John Allen Hendricks

Dr. John Allen Hendricks has served as Chair of Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Media & Communication since 2009 and as the department’s Graduate Program Coordinator since 2013. He previously served as Chair of the Department of Communication & Theatre at Southeastern Oklahoma State University from 1998 to 2003, bringing more than 20 years of experience in academic leadership. He has served as Chair of the SFA Chairs’ Council twice, during the 2015–2016 and 2025–2026 academic years.

Dr. Hendricks is the author or editor of more than 15 books focusing on political communication, social media, and broadcasting. He is the recipient of two national book awards. His book Communicator-in-Chief: How Barack Obama Used New Media Technology to Win the White House received the National Communication Association’s Distinguished Book Award in 2011, and Radio’s Second Century: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives was awarded the Broadcast Education Association’s Book Award in 2022.

He serves as the founding editor of the Studies in New Media book series for Bloomsbury, which has published 18 volumes as of 2026.

Dr. Hendricks is a past president of the Broadcast Education Association (2015–2016) and served on the association’s executive committee and board of directors from 2009 to 2017. He is also a past fellow of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the International Radio and Television Society (three times), and the National Association of Television Program Executives.

He holds a Ph.D. in Communication with an emphasis in Advertising and Public Relations from The University of Southern Mississippi, an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and a B.A. in Mass Communication with a minor in Political Science from Southern Arkansas University.

Dr. Hendricks and his wife, Dr. Stacy Hendricks, Vice Provost for the Division of Academic Affairs, have two children. Their daughter, Abby, is a professor at Texas Christian University, and their son, Haydyn, works for the U.S. Senate.