James Keaten

• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Harvard University, Comparative World Religions
• Ph.D., Penn State University, Speech Communication; Statistics
• M.A., Penn State University, Speech Communication
• B.A., Montclair State University, Speech Communication; Mathematics

Professor Keaten started at UNC in 1991 and teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in intercultural communication, quantitative research methodology, leadership, and interfaith communication.

Other Experience:

Professor Keaten has served as international consultant for the customer support industries globally, including India, Central America, and the Philippines. He has a successful history in business consulting, covering such topics as instrument development, intercultural training, psychometric analysis, leadership development, and strategic planning.

Dr. Keaten maintains four research tracks: (1) reticence—the study of individuals who are chronically silent, (2) cross-cultural research on Japanese versus American communication behaviors and predispositions, (3) the challenges and opportunities of pluralistic interfaith dialogue, and (4) the relationship between communicative disposition and use of computer mediated communication.

Dr. Keaten’s research appears in journals such as Journal of Communication, Communication Education, Communication Quarterly, Communication Research Reports, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, and Japanese Psychological Research.  He serves/served on the editorial boards of Communication Education, Communication Quarterly, Communication Reports, and Journal of Intercultural Communication Research.

Professor Keaten is the recipient of both the College Scholar Award and the Distinguished Scholar Award. In recognition of his teaching, Professor Keaten is the recipient of Mortar Board Favorite Professor Award and Professor of the Year, awarded by the UNC Student Senate.