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Bob Trader
  • Associate Professor of Communication & Cinema

Communication & Cinema
Robert Trader

I am a Communication generalist that is interested in a wide range of topics focusing predominantly on different aspects of message design and persuasion. How does one make a website that is functional, aesthetically pleasing, and that accomplishes the goal(s) for which it was built? How does one create a message or series of messages that would lead to a pro-social behavior such as practicing safe sex or donating to a worthy cause? How does one create oral messages that change people's views on timely topics such as the value of augmented reality for enhancing the museum experience? How does one construct a course that gets students to reflect upon where they see themselves fitting into the world around them? How does one know if a message design strategy has been successful? How can one increase the likelihood that a message design strategy will be successful? These are the types of questions that I want to spend my time contemplating. If you are interested in these types of questions, let's talk!

Education

2007
Ph.D. in Instructional Communication, University of Kentucky
2003
M.S.L.I.S. in Library and Information Science, University of Kentucky
1984
B.A. in Sociology, Miami University

Research Interests

  • Message design

  • Interactive media

  • Persuasion

Recent Courses

  • COM 3365: Japan Through Its Media

  • COM 1101: Interpersonal Communication

  • COM 3610: Visual Communication

Selected Publications

  • Trader, R. J. (2010). Publications and organizations in instructional technology and related fields. In Anglin, G. J. (ed.) Instructional Technology: Past, Present, and Future (3rd edition). Libraries Unlimited.

  • Kojima, K., & Trader, R. J. (2009). 400 simple expressions for business conversation. Tokyo, Japan: Z-Kai.

  • Kojima, K., & Trader, R. J. (2008). Baby talk. Tokyo, Japan: Goken.

  • Kojima, K., & Trader, R. J. (2006). Making progress with the TOEIC test. Tokyo, Japan: Kinseido.

Clubs and community involvement

  • Professional on Campus for Phi Delta Theta fraternity

  • Faculty Technology Committee

  • Global Fellows

  • Encompass Distinction

Robert Trader

"I like when students ask questions. I don’t always have the answers, but I will help you think about it. It seems to me that the most important questions in life (why was I born, who am I, what am I doing here, where do I go when this is all over?) have no definitive answers. Perhaps we are taxed with creating our own answers. I am who I have decided I can be, and I am doing what I believe to be the best use of my time and relatively short life span just as you are who you have decided you can be, and you are doing what you believe to be the best use of your time and relatively short life span. Our goal is to always dig deeper and wider."