Diana K Leonard

Biography

Diana Leonard, Ph.D., joined The Department of Communication at The University of Arizona in Fall, 2000. She is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Public Speaking for the department. Her teaching includes introduction and advanced small group, argumentation, introduction and advanced public speaking, and interpersonal conflict. Dr. Leonard also served as Undergraduate Advisor and Advising Coordinator for the department’s majors and minors from 2001-2008. Her interests in advising and working with transfer students led to her doctoral research on the influences community college teachers have on their students’ decisions to transfer to a four-year institution. Her public speaking textbook (with Dr. Ray Ross), Introduction to the Speech Making Process, 2020, is in its 15th edition. Dr. Leonard also co-authored The Pursuit of Truth: A Primer on Argumentation, 3rd edition (2020), with Dr. Michael Dues and Dr. Mary Brown. She is a contributing author to the ebook, Public Speaking for the Curious: Why Study Public Speaking, (2015), an online manual for college and university students and professionals. Dr. Leonard leads communication-training seminars and consults for private clients and organizations in decision-making processes, communication strategies, and presentation skills.

Degrees

• Ph.D. Higher Education
• The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States
• Shaping Fuzzy Goals through Teacher-Student Interaction: A Detailed Look at Communication between Community College Faculty and Transfer Students
• M.A. Speech Communication
• San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States
• Comprehensive Exams: Culture and Communication, Teaching Communication, Qualitative Methodology
• B.A. Psychology
• The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States