Step into the office of Fran Hassencahl, Ph.D., a professor who has taught at Old Dominion University since 1976, and you are immersed in a half-century of ideas, exploration and whimsy.
On shelves above and near her desk, figurines, flags, fabrics, spices, plants and photos jostle for space. A toy frog crouches near copies of “The Rhetoric of Aristotle” and “Foundations of Intercultural Communication.” Titles, including “Rhetorical Criticism” and “On Social Structure and Science,” are tucked behind a row of Hello Kitty characters.
Dr. Hassencahl, who marked her 50th work anniversary in August, has enjoyed an academic career as free-spirited and jam-packed as her office space.
This associate professor in the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts is still going strong.
“I don’t have the energy I had before,” said the 84-year-old scholar. “But, I can still pull an all-nighter when I have research and grading to do.”
Quiet Champion
Dr. Hassencahl’s portfolio of expertise includes public speaking and presidential debates, intercultural communication, landmines and Middle Eastern politics. Her studies have taken her around the world.
Alongside her teaching, research and mentorship, Dr. Hassencahl has advocated for justice and equity.
“She’s really a quiet champion for women on campus, which is very important,” said Lauren Ciampoli, director of constituent relations for the University’s Office of Alumni Relations.
Soon after arriving on campus, Dr. Hassencahl helped the Old Dominion University Women’s Caucus gather steam after its founding in 1974. She also helped launch a women’s studies program at the University — the first in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“There was a real camaraderie and a sense of goals — getting a better working situation for women,” Dr. Hassencahl said, recalling those early days. “Common values and common concerns united a lot of the women on campus.”
Through hard work, tenacity and devotion to Old Dominion University, she helped shape the institution’s culture.
“If you do a little digging, you’ll see that her influence is pretty huge,” said Tim Anderson, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts. “Her fingerprints are all over the institution.”
Lasting Influence
As a debate team coach for many years, Dr. Hassencahl influenced students who would go on to become lawyers, judges, administrators and professors. Personal injury attorney Joel Bieber, for example, was among those who sent congratulatory messages leading up to her work anniversary.
“Seeing students get a speaker award or trophy wasn't just about getting the hardware,” Dr. Hassencahl said. “The accomplishments and development of the students, that was very fulfilling.”
Friendships forged with students have stood the test of time. She describes the closest of them as her “debate children.”
While studying intercultural communication and international political science at Old Dominion University in the early 1990s, Brian Kurisky (B.A. ’94, Ph.D. ’13) competed on Dr. Hassencahl’s debate teams. He now works as executive director of the Collaborative Center for Community Engagement at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
He described her as a major influence on his life and career.
“She pushed me to look for all sides of an issue and to not take shortcuts,” he wrote. “When I have asked her for her opinion on things, she asks probing questions to help me formulate a path forward. Fran is amazing and should be recognized for her impact on all of the students she has guided and taught.”
Tom Socha, Ph.D., an award-winning communication scholar at Old Dominion University, associates his longtime colleague with the teachings of Aristotle. For anyone learning communication, the ancient Greek philosopher’s lessons are vital, she often says.
“I’ll never forget that as long as I live,” Dr. Socha said. “Aristotle rocked it.”
Dr. Anderson admires his colleague’s globe-trotting spirit. She’s spent time in Turkey, Iraq, Syria and the nation of Georgia. In 1989, she visited Morocco as a Fulbright scholar.
“She would travel to the Middle East by herself,” Dr. Anderson said. “She was seen as a hero for that.”
Dr. Hassencahl was twice honored with the University’s Most Inspiring Faculty award, in 1984 and 2002.
Active Autumn
Today, Dr. Hassencahl is not coasting. She recently finished a paper, titled "Language Barriers in Accessing Healthcare Services for Afghan Refugees in the United States" with graduate student Sadaf Khuram. They submitted it to a conference in Tunisia.
Her next project is a book chapter on editorial cartoons related to 9/11. She’s set to present two papers at the National Communication Association Convention in New Orleans in November.
This fall, she’s teaching classes in public speaking and rhetorical criticism.
Dr. Hassencahl remembers her early days at the University as an exciting time. Faculty members were a tight-knit group who shared a sense that they were creating something from whole cloth.
“That was one of the attractions of coming here,” she said. “It was the opportunity to build something.”
Asked if she’s glad she accepted that job at Old Dominion University 50 years ago, Dr. Hassencahl smiled.
“It was a good decision,” she said. “I think they made a good buy.”
Top image: Fran Hassencahl, Ph.D. at her office desk in the Batten Arts and Letters Building, surrounded by decades of books and memorabilia. Image credit: Sam McDonald/Old Dominion University.