Dr. Marnel Niles Goins receives 2017 Outstanding Leadership Award

~ By Taylor Blaire Mosher, student writer for the College of Arts and Humanities

Dr. Marnel Niles Goins, a Fresno State professor in the Department of Communication, has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Leadership Award, awarded by the California State University, Fresno Women’s Association.

Niles Goins was one of two recipients of the faculty award this year, sharing the honor with Dr. Carmen Caprau from the Department of Mathematics. Maria Pena of the Henry Madden Library‘s digital services/information technology department received the staff award.

“I am delighted and humbled to receive the 2017 Outstanding Leadership Award,” Niles Goins said. “I appreciate the support of my department chair and College dean, who nominated me for the award, and I am ecstatic that I was selected from an impressive pool of candidates.”

Niles Goins joined the faculty at Fresno State in the fall of 2007. Before coming to Fresno State, she taught several courses at the University of Iowa, George Mason University and Howard University, where she received her Ph.D.

Here at Fresno State, Niles Goins teaches courses in organizational communication, small group communication, gender communication and special event planning. She is an active member of the National Communication Association, the Western States Communication Association and serves as the president of the Organization for Research on Women and Communication. Niles Goins has also coordinated the Fresno State African American Edge Initiative for seven years, which serves to aid African American students in adjusting to college life, assisting them in building a community of support from among students and faculty.

“Dr. Niles Goins is a valued colleague who has provided exceptional leadership on campus and in our discipline’s professional organizations,” said Dr. Douglas Fraleigh, chair of the Department of Communication. “Marnel takes the lead effectively when a project needs to get done and she also works very well in collaborative settings, often getting our students involved when she serves as a leader.”

Niles Goins’ research focuses on examining the role of women and women of color in communication studies. She has published several articles and book chapters throughout her career, including pieces in “The Routledge Handbook of Applied Communication Research”, Communication Studies and the Journal of the Alliance of Black School Educators. She also served as co-editor for an academic book, “Still Searching for Our Mother’s Gardens”, which brings to light the experiences of women of color in academic settings.

The California State University, Fresno Women’s Association will honor this year’s leadership award recipients at its Fall Welcome Back Coffee and Brunch event, to be held on campus in early October.