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Dr. Joseph Velasco, Ph.D.

Professor of Communication 

Program Coordinator & Director, B.A., Communication

Program Coordinator & Director, B.A., Social Science

Dr. Joseph G. Velasco is Professor of Communication at Sul Ross State University, where he teaches public speaking, interpersonal communication, and communication theory. An award-winning educator, he is committed to helping students develop confidence, clarity, and ethical responsibility in their communication. His teaching philosophy emphasizes access, growth, and skill development—particularly in foundational courses that serve students across disciplines at Sul Ross, a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution on the U.S.–Mexico border. 

Dr. Velasco has played a central role in advancing communication-intensive learning across the university. He helped develop and guide Sul Ross’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), “COMPASS,” focused on strengthening oral, written, and visual communication across the curriculum. He also chaired the university’s Special Committee on Student Evaluations for eight years, leading campus conversations about meaningful feedback, effective teaching, and responsible assessment practices.

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Velasco has extensive experience in higher education leadership at the university, system, state, and national levels. From 2021–2025, he served as President of the Texas Council of Faculty Senates (TCFS), the largest statewide federation of faculty governance leaders in the United States. He is a founding executive board member of the National Council of Faculty Senates and has served as a consultant to the Texas A&M University System Assembly of Faculty Senates. At Sul Ross, he previously served two terms as President of the Faculty Assembly and as department chair in two academic departments.

His research interests include family communication, emotion and resilience, communication education, and higher education leadership. Rooted in both social science and humanistic inquiry, Dr. Velasco holds a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Denver, a master’s degree in Communication and English from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, and a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Spanish from the University of New Mexico.

As the son of a Mexican immigrant, Dr. Velasco brings a deep commitment to educational opportunity, mentorship, and student development in rural and borderland communities.