Ohio University Professor Named Forensic Educator of the Year

Contact: Anne Keyser, external & alumni relations coordinator, Ohio University College of Communication, 740-593-0030 or keysera@ohio.edu

Editors: A photo of Jerry Miller is available at www.ohiou.edu/news/pix/MILLER_JERRY.JPG

ATHENS, Ohio (October 23, 2000) -- Jerry Miller, assistant professor of interpersonal communication and director of forensics at Ohio University, was named "Forensic Educator of the Year" at the Speech Communication Association of Ohio (SCAO) conference in Columbus this month.

Miller was nominated for the SCAO's annual award by his peers-forensics coaches and directors from universities across Ohio-in recognition of four years of forensic leadership at Ohio University and throughout the state.

"Hosting the national tournament probably helped too," said Miller, referring to the 30th National Forensics Association Collegiate Championship Tournament he organized on Ohio University's Athens campus in April. Ohio University's participants performed well at that tournament, placing sixth overall among 89 teams.

"This award really recognizes this whole program," Miller said, "not just my leadership but the talent and professionalism of the team."

But team members give the credit to Miller himself. "His enthusiasm for forensics has given me the self-confidence necessary to succeed in competition and in the professional world," said Leslie Hampel, a senior accounting major from Fort Wright, Ky., and a fourth-year forensic team member in platform and limited preparation speaking.

The program continues to be strong this year, according to Miller, even though many of its members graduated in June.

"Losing all that senior talent served as a motivator and drew in new members," he said. "It's a young team but very strong."

Miller's 30-member squad is already showing its strength. Sending the team in two different directions on the weekend of October 7 proved to be a positive move for the team. Half of the team competed in the Otterbein College tournament, where four members earned first-place finishes in individual events. The other half of the team competed in a pair of tournaments hosted at George Mason University. Numerous top place finishes were earned in individual event competition, and Ohio University placed first and second, respectively, in team sweepstakes.

After becoming involved in forensics during high school, Miller attended Bethel College in Kansas on a forensics scholarship and served as director of forensics at the University of Oklahoma and Pittsburg (Kan.) State University before coming to Ohio University's College of Communication in 1996.

The Ohio University team will host its own tournament on the Athens campus Nov. 3-4.