Huber Receives TCA Horizon Award

From left are Kayla Huber, instructor and department head of communication, is shown with Jessie Van der Laan, interim dean of humanities.

Communication Association Honors Faculty Member

The Tennessee Communication Association has recognized a Walters State faculty member.

Kayla Huber, instructor and department head of the college’s communication program, received the Horizon Award at the association’s annual conference. The award is given each year to an association member who demonstrates leadership and potential to positively impact the organization in the coming years.

Huber lives in Jefferson County and joined Walters State in 2013.

“Kayla is both a dedicated educator and an emerging leader for both the TCA and Walters State. She consistently works to support her students, both in the classroom and as department head of communications,” said Jessie Van der Laan, interim dean of humanities. “In her short time as department head, she has already demonstrated her commitment to evolving practices in service of the student experience through her own teaching practice and development of strategies to support faculty innovation and collaboration.”

This is the second straight year that a Walters State faculty member received the award. Bambi Pelham, assistant professor of communication, received the award in 2024.  Matthew Lawson, associate professor of communication and mass communication, received the Horizon Award in 2013, and Robert E. Pratt II, associate professor of communication, received the Horizon Award in 2016.