Donald Rubin

Donald Rubin (PhD 1978, University of Minnesota) is emeritus professor in the Departments of Speech Communication and Language and Literacy Education and in the Program in Linguistics. He served as Head of the Speech Communication Department (1994-2000) and Faculty Fellow at the University System of Georgia (2000-2001). Rubin edited the National Communication Association journal Communication Education (2003-2006).  He has served as adjunct professor at Emory University's Candler School of Theology (English for Academic Purposes program) and visiting professor at Haifa University (Israel) School of Public Health.  Rubin is currently senior consultant for health communication at Creative Thinkers, LLC. He is also co-PI for the federally-funded Consortium for Analysis of Student Success through International Education (CASSIE).   Rubin's current research projects cross three themes: (1) health literacy, especially interactive or interpersonal health literacy to empower patients and consumers; (2) student learning outcomes accruing from education abroad; and (3) evaluational reactions to non-native speakers of English; including the impact of those responses on assessment processes. His current training efforts focus on (a) clarity and engagement in communication for public health support personnel and (b) intercultural communication competence for public health professionals.  Rubin has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on grants and contracts funded by such agencies as FIPSE, NCI, NIA, CDC, International Research Studies (ED), and the Legacy Foundation. He is founding chair of the Georgia Alliance for Health Literacy.  He works as an advocate for health literacy at all levels of healthcare policy and implementation.  Most recently, he advises the Georgia Department of Public Health regarding health literacy strategies to address the opioid abuse crisis.