Joseph Watson Jr.

Joseph Watson, Jr.’s mission is as urgent as it is difficult: trying to renormalize bipartisan relationships and friendships in a heated political climate. As the inaugural Tieger Professor of Public Affairs Communications, Professor Watson oversees the nation’s first program to train students in public affairs communications focused on public policy and politics.

To do that effectively, he needed to be back in the classroom. So he was relieved when classes resumed in fall 2020, with the changes and accommodations needed to keep him and his students safe from COVID-19.

It felt great to be back in a classroom and interacting with students. Donors like Carolyn Tieger, who endowed the professorship that I hold, make it possible for me to help prepare democracy’s next generation to effectively communicate, in a civil manner, on the campaigns, policies, and issues that matter most to them.