Daniel Modaff

Associate Professor Daniel Modaff specializes in Organizational Communication at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL), where he has served since 2010. He holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and has prior teaching experience at Ohio University and Western Kentucky University. His research focuses on workplace dynamics, cultural communication (particularly Lakota traditions), and pedagogy. Modaff has authored multiple textbooks, including the award-winning Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings, and has received several teaching awards. He currently teaches courses on professional presentations, organizational communication, and research methods.

Education:

• PhD (1995), University of Texas at Austin
• MA (1991), Northern Illinois University
• BS (1989), Northern Illinois University

Professional Roles:

• Former Director of Communication at Western Kentucky University
• Chair of UWL's Department of Racial and Ethnic Studies

Research Interests: Organizational ethics, cultural communication, workplace communication challenges, and educational strategies. His work on Lakota communication practices bridges indigenous knowledge with contemporary organizational theory.

Awards:

• 2022 Outstanding Textbook Award (Organizational Communication Division, NCA)
• Multiple university-level teaching awards

Grants & Service: Modaff has advised numerous theses and dissertations, contributed to academic service roles, and engaged in creative activities like producing radio documentaries on local history.