Education:

BA: Speech and Radio-TV, Brooklyn College, 1968

MA: Speech and Radio-TV, University of Michigan, 1972

PhD: Communications, Michigan State University, 1975

Research Interests:

I'm particularly interested in studying the uses and effects of the media in everyday life, focusing on the ways in which media are fit into family life. In the last few years, I've examined how husbands and wives evaluate the role of television in their married lives and have also taken a uses and gratifications approach to adolescents and MTV. Beyond this, I'm interested in the diffusion of news and information as well as advertising issues, including ads directed to children. Recently, with one of my graduate students, I've looked at privacy issues and ways in which marketers attempt to get information from users on web sites geared to children. And, in a recent study supported by the Kaiser Family Foundation, I explored the amount, placement, and timing of PSAs in television. I use an empirical approach to addressing research questions, relying on telephone survey, lab experimentation, and content analytic methods.

Current and Recent Teaching Activity:

I enjoy teaching a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses. On the undergraduate level, I teach our introductory and advanced advertising courses (T340 and T441) and a methods course assessing media audiences (T348). On the graduate level, I've taught our required introductory methods course (T502) as well as advanced seminars (T602) such as one on the uses and gratifications approach.

Beyond these formal courses, I've worked with a group of IU undergraduates as they engage in year-long advertising competitions, culminating in very demanding and competitive written and oral presentations. In 1997, we finished second in regional competition, losing by a whisker to a much larger group of students from Michigan State University. In 2000, our team won our region and placed second nationally, a wonderful experience!

Relevant Experience:

I've been teaching since 1968, beginning with a two year stint as a Peace Corps Volunteer in India. Before coming to IU in 1979, I taught for four years at the University of Buffalo in its Department of Communication. I've been conducting research since I began graduate school and, in addition to doing academic research, have served as a research consultant for a number of radio and television stations, cable franchises, and advertisers seeking additional information about their target audiences. To gain real world insights for my advertising courses, I've walked the streets with advertising sales reps, talked with advertising sales managers, sat in on sales meetings, and held a mid-career internship at a major ad agency in New York City.

Approach to Work:

I like to hang out at my office and, other than when I'm swimming, can be found in the office throughout the day. As such, I'm available to talk and work with students. I approach each course I teach as serious business and expect each student to do the same. Students say I'm demanding. I like that, as long as I'm also considered fair.

Now, in my 23rd year at IU, I still feel very positively about my department, IU, and Bloomington. The department has a dedicated and wonderful faculty and terrific, state-of-the-art facilities. And, IU, with its strengths in so many areas of inquiry, is a great university. (Family commitment on this: my wife [Jane] serves as an associate director in IU's Office of Admissions; my daughter [Rachel] completed her BA at IU, majoring in Spanish and Psychology; my son [David] completed his BFA here [in painting, a program in IU's School of Art].)

Finally, I'm also delighted to serve as Chair of my department. To me, that means working for students and faculty (and alums, too), trying to make the most of everyone's experience with and in the department. As Chair, my door is open to you. Feel free to stop in or, if it's easier, drop me an e-mail note at gantz [at] indiana.edu.