Business professionals with communications experience

Our instructors bring a first-hand knowledge of business communication to the classroom. All of our instructors are either business professionals or have had prior business experience.

Julie Alexander is an alumna of the University of Colorado and received her BA with honors in Communication and Film Studies and her MA with high distinction in Communication and Media Studies. She has taught and worked as faculty and administrative staff at both 2-year and 4-year higher education institutions, and taught as an adjunct instructor for many years. She has also worked in the private sector for global organizations, including a Fortune 500 company, with a specialty in establishing diversity, equity, and inclusion in work environments and workforces. 

Barbara Baker received her BS in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Iowa, her Masters in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Phoenix, and her CPCU from The Insurance Institute of America. Barb has spent nearly 20 years as the director of advertising and community relations at Grinnell Mutual after eight years in the training and development department. She serves on a number of local and state non-profit boards and task forces. She is in her eighth year of teaching BCaP and enjoys helping students develop life-long communication skills and prepare for successful professional careers. 

Stephanie Batterson has worked with Tippie students since 2015 as an instructor, tutor, and grader. As a former faculty member in the Rhetoric Department, Stephanie taught Business Rhetoric to Tippie direct-admits, as well as upper-division courses in English at UI and at Coe College as a Visiting Assistant Professor. Most recently, she served as instructor for a section of the PhD Summer Writing Program run by the Frank Center. Stephanie holds a PhD in English from the University of Iowa, an MA in Liberal Studies from the CUNY-Graduate Center, and a BA in Creative Writing from UCSD. Her writing has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as American Studies, Studies in American Naturalism, and Cather Studies.

Pamela Bourjaily is an Associate Professor of Instruction and the Director of the Frank Business Communication Center at the Tippie College of Business. As Frank Center director, she designs and oversees the required core undergraduate course, BUS 3000: Business Communication and Protocol, as well as other undergraduate business communication electives and college business communication programming, including the Ph.D. Writing Program initiative. Prior to directing the Frank Center, Pam built and expanded the college’s Department of Accounting writing program, one of the first business departmental writing initiatives in the country.

Anna Bruno is a writer and teacher, focused on storytelling. Previously, Anna managed public relations and marketing for technology and financial services companies in Silicon Valley. She holds an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, an MBA from Cornell University, and a BA from Stanford University. She lives in Iowa City with her husband, two sons, and blue heeler. Her first novel, Ordinary Hazards, was published in 2020.

Carl Follmer is originally from the Washington D.C. area but received all of his degrees at Iowa. He completed his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature in 2016 and wrote his dissertation on fascist children's propaganda in Germany and Spain. While in graduate school, Carl tutored in the Frank Center for two years, and was hired to direct the Accounting Writing Program in 2015. He lives in Iowa City with his wife and 4 children.

Patrick Highland has spent his entire career connecting education and employment.  He recently retired from a long career with the Iowa City Community School District where he supervised Career and Technical Education.  He currently teaches Business Communication and Protocol and two courses in the MBA program--Effective Managerial Communications and Influence and Constructive Persuasion. He has written several newspaper and journal articles and is the author of textbooks.

Gillian Lederman earned her BA and MA degrees from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, having spent one year as an exchange student at the University of Iowa. She received her MBA from the University of Iowa. Gillian has taught business communication and French courses at 4-year higher education institutions for the past several years. However, her early career began at the London Stock Exchange where she focused on capital market development in emerging markets. She has also served as a consultant to multinational corporations seeking to expand their business into overseas markets.

David Miessler-Kubanek (he/him) is a lifelong learner and an accidental businessperson who has participated in the entrepreneurial ecosystem for nearly a decade as a founder, coach, and consultant for startups through Iowa JPEC and small businesses with the SBDC. He is an alumnus of the University of Iowa with a BA in English – specializing in poetry – and a BFA in Art. In a past life, David worked at the Cedar Rapids Gazette for about eight years and taught graphic design at Kirkwood Community College for three years. Additionally, he owns and has operated a freelance business called DMK Creative since 2006. David lives with his wife in Cedar Rapids.

Sam Perkins has worked in health care administration for the past 10 years and recently took a job in June 2022 overseeing all the patient experience operations at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Prior to that, he worked at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for 8.5 years in a variety of management/leadership roles. He graduated with his MBA from the University of Iowa with a Certificate in Leadership in May 2021, and also has a Masters of Science in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University that he completed in May 2011.

Meredith Ringel-Ensley is Assistant Director of the Frank Business Communication Center and Adjunct Instructor. As Assistant Director, she oversees the peer tutoring program in communication and manages Frank Center operations. Before coming to the Frank Center, Meredith taught writing and literature at Yale University, Southern Connecticut State University, and University of North Carolina. She holds a PhD from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and a BA from Brown University.

Mike Stutzman is a seasoned Human Resources and Leadership professional with over 25 years of progressive leadership, technical, and human resources experience. Areas of focus include strategic planning, transformational leadership, organizational development, knowledge management, organizational capability, and change management. Mike has worked in several industries including aerospace, finance, transportation, social services and telecommunications. Mike's education includes a BA in Business Management, an MBA with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership, and a PhD in International Business with an emphasis in Organizational Behavior. Mike is currently the Director of Organizational Effectiveness at CRST The Transportation Solution, Inc., headquartered in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Alex Taylor has a wide range of professional experience to include executive leadership, business development, marketing, and business communications in a range of industries including telecommunications, computer hardware/software, manufacturing, commercial printing, higher education, and A/I medical device development. He is currently the managing director for the Iowa Startup Accelerator where he helps lead a venture-funded portfolio of startup businesses towards repeatable and scalable growth. Additionally, Alex, along with his wife, co-owns and operates Woofables Gourmet Dog Biscuit Bakery, a successful manufacturing and distribution company.

Toby Veeder is originally from Decorah, IA. He received his PhD in English in 2014 from Northern Illinois University. He teaches Business Writing at the University of Iowa and a variety of English classes at Kirkwood Community College. His research interests include trauma in American literature and culture, teaching and writing in the disciplines, and multi-modal composition and rhetorical theory. He lives in Mount Vernon, IA with his wife and two children.