Rate My Professor Maria Blevins

Maria Blevins is an Associate Professor of Applied Communication in the Communications Department at Utah Valley University, where she joined as a Lecturer in 2013, was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2014, and advanced to Associate Professor in 2020. She earned her Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Utah in 2015, with a dissertation titled "Adopting Sustainability into the Mechanical Engineering Design Process: Organizational Change Through A Lens of Structuration," focusing on organizational, conflict, and environmental communication. Blevins also holds an M.A. in Organizational Communication Studies from the University of Montana in 2007 (Magna cum Laude), with a thesis on "The Socialization of Seasonal Employees"; a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resources Alternative Dispute Resolution from the University of Montana in 2007; and a B.S. in Recreation Management from the University of Maine at Machias in 1998 (Magna cum Laude). She teaches a range of courses including COMM 1020 Principles of Public Speaking, COMM 2120 Small Group Communication and Decision Making, COMM 3420 Communication and Conflict, COMM 3115 Environmental Communication, COMM 4170 Advanced Organizational Communication, and COMM 4930 Communication Senior Capstone, frequently incorporating fieldwork experiences such as trips to Capitol Reef Field Station and multiday river outings.

Blevins' research examines how organizations perform as actors in environmental conflicts, with expertise in organizational communication, conflict, and environmental communication. Selected publications include "Organizational policy communication research: Challenges, discoveries, and future directions" (Communication Reports, 2015, co-authored with H.E. Canary and S.S. Ghorbani, 31 citations); "“My Dude, Are You Tired? I’m Tired:” An Intersectional Methodological Intervention" (Frontiers in Communication, 2021, co-authored with A. Spielhagen and L.H. Hernández); "Cultural Meanings and Management Challenges: High Use in Urban-Proximate Wilderness" (International Journal of Wilderness, 2018, co-authored); "COMMcast: Producing Podcasts for Communication Theory" (Communication Teacher, 2020, co-authored with J.L. Taylor); and forthcoming "Perceptions of Crowding and Access to Affordances in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah: A Mixed Methods Analysis" (Northwest Journal of Communication, 2024, co-authored). Her contributions have earned awards such as the J. Robert Cox Award in Environmental Communication and Civic Engagement (National Communication Association, 2023), Utah Valley University Honors Mentor of the Year (2024), Outstanding Educator Award (2020), Faculty Excellence Award (2019), and Presidential Award for Community Engaged Faculty (2018). Blevins has delivered numerous presentations at conferences including the Western States Communication Association, National Communication Association, and International Association for Society and Natural Resources.