Dr. Greta Marlow
Professor of Communication
B.A., University of the Ozarks
M.A., University of Arkansas
Ph.D., University of Kansas
Office: 107 Boreham Business Building
Phone: (479) 979-1204
E-Mail: grmarlow@ozarks.edu
Dr. Marlow has taught a variety of communications courses at the University of the Ozarks since she joined the faculty in 1991. She came from a family of teachers and says she consequently grew up wanting to teach. After working in public information for a few years, Dr. Marlow accepted a teaching assistantship while working on her master's degree. She says "Within two or three class sessions, I knew there was no other job that would give me the same kind of satisfaction as helping students learn." This desire to "help students learn" and her enthusiasm in finding creative ways to teach communications earned her the University's Bagwell Outstanding Faculty Member award in 1998.
Dr. Marlow cites Ozarks' emphasis on teaching as being one of the things she likes best about the University. "Although I like doing research in my field, it seems to have a more limited impact than helping someone improve his speaking skills or helping someone work through an idea. That student may go on to help others, meaning my influence has gone much further than a single article printed in a journal." She believes a student's main goal in studying communications should be to make connections with others in a variety of contexts in a way that is both effective and ethically justifiable. She explains "Two important concepts are 'confirmation of the other,' defined by William Wilmot as 'showing that you believe that the other is worthy of notice' and 'rhetorical sensitivity,' which means a person has a varied repertoire of communication skills or strategies he can draw on for different situations." She continues "More than anything else, I hope students will take with them an enthusiasm for learning that will demand to be fed frequently throughout their lives!" She says her students here at Ozarks have taught her that good teaching -- the kind that gets results -- is hard work, but is worth the effort.
Away from Ozarks, Dr. Marlow enjoys spending time with her husband and two small children. She says that although this doesn't leave her much time for other leisure activities, she occasionally finds time for two other "passions" -- working on the old-fashioned patchwork quilts she enjoys making, and going "junking" at flea markets. She finds inspiration in the simple things in life, and believes people can learn a lot from taking a step back from the hectic day-to-day activities to enjoy these simple things. When asked what she would do differently if she were 18 again, her response was "Honestly? I wouldn't worry so much about whether or not I had a boyfriend. I would read a lot more, go to more concerts, discuss deep ideas with people, just generally have a very interesting life." She believes something as simple as a child's book can provide a perspective on life that many overlook. Dr. Marlow said "While reading to my kids, I've discovered children's books have a lot to say. If asked today [what book I would recommend] I would recommend Love You Forever by Robert Munsch or Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss. At night, the last thing I do before I go to bed is check on my kids. Their soft round cheeks are the inspiration that make me know that I have to do something that helps the world in some way, even if it is a very small way."
