ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Few professors are able to tie the thoughts of John Locke to the lyrics of Led Zeppelin or can easily relate references from “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” or “The Simpsons” to actual course work. But Gary Radford, professor of communication and director of the master of arts in corporate and organizational communication program at the College at Florham, is well-known for making such connections between popular culture and academic theories.
A native of England, Radford joined Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1999 and has been recognized for his teaching and scholarship. He earned the Distinguished Faculty Award for Research and Scholarship in 2005 and was named Maxwell Becton College of Arts and Sciences Teacher of the Year in 2003.
His research has focused on the philosophical and critical treatments of the communication process, using as a foundation the pivotal work of the French philosopher Michel Foucault. His books include On the Philosophy of Communication and On Eco, a creative introduction to the work of cultural and literary theorist Umberto Eco.
His next book, from which this feature article was adapted, delves into the fascination with subliminal persuasion and explores the disconnect between the discourse on the subject among psychologists and that of the general public. As he explains, “This investigation ultimately leads to the question: how do certain discourses attain the status of science and truth, and others wallow in the realm of the marginal or pseudo-scientific?” Titled A Genealogy of the Threshold, the book is scheduled for publication in 2007. He also is writing a book focusing on the globalization of communications, to be published by Blackwell.
Radford is the founder of the widely acclaimed New Jersey Journal of Communication — now known as the Atlantic Journal of Communication — which he continues to serve as editor-in-chief.
Radford’s ability to mix academic contemplations with mainstream associations springs from his own passions, which include playing guitar in a blues/rock band called The Professors (www.theprofessors.net). His daughter, Meg, is a vocalist for the band. Among their original songs are “Untenured Blues” and “Foucault Funk.”
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