FACULTY - DAVID LAPAKKO
David V Lapakko
Associate Professor
lapakko@augsburg.edu
Being
in the communication field, sometimes people ask me, “What’s
to know about that? I communicate all the time!” Well, if simply
talking is “communicating,” then I suppose that’s true.
But of course, this point of view doesn’t address the issue of
whether we communicate well. And the reality is that most of us don’t.
(That includes me, more often than I like to admit!)
Half of all marriages end in divorce. Millions of employees are miserable
because of the communication climate within their workplace. Huge cultural
rifts exist in our world that help explain the violence we currently
confront on an international scale. And I think we’ve all heard
people give public presentations (sermons, lectures, sales talks, etc.)
that cried out for more skillful execution. In short, effective communication
is an important part of everyday life, and it’s my job to enable
students to interact with the world in a more enlightened, capable, and
credible manner.
The communication major is designed to develop both awareness and skill in all contexts of communication: in interpersonal and small group settings, in organizational life, across cultures, in public speaking situations, and with the use of electronic media. I am a generalist in the field and regularly teach the following courses: Argumentation, Persuasion, Intercultural Communication, and Organizational Communication. I also teach a course on the Ethics of Communication in Augsburg’s Master of Arts in Leadership Program, and a Critical Thinking course within the General Education program. Occasionally, I also teach Public Speaking and Interpersonal Communication. I’m also the only one in our department who, in a distant past life, taught high school for a few years—so secondary education licensure issues often wind up on my lap.
I’m a Minnesota boy. With the exception of a year and a half in Los Angeles, I’ve lived my entire life in the Twin Cities. Debate and journalism are a significant part of my background. I’ve traveled to Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, and much of Europe. And if you’re looking for an opening conversation topic, I’m into distance running—although you wouldn’t know it by looking at me, I have finished six marathons and more than a dozen half-marathons. (I like to eat as much as I like to run!)
Well, that’s about as much as any sane person would want to read about me. But I encourage you to check out our department—and feel free to call or write any time! (Time to hit the old “back” button! Thanks for visiting.)
