John Daly (Ph.D., Purdue University, 1977) is the Liddell Centennial Professor of Communication, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, TCB Professor of Management, and an Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy. He has published more than one hundred articles and chapters in scholarly publications, and completed six books. Daly's interests focus on practical ways of improving the communication skills of individuals. Thus, he has examined topics such as shyness, personality difference in communication, communication difficulties people experience in their personal and professional relationships, and ways people advocate for their ideas.

Daly has served as editor of Communication Education and co-editor of Written Communication, as well as a member of the editorial boards of ten different academic journals. He has also consulted with numerous organizations, both public and private, on communication issues. In recent years, he has worked with the White House on issues related to customer service and communication. Daly has been the winner of every campus-wide undergraduate teaching award. He was named a Fellow of the International Communication Association in recognition of his scholarly work. He has taught classes in interpersonal communication, persuasion and attitude change, and empirical research methods.

Professionally, he has served on the Board of Directors of ICA, the International Customer Service Association, and the Administrative Council of the National Communication Association. He has served as President of the National Communication Association and Chair of the Council of Communication Societies.

From John: For many years I’ve been teaching courses at UT, both in McCombs and in the College of Communication, on topics related to “people skills.” What does it take to be an effective advocate for your ideas? How can you get your messages across to others in memorable ways? Why are some people more likeable than others? Why are some people more successful leaders than others?

In addition to my research and teaching at UT, I’ve spent time working with companies world-wide on issues such as leadership, influence, communication, teamwork, and customer loyalty. When visiting those firms I often chat with senior folks. Invariably, I seek their wisdom on what it takes to succeed in their organizations. They often give me very insightful observations. What’s impressive is how much of what they tell me matches quite nicely with academic research on interpersonal and organizational effectiveness (never forget, UT is in the research business as well as the teaching business).

Daly teaches the following courses as part of the Texas Executive Education open enrollment program: Advocacy - Champion Yourself and Your Ideas; Building Engagement; Leading Change; Leading High-Performance Teams; Virtual Leadership - Leading Dispersed Teams.