Alex Rister

Biography

Dr. Alex Rister serves as the Program Chair for the Bachelor of Science in Communication and as Co-Director for VECTOR, Worldwide’s virtual communication center. She holds M.A. degrees in both Communication and English as well as a Ph.D. in Texts and Technology from the University of Central Florida. 

With over 15 years of higher education experience, Alex's primary teaching interests include organizational communication, business communication, as well as public speaking and presentation. Her research aligns with her professional service and community volunteer work on communication for social change, especially on issues important to girls and women. She is interested in the communicative elements of advocacy, awareness, and leadership for social change at the individual and organizational levels. 

Alex is Immediate Past President of the Junior League of Greater Orlando, a women’s civic leadership nonprofit organization, and serves on the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) Governance Committee. She is the Secretary for the National Communication Association’s Activism and Social Justice Division, on the Executive Board of the Florida Communication Association, and on the Membership Committee for the Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars.

Education

• Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Texts and Technology, University of Central Florida
• M.A. - Master of Arts in Communication: Interpersonal Communication, University of Central Florida
• M.A. - Master of Arts in English, University of North Florida
• Graduate Certificate in Gender Studies, University of Central Florida
• B.A. - Bachelor of Arts in English, University of Florida
• A.A. - Associate of Arts in Communications and Journalism, Chipola College

Courses Taught

COMD 362 - Communication and Organizational Culture

COMD 460 - Crisis Communication

ENGL 222 - Business Communication

SPCH 219 - Speech

Publications

• Research Scholars Workshop: Research Posters that Engage (Faulconer, Emily, Deters, Robert, Terwilliger, Brent, Rister, Alex, Velez, Meghan) Active Research (2023)
• Presenting with Confidence (Rister, Alex) Undergraduate Webinars (2022)

Memberships and Credentials

Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars, International Communication Association, National Communication Association, Southern States Communication Association, Florida Communication Association

Awards, Honors and Recognitions