Kai J. Western is a 3rd year Ph.D student in the Department of Communication at NDSU. She received her B.A. in 2000 from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN and majored in Communication and English writing, specifically focusing on advertising and public relations. In 2004, Western received her M.A. from Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. While at MSU, Western’s major areas of interest included family communication, conflict resolution, and intercultural communication. Her thesis focused on how Czech Americans view and maintain their ethnic identity throughout several generations in which she received the Excellence in Graduate Student Research Award.
In 2007, Western pursued graduate work at NDSU. Her major areas of interest include organizational, intercultural, and family communication. Western is interested in understanding how identity, culture, gender, and race are socially constructed and the influence of these for organizations and individuals. Additionally, she is concerned with power, gender, and class struggles and the role of these for work-family relationships.
Between her undergraduate degree and Masters work, Western worked for the Eastman Kodak Company and volunteered with Southeast Asian Ministries and the St. Paul Czech and Slovak Dancers. After earning her M.A., Western worked at Microsoft in Fargo, ND as a human resource specialist.
Western has taught Intercultural Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Communication Theory, and Public Speaking. She has also conducted training sessions for nonprofit organizations. Western is currently the Faculty Advisor for the NDSU Women and Men’s Hockey Club Team.
