John A. Jones

John A. Jones is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He holds multiple leadership roles, including serving on the UIC Faculty Senate and chairing the Chancellor’s Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics. His research focuses on persuasion, conflict management across public, business, and intercultural contexts, credibility dynamics, nonverbal communication, and humor. His work has been published in journals such as Rhetoric and Public Affairs, Communication Education, and International Journal of Humor.

Dr. Jones holds a PhD in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is highly recognized for teaching excellence, earning seven Silver Circle Awards and five AMOCO Awards. Beyond academia, he has served as Parliamentarian for UIC’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Faculty Senate, and has led professional organizations including the Rhetorical Theory and Criticism Division and Communication Theory Division of the Central States Communication Association.

Active in civic engagement, Jones is a Deputy Voter Registrar, a national member of Leaders for Democracy, and Chicago Chair of the Center for Life and Learning’s Great Ideas Group. His contributions span academic leadership, pedagogical innovation, and community service.