David C. Bailey, Ph.D.
Director of Forensics, and
Chair of the Bob R. Derryberry School of
Communication Arts;
Southwest Baptist University
Bolivar, MO 65613
Educational and Professional Background: Dr. David Bailey earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University (2008), his M.A. from Missouri State University (2002), and his B.A. from Southwest Baptist University (2000). Before coming back “home” to SBU in the Fall of 2010 he served as an Assistant Professor and Director of Forensics at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho.
Besides serving as the Director of Forensics, and Chair of the Bob R. Derrberry School of Communication Arts, Dr. Bailey is a productive teacher and scholar of rhetorical theory and public address. The bulk of his scholarship explores the use of religious rhetorical forms in contemporary presidential discourse from Jimmy Carter through George W. Bush and beyond. He often presents his research at the national conventions of the National Communication Association and the Rhetoric Society of America. His scholarship has appeared in Sizing up Rhetoric, the Encyclopedia of Political Communication, and the journal Rhetoric & Public Affairs.
As a speech and debate coach he believes that student-competitors learn best when challenged to excel. He often uses the term “excellence” to describe both his expectations of the forensics students and the speech and debate program itself. In the classroom, he endeavors to use engaging instructional methods to help students understand the importance of communication as more than just an academic discipline, but as a touchstone to professional success and a vital life skill. He wants his students to not only understand more about all of these areas of communication, but to acquire a passion for using finely-honed communication skills to responsibly and positively influence those around them.
Hobbies and Interests: In his free time (what there is of it) he enjoys spending time with his wife Jodee and their son Ethan. He also enjoys watching basketball (he is an ardent fan of the San Antonio Spurs), reading works of history, and coming up with new creations on his backyard barbeque grill.