By Chase Sanders

Doug Boyd’s career as an educator, researcher and administrator in international communications has taken him across international borders for long periods of time, but somehow his heart always brings him back to UK.

Boyd recently decided to return to research and teaching undergraduate classes at the university. He stepped down from his position as the president’s chief of staff when former President Lee Todd retired in the spring.

Although Boyd was chief of staff for eight years, he never quit teaching.

“I only had one request while I worked for President Todd,” Boyd said, “and it was that I could teach one graduate class per year without compensation.”

Over the course of his career, Boyd has been a Fulbright professor of mass communication at Cairo University in Egypt, a research associate for the British Broadcasting Corporation for the office of international research in London, and, among other things, has worked as a visiting chair of international journalism for Al-Jazeera Newspaper in Saudi Arabia in 2010.

Despite his vast background and extensive travels, he chose to return to the department of communications as a professor.

“I feel there are lots of ways to be fulfilled as a teacher,” he said.

He is eager to teach, research and service the university again as a faculty member in the College of Communications and Information Studies.

“I think the students are great here, and to have the ability to help out and educate them is really an honor,” Boyd said.

Boyd is not the only one who’s happy about his return as a professor.

“I’m excited to have him back because he’s a great scholar and a fine person who brings a great deal of academic wisdom to the table,” Dan O’Hair, dean of the College of Communications and Information Studies, said.

Nancy Harrington, one of Boyd’s former students and a current professor in the College of Communications and Information Studies, is also excited about his return to the department.

“He’s a fabulous faculty member in all respects, internationally renowned as a researcher, an outstanding teacher and advisor, and a dedicated individual,” she said.