Yvonne Baird
Title: Administrative Assistant: Lecturer, Communication
Office Location: COM 126
Phone: 575.562.2130
Education
M.A., Communication, Eastern New Mexico University, (2021)
B.S., Community Health Education, University of Nevada-Las Vegas (1995)
Bio
Ms. Baird was born in Decatur, Illinois. As a military brat, she has lived in many places, including Mississippi, Montauk, Germany, Nevada, Turkey, England, South Carolina, and now New Mexico, which she calls home. Ms. Baird received her bachelor of science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in Community Health Education and her Master?s of Art in Communication from Eastern New Mexico University. She is now pursuing her doctorate from Capella University in Leadership in Higher Education. Ms. Baird has been an adjunct for the Communication Department since 2019
Troy Banther
Title: Lecturer, Communication
Office Location: COM 126
Phone: 575.562.2130
Education
M.A., Communication, Eastern New Mexico University (2018)
B.S., Sociology, Eastern New Mexico University (2000)
B.S., Communication, Eastern New Mexico University (1995)
Bio
Mr. Banther has lived in the states of California, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Troy has also lived on the Choctaw Nation as well as the western Oklahoma panhandle. New Mexico is his home. After honorable active and reserve service in the Marine Corps, Troy earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication in 1995, a Bachelor of Science in Sociology in 2000, and a Master of Art in Communication in 2018. All the degrees were earned at the Portales campus of Eastern New Mexico University. Banther is considering the pursuit of a doctorate in communication. He has been an adjunct instructor for the Communication Department since 2019.
Lonnie Berry
Title: Instructor, Communication
Office Location: COM 105
Phone: 575.562.4045
Education
M.A., Communication, Eastern New Mexico University (2015)
B.A., Communication, Broadcast Emphasis, Eastern New Mexico University (2013)
Bio
Lonnie Berry was born and raised in Roosevelt County and comes from a line of early county settlers. After working in city government for 28 years, he returned to ENMU and graduated with his B.A., and then his M.A. Lonnie has worked in Television for 6 years, as an on air anchor, and as a News producer. Lonnie is also a free lance writer, having articles and stories in various publications. Lonnie was a weekly writer for the local newspaper for several years.
Lonnie loves all things video, from shooting to editing, and spends much of his spare time doing video projects. Lonnie also likes playing guitar and spending time with his animals. Lonnie is the official family videographer for his 7 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
Jeff Gentry
Title: Professor, Communication
Office Location: COB 166
Phone: 575.562.4421
Education
Ph.D., Communication, University of Oklahoma, Norman,(2003)
M.A., Speech Communication, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, (1988)
B.A., Communication Arts, Eastern Montana College, Billings, (1986)
Bio
Jeff Gentry is a professor of communication at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico. He earned a BA in Communication Arts from Eastern Montana College, an MA in Speech Communication from Colorado State University, and a Ph.D. in Communication from Oklahoma University. His current research interests include political communication and the rhetoric of science, among others. He enjoys helping students overcome their inhibitions in sharing their ideas and talents.
Gentry has produced six public affairs specials for television and many Readers Theatre productions. He is a songwriter and has authored several plays (see the New Play Exchange at https://newplayexchange.org). A full-time college faculty member since 1988, he is trained in rhetorical criticism, content analysis, survey research, statistics, and ethnography.
Originally from Denver, Colorado, he has also lived in Montana, Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. His outside interests include world geography, outdoor activities, and long-distance running. Jeff thoroughly enjoys meeting prospective students and participating in community events.
Leonard Madrid
Title: Associate Professor, Theatre; Interim Chair, Communication Department
Office Location: UTC 110
Phone: 575.562.2092
Education
M.F.A., Dramatic Writing, University of New Mexico (2008)
B.A., Design for Performance, University of New Mexico (2005)
B.F.A., Theatre, Eastern New Mexico University (1997)
Bio
Leonard Madrid is a New Mexican Theatre artist. He is currently the Artistic Director of Blackout Theatre in Albuquerque. His plays have received the Kennedy Centers award for Latinx playwrights three times. He has also participated in the Ignition Festival at Victory Gardens in Chicago, The Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep, and the Colorado Play Summit at the Denver Center for Performing Arts.
At ENMU, Leonard Teaches courses in acting and playwriting, and is the current interim chair for the Communication Department.
Colt Owens
Title: Instructor, Communication
Office Location: COM 107
Phone: 575.562.2272
Education
M.A., Communication, Eastern New Mexico University (2013)
B.S., Anthropology, Eastern New Mexico University (2005)
Bio
Colt Owens is from a family that settled in eastern New Mexico over a century ago. As a child he had an opportunity to work as an extra in Television and movies. This led to a love of visual storytelling and the technical craft of working on a soundstage.
He earned a BS in Anthropology with a minor in broadcast in 2005. He then worked for PBS for 5 years as a Director on Duty before returning to ENMU to receive a MA in Communication. He has been a full time faculty member at ENMU since 2014. He spends his free time over analyzing both good and bad movies, as well as observing internet culture.
Darrell Roe
Title: Advisor to Student Radio, Associate Professor, Communication
Office Location: COM 103
Phone: 575.562.2415
Education
Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Georgia (1996)
M.A., Communication Studies, Baylor University (1988)
B.A., Radio/Television Studies, Baylor University (1986)
Bio
Dr. Darrell Roe, Associate Professor of Communication at Eastern New Mexico University, is originally from the Waco, Texas area. He attended Baylor University, where he received his Bachelors Degree in German and in Radio Television in 1986 and a Masters Degree in Communication Studies in 1988. He received his Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Georgia in 1998. Dr. Roe began teaching media production and communication in 1989 at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma and has since taught at Sam Houston State, Marist College, Texas A&M University, and East Texas Baptist University.
Dr. Roe has studied the history of broadcasting, but recently much of his work has focused on the influences that media have on audiences. He especially enjoys studying political communication and analyzing media rhetoric. His recent studies include nine research papers analyzing the tweets made by President Donald Trump, and he has studied social media conspiracies and low information rationality (anti intellectualism) regarding COVID messaging, and critical race theory. His most recent project looks at audiences para social interactions with TV personalities.
Qian Yu
Title: Assistant Professor, Communication
Office Location: COM 104
Phone: 575.562.2741
Education
A.B.D., Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma (2023)
M.A., Mass Communication, Texas State University (2017)
Bio
Qian Yu is the Assistant Professor of Mass Communication in the department of Communication. After more than ten years of significant professional experience in a wide range of media industry, she is making the transition to scholar exploring digital change in relation to journalism professionalism and media management. When she was a business reporter and columnist in a large national media firm, she traveled across the globe, interviewing top international executives, and wrote numbers of long form cover stories. As an active scholar, she has maintained a strong academic performance, some of her studies were accepted by several international conferences, such as AEJMC
