Ralph E. Hanson is a professor in the communication department at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he teaches courses in writing, blogging, reporting, and mass communication. Previously, he was on the faculty at West Virginia University and Northern Arizona University. He has been teaching introduction to mass communication for more than twenty-five years, and he has worked extensively on developing online courses and degree programs. Hanson has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and anthropology from Iowa State University, a master’s degree in journalism from Iowa State, and a doctorate in sociology from Arizona State University. He recently completed a book chapter on the long-standing connections between the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and the NFL’s Super Bowl. When Ralph is not out on his motorcycle riding to places a long way from Nebraska, he is blogging on mass communication issues at http://ralphehanson.com. He tweets as @ralphehanson.
