Stephen Spates

Dr. Stephen A. Spates is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University, where his research examines communication as a vehicle for organizing, constructing, and explaining identity. His scholarship spans organizational communication and cultural communication, with a particular focus on how communicative practices shape understandings of bias, discrimination, and social identity. He is also engaged in emerging work on human-machine communication, exploring how artificial intelligence platforms can be leveraged to enhance human communication skills.

Dr. Spates has published widely in peer-reviewed communication journals and is the author of two books in organizational communication. His research has been supported by external funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Michigan Applied Public Policy Research program, and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation. He recently co-edited the the forthcoming book, Reconciliation: The Final Step in Achieving Nonviolent Social Change.

Committed to bridging scholarship and community impact, Dr. Spates translates his research into practice through professional workshops and seminars designed to help individuals better understand and navigate messages of bias and discrimination. He has partnered with universities and community organizations across the country to foster healthy, informed dialogue on these issues, extending the reach of his scholarship well beyond the classroom.

A proud Michigander, Dr. Spates was born and raised in Detroit and also spent formative years in the rural southwestern community of Berrien Springs, Michigan. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and a proud alumnus of Oakwood University, an HBCU, where he earned his bachelor's degree in communication arts. He holds a master's degree in communication from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo and a Ph.D. in Communication and Information from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Faculty Advisor, Undergraduate Communication Association (UCA)

Member - Black Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Association

Global Partnership Scholar, Alliance for African Partnerships

Affiliate Faculty, Health & Risk Communication Center

Affiliate Faculty, Center for Gender in Global Context

Cultural Communication

Organizational Communication

Human-Machine Communication

Health Communication