Dorthy Pennington

Dorthy Pennington is an Associate Professor at the University of Kansas’s Communication Studies Department, with a secondary affiliation in African and African American Studies. She holds a Ph.D. in Speech Communication and Human Relations from the University of Kansas (1974). Her research focuses on intercultural communication, critical race theory, African American communication patterns, the discourse of terror and trauma, and regional church history. Pennington has received prestigious awards including the National Communication Association’s Teaching Excellence Award and induction into the University of Kansas Women’s Hall of Fame.

Her career highlights include co-authoring foundational works in interracial communication, directing the AAAS Undergraduate Research Forum, and contributing to community initiatives like the Lawrence Sesquicentennial Grant on African American church history. She has been a visiting scholar at institutions such as Oxford University and Texas Tech University, and served on national review boards, including the Ford Foundation Fellowships Program. Pennington’s service spans university committees, community organizations, and international academic collaborations.