Dr. Darren Valenta

Assistant Professor, Communication Studies; Director of Speech Communication Studies

Dr. Darren Valenta joined the faculty in the communication studies and theatre art department at Concordia College in Fall 2021. He serves as an assistant professor of communication studies and the director of speech.

Degrees and Education:

Ph.D. in Communication Studies, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
M.A. in Communication Studies, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
B.A. in Communication Arts, Linfield College, McMinnville, Ore.

Research Interests:

His research interests include stand-up comedy, mental health, anxiety and depression, performance studies, critical communication pedagogy, and autoethnography.

Read some of Dr. Valenta’s work:

“Laughing at Pink Ribbon Culture: Tig Notaro’s Comedic Subversion of the She-ro.”
Text and Performance Quarterly

“Comedy Makes me Cry: Seeing Myself in Mediated Disclosures of Mental Illness.” 
Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research

Learn more about Concordia Speech

Contact

Dr. Darren Valenta

Assistant Professor, Communication Studies; Director of Speech Olin – 326