Howdy!

I teach in the Communications Studies (CMST) curriculum. My main courses are CMST 101 Introduction to Communication, CMST 210 Interpersonal Communication, and CMST 220 Public Speaking.

Education is my second career, I am a "recovering" journalist. I started my career in television in 1982, eventually working at CNN headquarters in Atlanta as a national desk assignment editor and business show producer. I have extensive experience as a freelance field producer for ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, Vice News, Al Jazeera America, among others.

My father is a retired college administrator and education professor. My mother immigrated to the U.S. from Germany when she was19 years old. I was born in Miami, Florida and my family moved about the southeast before settling in Columbus, Georgia. I began my working career in local TV news in Georgia and South Carolina where I made news stories, documentaries, sports programs, and way too many commercials.

In the field of education, I graduated from the University of Georgia (Bachelors and Masters) and did PhD coursework at Indiana University. Since 1994, I have been teaching journalism and communication at colleges including Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma (for 15 years), West Georgia State University, Lake Washington Technical Institute, as well as three years here at Highline College. My prettier and considerably more talented wife is journalist Kristin Fraser, who won three national Emmys as the West Coast Bureau Chief for Vice News. She is currently working on a variety of podcasts and projects. Please check out "Truth Be Told Presents: She Has A Name Podcast," a true-crime series hosted by Tonya Mosely.

My hobbies and interests include watching movies (favorite films include Apocalypse Now, The Big Lebowski, and Aliens) and playing computer games (Fallout, World of Warcraft, historical strategy games). I am a news and politics junkie, my favorite writers include George Orwell, Charles Krauthammer and Harlan Ellison, and I remain a long-suffering Miami Dolphins fan. My favorite band is the Beatles, favorite singer is Frank Sinatra. My wife and I like to travel widely (just returned from Ireland) and we taught a study abroad course in Australia on four occasions. We also enjoy hosting journalists from other countries at our home, high school students from Iraq in the summer, as well as caring for two house rabbits.