Title: Professor Emeritus
Company: Towson University
Location: Sykesville, Maryland, United States
Richard E. Vatz, PhD, professor emeritus at Towson University, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements and leadership in higher education.
With 55 years of experience to his credit, Dr. Vatz has excelled as professor emeritus at Towson University since 2023. He served in a number of positions at the same, including as an assistant professor from 1975 to 1982, an appointed faculty member of the Honors College in 1982, an associate professor from 1982 to 1989, a full professor from 1989 to 2023 and a keynote speaker of the first “Towson’s Elite” Night in 2004. He began his career as an instructor at The Pennsylvania State University from 1969 to 1973. He garnered a stellar reputation as an instructor at North Carolina State University from 1973 to 1974. He found success as a Keynote Speaker addressing psychiatric rhetoric and the myths involving the insanity plea at Hillsdale College in 2013.
Before embarking on his professional path, Dr. Vatz pursued an education at the University of Pittsburgh where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, magna cum laude, in 1969, a Master of Arts in rhetoric and communication in 1970, and a PhD in rhetoric and communication in 1976. In addition to his primary vocation, he remains affiliated with various organizations in relation to his areas of expertise. He was and is a teaching fellow committee of the Eastern Communication Association and a memember of that committee therein.
Beyond his responsibilities within the field, Dr. Vatz has participated in numerous endeavors outside of his professional circles. He was appointed as a member of the rapid response team of the National Communication Association. He was and is a sponsor of the Eastern Communication Association’s Richard E. Vatz Agenda-Spin Persuasion Award and Towson University’s Richard E. Vatz Best Debater Award Endowment. He donates consistently to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the United Negro College Fund, the Jackie Robinson Foundation and various departments and interests of Towson University. Moreover, he authored “The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion: The Agenda-Spin Method” and co-edited works published in Transaction Publishers and Prometheus.
In light of his impressive undertakings, Dr. Vatz has accrued several accolades throughout his career. Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich and Governor Larry Hogan presented him with the governor’s citation for achievements in higher education in 2004 and 2022; Towson University presented him with the President’s Award for Distinguished Service, the award for First “Towson’s Elite” Night, the Faculty Volunteer Service Award, and the University Merit Award in 1984, 1988 and 1990. He received Outstanding Teaching Grants each year between 1977 and 1980 (the only faculty member to do so), the Thomas Szasz Civil Liberties Award, and was the first named faculty member of the year by the Towson University Student Government Association. He supported the student who won the Wadsworth Publishing Co. Inc. national oratory contest.
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