Jane Cater, Ed.D.
Professor of Communications
Ed.D., University of Arkansas
M.A., Eastern Michigan University
B.S.E., Henderson State University
Office: Walker Hall
Phone: (479) 979-1352
E-Mail: jcater@ozarks.edu
In 1982, Dr. Jane Cater stepped onto the Ozarks campus and knew she had found something special. The friendly and supportive environment at Ozarks turned out to be the perfect place for her to help build a communications program that any university campus would be proud to claim.
Dr. Cater says that college teaching was always appealing to her. "The opportunity to help shape students' lives is both a joy and a challenge," she explains. Teaching communications at Ozarks has given Dr. Cater all the joy and challenge she was looking for -- it has given her the chance to become close to her students; to see them grow and change over time as they matured and developed academic abilities and life skills. She works hard to make sure the communications graduates will leave Ozarks with a strong sense of self-awareness, the ability to recognize personal strengths, a love of learning, and a professional, responsible attitude. To that end, Dr. Cater encourages her students to explore all the possibilities the field of communications has to offer. "Communications is a dynamic field that relates to so many different professional areas," she says. "For example, a graduate can prepare to work in television, documentary film-making, radio, advertising, public relations, media relations or other business-related fields." It is very satisfying to Dr. Cater to know that many of the Ozarks communications graduates have successfully completed graduate school or have successful careers in television, radio, or public relations.
In the spring of 2003, some big changes are coming to the Ozarks communications program, and Dr. Cater is very excited about the opportunities they will bring for her students. When Walker Hall, the University's new communications and education facility is completed, Ozarks students will have access to some of the very best communications facilities in the south. Among the many exciting features designed into the new facility are a state of the art television studio, a campus radio station, multimedia computer workstations, and a distance learning room. "Many of my long-term hopes and dreams for the communications discipline will be realized when this facility is completed," Dr. Cater says.
Dr. Cater says she finds inspiration to continue her busy schedule by listening to beautiful music, watching the sun set over the Ozark mountains, or spending time at the ocean, particularly off the coast of western Ireland. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and watching movies or documentary films.
