Wheaton named president of Southern States Communication Association
Patrick G. Wheaton, Ph.D., professor of communication studies in Georgia Southern’s Department of Communication Arts, was recently elected president of the Southern States Communication Association (SSCA) during its 95th annual conference.
“SSCA has been my primary scholarly home for most of my academic career,” Wheaton said. “The research and collegiality of its members is an asset to the discipline. It is a great honor to have been chosen by my colleagues to serve as their president.”
A life member of SSCA, Wheaton was elected to the association’s leadership track in 2023. As second vice president, he organized the 2024 Undergraduate Honors Conference. He then served as first vice president, planning the 2025 conference held in Norfolk, Virginia.
In his role as president, Wheaton will lead the association in developing its five-year strategic plan and guide initiatives related to the teaching and study of human communication. He will also represent SSCA at the National Communication Association and work with leaders from the other three regional communication associations. His term will conclude with the 2026 SSCA conference in Birmingham, Alabama.
Wheaton’s longstanding service to the association includes chairing several award and governance committees and leading divisions focused on free speech, argumentation and forensics, and political communication. He has also mentored Georgia Southern students presenting research at SSCA’s Undergraduate Honors Conference every year since 2003.
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