Photo by: Jill Hamilton
There is perhaps no greater example of dedication to the University of Denver and the city of Denver than found in communications professor Roy Wood. His work both in and out of the classroom and his connection with DU has led him to become a famous figure within the DU community and the greater Denver area.
Born in Salida, Colo., Wood knew early on that he was interested in communication studies. Only two universities in the state at the time offered the major – he made the fateful choice of DU.
After completing his B.A. in communications and English, he went on to get a Master’s degree at DU and received his Ph. D in psychology and communications from DU in 1965.
Wood is one of only a few DU alums to have received all three of his degrees here, and then returned to teach.
“I really loved the education that I got,” said Wood. “I was eager to study with the faculty.”
But why communications? It is a word with many definitions, but for Wood the topic is clearly defined.
“I really have been fascinated with how much of our humanity comes from the way we treat each other, comes from communication,” said Wood.
His work includes looking for ways to increase self-understanding and dialogue between people. Wood’s interest in communications was partially borne from the ‘60s Hippie movement, “you know, loving each other,” he said with a smile.
Wood teaches mostly graduate classes, but within the past five years he also began teaching an undergraduate Honors course in communications. The course is highly popular with students, many of whom take it during their first quarter at DU.
“Professor Wood is fantastic,” said freshman Political Science major Charlie Schmidt, who took Wood’s Honors course in communications during the fall quarter. “He let the students lead the class. He gave us a lot of credit for being smart – it was a respect thing. Instead of him leading us to an answer, we searched for an answer together. I’d take his class again and again if I could.”
Wood’s class structure is often unique.
“I designed my graduate courses like a studio art class,” he said. “We use lots of qualitative research methods and field research. It’s so much better to do something rather than talk about it,” said Wood.
Working with students has greatly contributed to Wood’s work.
“Both graduates and undergraduates always influence me in some way or another,” said Wood.
In his early days as a DU professor, he coached a debate team. The book he wrote through his experiences with the debate team, “Strategic Debate,” has been a great success and gone through many editions.
Recently Wood worked with a graduate student on an article about Obama’s speech on race. Wood’s current project deals with “the place of silence in communication; the silent demands of communication, love and ethics.”
Recently, Wood has also focused his attention on what might seem like a very different discipline: painting. He uses his skills as an artist to further explore communication and ethics.
“I have a whole series on homeless people,” said Wood. “They are wonderfully interesting-looking people. I give them money in exchange for taking a picture of them, then I paint their portrait.”
Any student of Wood will recognize the significance of “the homeless person” as “the face of the Other,” an important concept within the discipline of communications and ethics.
But Wood does much more than just academics.
Four years ago, he was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives Ethics Advisory panel, an independent group which works to distance politics from inappropriate influence.
After completing his term in June of 2011, Wood was invited by the mayor of Denver to join the City of Denver Board of Ethics. All of this is in addition to directing the Center for Civic Ethics at DU.
Wood’s work on these boards is a continuation of his classroom philosophy, where he makes it clear that it is always so much better to do rather than say.
