Laughton Messmer

Laughton Messmer serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Communication Studies and Storytelling within East Tennessee State University's School of Humanities and Social Sciences, while also directing the institution's competitive Speech and Debate Team. With continuous service since 2000, he represents a cornerstone of ETSU's communication education infrastructure.

His academic credentials include:

• Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Truman State University
• Master of Arts in Communication from Indiana State University

Mr. Messmer's professional focus centers on foundational communication pedagogy through General Education courses emphasizing practical skill development. His teaching portfolio in Fundamentals of Communication, Public Speaking, and Argumentation & Debate forms the bedrock of student competency development across ETSU's undergraduate programs. As Debate Coach, he extends this expertise into competitive arenas, cultivating critical thinking and persuasive communication abilities through hands-on tournament preparation and team strategy development.

While not research-focused in the traditional academic sense, his contributions manifest in student skill acquisition and competitive success within national debate circuits. The department's robust student organization ecosystem—including the Speech and Debate Team he coaches—provides tangible outlets for applied learning that complement classroom instruction.

His enduring commitment to ETSU since 2000 reflects deep integration with both the university's academic mission and the Johnson City community, where he resides with his family while maintaining active engagement with campus life through multiple student-facing roles.