Master of Arts in Communication

Assistant Professor, Communication and Public Relations

Todd Wold is Assistant Professor of Communication and Public Relations. He is most energized by helping move students from the passive role of media consumers toward an active autonomy as compelling communicators, media scholars, and future communications professionals in any number of contexts.

Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Todd most recently served as chair and professor of Communication Arts at a Christian university following a nearly 18-year corporate career at Ameriprise Financial working in public relations, advertising, corporate communications, and marketing. He joined Asbury in 2016 and teaches public relations courses, communication campaigns, group and organizational communication, as well as the annual special events class that uses a creative agency approach to produce Asbury’s largest annual event. In addition, he serves as advisor to the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) student organization, and the PR Agency practicum, a student agency providing communication services to clients.

His research interests include the political economy of social media and crowd patronage platforms, the digital disintermediation of faith practices in church communities, and transcendence in filmmaking.

He and his wife are proud parents of three children.

• A.B.D. Communication Studies – Regent University (2023 projected)
• M.A. Communication – Bethel University (2008)

Director of Graduate Studies in Communication and Associate Professor

Dr. Elizabeth Jones is Associate Professor of Communication, Media Communication, and Director of Graduate Studies in Communication Arts. She has worked in media production as the Director of Creative Arts for a large church. Sensing a call to research and teaching, Elizabeth subsequently obtained her Ph.D. in Communication from The Ohio State University.

Her current research occurs at the intersection of communication technology, interpersonal communication, and health communication, specializing in communication and aging. Elizabeth’s work has been presented at national and international conferences, and has been published in top communication journals and edited books. Elizabeth especially enjoys helping students understand the applicability of communication concepts to their personal and professional lives. She regularly collaborates with Asbury students on research endeavors. She and her husband enjoy the joyful busyness of raising four children.

• Ph.D. in Communication, The Ohio State University
• M.A. in Digital Storytelling and Telecommunications, Ball State University

Assistant Professor of Communication

Kim Okesson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Arts and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Science. Prior to coming to Asbury, Professor Okesson lived and worked for thirteen years in three countries outside of her passport country: Kenya, Tanzania, and England.  Her areas of research include identity formation, immigration, intercultural and international communication, social media, and crisis communication. How students engage with difference and equipping students to work in a globalized world are of particular concern to her. Kim has presented at the National Communication Association annual conference. A career highlight for her was serving as a communication leader at the Lausanne Congress for World Evangelization in Cape Town, South Africa.  She is currently writing her dissertation about intercultural communication issues on Christian college campuses.

She has an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton Graduate School and a B.A. in Interpersonal and Group Communication from Trinity International University.

• A.B.D. - Communication Studies, Regent University (2023 projected).
• M.A. Intercultural Studies, Wheaton Graduate School

Professor of Communication

Dr. Jim Shores’ calling is to mentor and teach young adults.He teaches in communication, theatre, and adventure leadership. His academic research is in entertainment education and environmental communication.  His environmental communication research examines the constructs of awe, wonder, sublimity, and inspiration in natural landscapes.

Shores is also a playwright. Recently, he was commissioned to write a pro-life play for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. He and his wife Carol will take students there to perform it in August 2022. He served as department chair of Communication, Worship Arts, and Theatre from 2015-21. He and his wife, Carol Anderson, also run Acts of Renewal, a professional Christian touring company. For 29 years they have created original theatre and film for universities, seminars, and churches, writing material for FamilyLife, Focus on the Family, J.I. Packer, Gary Chapman, Alex Kendrick, and have been repeat performers for over 60 universities in the CCCU. He loves hiking, gardening, and travel. He and his wife’s favorite production, though, is their two sons, Zach & Zander.

• Ph.D. in Communication Studies, Regent University (2008).
• M.S. in Environmental Science & Engineering, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1995).