Profile:

Lynda Dee Dixon (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 1990) is a member of the Cherokee Nation. She is a tenured professor in the Department of Interpersonal Communication, Her research began with studies on Native American women and their health care in an Indian Health Service clinic and has continued with health and health education of culturally diverse people in the US and internationally. Dixon’s ethnographic/language analysis research focuses on contemporary American Indian, African American, and international cultures’ social issues, health, and women’s other socio-cultural issues. Her travels to England, China, and Spain have informed her teaching and research on culture and health and have revealed that in the shrinking world, increasing numbers of people are without health care as the distance between privilege and poverty grows ever wider. Dixon’s and her co-authors’ research studies have appeared in books and journals (such as International/Intercultural Annual, Intercultural Communication Studies, Human Communication Studies, Women and Language, Health Communication,and others). She is co-editor of a book on women prisoners and author of chapters about incarcerated women. She is currently working with others on an edited book on Native American identity. Brett Billman (doctoral student) and Amy Smith (recent Ph.D. graduate) continue work on an Alzheimer's disease project.  Precious Yamaguchi and Dr. Dixon will present a completely chosen paper at the Canadian international conference Advances in Qualitative Research on Cherokee identity. Dr. Dixon has presented her research on American social issues in health the U.S. and other countries.

Education:

Ph.D. University of Oklahoma
M.A. Missouri State University
Bs.ED. Missouri State University

Classes:

Dr. Dixon has and is teaching undergraduate/graduate courses in health (e.g., effects of diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease on families, cultural conflict, access to health care, physician/patient interaction, and access to and availability of health care, etc.).  She also teaches ethnography, intercultural communication, the critical turn in intercultural communication, Native American communication, and organizational communication.