished Teaching Award is presented annually and honors educators who demonstrate excellence in teaching, innovative instruction and a sustained impact on student learning and engagement. Ruggerio was recognized at the association’s annual conference for more than two decades of transformative instruction, mentorship and leadership in inclusive education.

“For her exceptional contributions to communication education, her scholarly advancement of inclusive pedagogy, and her unwavering commitment to teaching for liberation, mutual humanity and engaged citizenship, we are honored to present the WSCA Distinguished Teaching Award to Dr. Alena Ruggerio,” award presenter Ashley Givens, Associate Dean of Communication & Performing Arts at Salt Lake Community College, said in the official announcement.

Known across the SOU campus for her signature closing, the “Ruggerio Benediction” — “Go forth and use wisely every heartbeat” — Ruggerio encourages her students to dedicate their energy to meaningful communication. “The goal is to encourage my students to put the heartbeats they’ve chosen to spend with me to wise use in communicating for liberation, communicating our mutual humanity and communicating citizenship,” Ruggerio said.

Ruggerio’s teaching portfolio spans foundational and advanced courses in public speaking, persuasion, political communication, gender studies and more. She is celebrated for employing student-centered learning practices, including “Question of the Day” discussions, and learning contracts that empower students to shape their educational journeys. Her creative teaching practices include sensory-based chapter facilitation and community-centered speech competitions, which tie academic theory to social impact.

In addition to her teaching, Ruggerio contributes extensively to the field of communication education. She has published influential course syllabi and co-facilitated university-wide initiatives in antiracism and curriculum decolonization. Her work integrates feminist rhetorical theory and international perspectives, including leading study abroad programs in Spain and Greece.

“Alena embodies the ideal of a teacher-scholar-mentor,” said Andrew Kenneth Gay, dean of the School of Arts & Communication at SOU. “Her classrooms are not just sites of knowledge transmission but spaces of transformation. She challenges students to think critically, care deeply and act courageously. We are incredibly proud of her and grateful for the profound impact she has on our university community.”

Ruggerio has previously received SOU’s Distinguished Teaching Award and Distinguished Service Award, as well as national recognition from AHA International. She is the editor of “Media Depictions of Brides, Wives and Mothers,” and co-author of “Feminism in Practice: Communication Strategies for Making Change.”

The Western States Communication Association represents scholars, educators and practitioners across a wide range of communication fields, including public speaking, interpersonal communication, health and environmental communication, and studies of identity and difference. Founded at a speech and debate tournament, WSCA continues to evolve in step with the discipline, recognizing outstanding contributions to research, service and teaching in the Western region of the U.S.

For more information, please contact Michele Fulkerson, office specialist for SOU’s Department of Communication, Media & Cinema, at (541) 552-6669 or fulkersom@sou.edu.

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