Bill's Biography

Dr. Bill Donohue is a Distinguished Professor of Communication at Michigan State University.  A Cleveland, Ohio, native, he received a BA from Bowling Green University and went on to earn his M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication from The Ohio State University.

Bill’s expertise is focused on interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, organizational development, program evaluation and leadership.  He is the author of Critical Conversations as Leadership, and has consulted extensively with public and private sector organizations in the areas of negotiation, communication skills and leadership development.

Bill teaches courses in public speaking and conflict management, and consults in the areas of program evaluation, health promotion, public safety, communication workshops, strategic planning and marketing research.

He has co-founded two internet-based businesses, most recently a science-based assessment tool for social media “influencers.”  Always interested in new ideas, Bill co-founded MSU’s award-winning undergraduate Sales Communication specialization in 2007.

Bill has published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and 12 communications books.  He has won several awards for his scholarship from national, and in 2017 was selected as a Fellow in the International Communication Association.