The Department of Applied Communication hosts leadership lectures multiple times a year, highlighting research and work done by faculty and alumni in the areas of communication, management, and leadership. These lectures are free and open to the public.

Nathan Jeffers was our speaker for Fall 2025, and Dr. Robert C. Mock was our speaker for Spring 2026. See information below on this year’s lectures, as well as links to the lectures.

APPLIED COMMUNICATION LEADERSHIP LECTURE 鈥淎pplied Communication = Aspirational Careers鈥� Wed. Feb. 11, 2026 鈥� 6:30-7:30 p.m. Zoom with Dr. Robert C. Mock, Jr. Dr. Robert C. Mock, Jr. will present on how his University of Arkansas Little Rock education helped shape, elevate, and impact his multi-faceted career. He will share how Applied Communication assisted him in multiple Higher Education leadership roles, professional consulting, his spiritual life, serving the community on non-profit boards, and as an officer in the Arkansas Army National Guard after 9/11. Dr. Robert C. Mock, Jr., is currently President of Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska. Dr. Mock served the University of Maryland Eastern Shore from 2018-2025 as VP for strategic initiatives, chief of staff, VP for enrollment management & student experience, and interim athletic director. He has also served as President of Johnson & Wales University Charlotte Campus, VP for student affairs at the University of Kentucky, Associate VP for student affairs at 糖心Vlog传媒 Fayetteville, and Director of Recruitment & Retention, Associate Dean, and instructor at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Dr. Mock earned a B.S. in Engineering from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, an M.A. in Interpersonal & Organizational Communication, and an Ed.D. from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. He served in the Arkansas Army National Guard from 2002-2010.

“Applied Communication = Aspirational Careers”

See video of Robert Mock’s lecture , and Nathan Jeffers at .

This image provides information about the Fall 2025 lecture with Nathan Jeffers, which is entitled "More than a message: Building culture through brand and ethics." In this lecture, Nathan Jeffers explores how brand identity, ethical leadership, and organizational culture are deeply connected. When words and actions align, organizations build lasting trust and clarity, both internally and externally. Drawing on practical leadership insights and real-world examples, this session examines how values-based communication, recognition systems, and ethical consistency can shape a stronger, more unified culture. Attendees will leave with questions to reflect on, and strategies to help ensure that what their organization says is genuinely lived every day. Nathan Jeffers is the director of marketing and public relations for CARTI, a not-for-profit multidisciplinary cancer care provider with 18 locations across the state and Arkansas鈥� first cancer-focused surgery center. Before joining CARTI, he oversaw marketing and business development for a Central Arkansas-based specialty hospital.

鈥淢ore Than a Message: Building Culture Through Brand and Ethics鈥�

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Read more about past lectures or view some of the .