Allen W. Palmer
Allen W. Palmer taught in the Communications Department at Brigham Young University from 1988 to 2008. He was appointed director of International Media Studies in 2003.
Palmer received a BA in 1970 and an MA in 1979 from BYU and a doctorate from the University of Utah in 1996. Palmer also did graduate work at the Annenberg School of Communication at University of Southern California and has taught as a visiting professor at the University of Mauritius, the University of Prishtina in Kosovo, and the Polytechnic of Namibia.
Palmer’s work focuses on international communication and problems of culture and communication. His research and articles have appeared in the Journal of International Communication, Media and Society, Science Communication, Gazette, and Public Understanding of Science, in addition to chapters in books and anthologies.
Following a lengthy teaching career at BYU, Palmer retired in May 2008. His service was recognized in the 2007 edition of Comms Alumni Magazine. As a professor Palmer was invited to speak in May 2006 at one of the university's weekly forums.
Palmer was named a 2009-10 Fulbright Scholar for his work with communications in the Kyrgyz Republic. He began work at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in August 2009. According to Palmer:
My wife and I have enjoyed our experience very much. Bishkek is a city of about one million people, but is off the grid for most people in the U.S. The easiest route to get here is via Istanbul, unless you choose to go through Moscow or Beijing. It is a very Soviet-Russian kind of place, mixed with Kyrgyz language and culture. The university is heavily subsidized by the American embassy, supporting about 1,000 students. Most classes are taught in English, but all of the conversations in the hallways are in Russian, or a dozen other Asian tongues. I have also been teaching guest lectures at 3 or 4 other universities, some in English, others with translator. I went on an embassy trip to visit a couple universities in Almaty, Kazakhstan in November. I will be also visiting universities in some of the other adjoining countries during spring, including Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Palmer is part of the Ex-Communications Society, a group of former professors from the Communications Department. The group meets for lunch once a month with the goal to build camaraderie, share old times and voice opinions on the news of the day.
