About
Joel S. Ward is an Associate Professor of Communication at Geneva College, located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Rhetoric from Duquesne University and a B.A. in English from Huntington University. His research focuses on mediated communication, persuasion, personality development, and ethical dimensions of AI in dialogue systems. Ward has presented at major conferences including the National Communication Association (NCA) and Religious Communication Association (RCA), and served as Awards Committee Chair for NCA’s Philosophy of Communication Division.
His recent work explores AI’s impact on parent-child communication and dialogic editing practices in education. Ward has authored book chapters on interfaith discourse and pietistic institutional identity, and his 2023 article on AI companionship in question-asking dynamics was featured in Listening: Journal of Communication Ethics, Religion and Culture. He has received teaching and research awards including the Richard H. Thames Teaching Award (2010) and Religious Communication Association’s Dissertation of the Year (2014).
In addition to academic roles, Ward consults as Partner & Content Strategist at Durable LLC. He actively reviews submissions for NCA and RCA, and maintains memberships in Eastern Communication Association (ECA), Religious Communication Association (RCA), and National Communication Association (NCA). Beyond academia, he enjoys bicycling, coffee brewing, reading, and songwriting.
