Academics Colleges College of Liberal Arts Communication Studies Department  Communication Studies Faculty Amy Hermodson

Amy Hermodson

Educational Background

  • PhD: University of Denver
  • MA: Michigan State University
  • BA: Concordia College | Moorhead, MN

Personal Statement

I’ve lived in Seattle, WA; W. Lafayette, IN; Moorhead, MN; E. Lansing, MI; Denver, CO; and the greater Louisville, KY area, but Winona, MN is the place I call home. I came here in 2000, fell in love with this area and its people, and cannot imagine living in any other place. 

I love anything that takes me into our outdoor spaces – hiking, biking, canoeing/kayaking, camping, cross-country skiing/snowshoeing, swimming, fishing on open water and the ice, ice skating, hanging out in our parks and beaches, gardening, and sitting around a campfire in the company of family, friends, and my rescue dog. 

I am an enthusiast of yoga, coffee/tea, animals, traveling domestically and abroad, bacon, my local co-op and farmers market, and the occasional days in which I have nowhere to go and nothing to do so I can have moments where I can “just be.”

Professional Statement

What drew me to Communication Studies as a student and kept me in Communication Studies in my professional life, is the infinite possibilities and flexibility of the degree to do whatever interests me at whatever moment I am in life. 

Communication Studies has: 

  • taken me around the world to study other countries and cultures
  • helped me understand the diffusion of human innovations and how to plan, implement, promote, and sustain innovative technologies, training programs, campaigns, and ideas
  • given me the opportunity to interact with both newlywed and elderly couples whose insights led to better understanding of how we can have satisfactory and long-lasting relationships in our lives
  • provided me the tools to help myself and others be better teachers through the scholarship of teaching and learning
  • been the source of countless opportunities for doing community engagement, networking, conflict mediation, and social media projects

My greatest passion for Communication Studies, social support and social networking/capital, is the gift that was given to me when my first child was born still. Losing a child could have easily destroyed me and my family, but seeing first-hand the powerful experiences and resources one can gain through the support and communication of friends, family, and community is something that will be remembered and passed along as a gift to others for the rest of my life.

Courses Taught at Winona State

  • CMST 191: Introduction to Public Speaking
  • CMST 281: Intercultural Communication
  • CMST 282: Introduction to Communication Studies
  • CMST 321: Conflict and Communication
  • CMST 357: Communication in Social Media
  • CMST 380: Communication Research Methods
  • CMST 381: Advanced Intercultural Communication
  • CMST 385: Health Communication
  • CMST 387: Advanced Interpersonal Communication
  • CMST 451: Topics in Communication Studies (Family Communication)
  • CMST 485: Senior Seminar in Communication Theory
  • CMST 499: Independent Study
  • OR 100: Orientation
Contact
Amy Hermodson (PhD)
Professor

DuFresne PAC 209

507.457.5482