<div dir="ltr">Dear Burkelers:<div><br></div><div>I just saw this sad news on CRTNET (see below). Phyllis used to attend KB Conferences. Her most notable Burke publication is perhaps this one:</div><div><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif"><br>
</span></div><div><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif">"‘Can This
Marriage Be Saved?’: Reclaiming Burke for Feminist Scholarship."<span class=""> </span></span><em>Kenneth
Burke and the 21^st</em><span class=""><i> </i></span><em>Century.</em><span class=""> Ed.
Bernard L. Brock. Albany: State U of New York P, 1999. 113-30.</span></div><div><div><br></div><div>Clarke</div><div>---------------</div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Dawn O. Braithwaite, </span><a href="mailto:dbraithwaite@unl.edu" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">dbraithwaite@unl.edu</a><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">The passing of Dr. Phyllis Japp, University of Nebraska-Lincoln</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">From:  Dr. Debra Japp, St. Cloud State University, of behalf of her</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">family:</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Dr. Phyllis Japp died on </span><span class="" tabindex="0" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span class="">Monday, December 2</span></span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">, in St. Cloud, MN, following</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">a sudden illness. She was surrounded by her family.  Dr. Japp, or</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Phyllis, as she was lovingly called by both her colleagues and students,</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">was a mentor, teacher, and scholar who retired recently from the</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Department of Communication Studies at the University of</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Phyllis earned her BA (German) and MA (American</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">History) from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and her PhD</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">(Communication Studies) in 1986 from UNL. She was hired by her alma</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">mater, where she served as an assistant and associate professor, and</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">director of graduate studies.  Her scholarship focused on discourse</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">related to health, healing, and the environment, and on communication</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">ethics and rhetorical and feminist cultural theory. Phyllis collaborated</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">on a number of books and published chapters and critical essays in</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">several scholarly anthologies and journals. She received the Central</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">States Communication Association's Outstanding Teacher Award and</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Distinguished Book Awards from both the Health Communication and Applied</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Communication Divisions of the National Communication Association.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Phyllis believed her students were her most significant contributions to</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">the discipline. She encouraged excellence from them and was supportive</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">and proud of their achievements. Her students, in turn, admired her</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">intellect, wit, and professionalism. Phyllis embodied the virtues of a</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">scholarly life. She believed that teaching well and writing well were</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">profound obligations. She valued intellectual diversity and advised her</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">students to "not hurry," "read good stuff," and to "think before you</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">write." She was beloved for her capacity to create safe conversational</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">spaces for students and simultaneously to push them beyond their comfort</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">zones.  Her professional legacy will be former students who continue to</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">take risks, challenge established ideas, pose socially relevant</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">questions, and pursue thoughtful answers.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">While a faculty member at UNL, Phyllis's students and colleagues would</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">often find her at The Mill, a coffee house in Lincoln.  Phyllis loved</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">conversation so she gladly postponed her reading and writing to listen</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">and to chat, usually in that order. She listened respectfully, and when</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">she did speak her insights were tempered with humility and humor.  She</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">preferred the thought-provoking question to the statement of her own</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">opinion.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Phyllis is survived by her husband, Lyle, two children--Debra of St.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Cloud, MN, and John (Janet) of Knoxville, TN--two grandchildren, two</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">great-grandchildren, and five siblings. She adored her family and spent</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">much of her last two years collaborating professionally with Debra, a</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at St. Cloud State</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">University. Phyllis and Debra co-authored several scholarly works and</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">shared a wonderful mother-daughter-colleague-best friend relationship.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Her family and friends will remember her for her love of reading, joy of</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">learning, and an appreciation of nature. She lived a life of integrity,</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">quiet dignity, and deep faith. We miss her, but are better for having</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">had her in our lives.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Those who wish to honor Phyllis may do so by donating to the "Phyllis</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Japp Scholars Fund" at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">supports student research. Donations may be made at</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<a href="https://nufoundation.org/-/unl-college-of-arts-sciences-phyllis-japp-student-development-fund-01100710" target="_blank" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">https://nufoundation.org/-/unl-college-of-arts-sciences-phyllis-japp-stu<br>
dent-development-fund-01100710</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">, or by check to the NU Foundation at 1010</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Lincoln Mall, Lincoln NE 68508. Indicate "Phyllis Japp fund" on the memo</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">line. For assistance, contact Victor Martinez at </span><a href="tel:402-458-1185" value="+14024581185" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">402-458-1185</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">.</span><br>
</div>-- </div><div><br>Dr. Clarke Rountree<br>Chair and Professor of Communication Arts<br>342 Morton Hall<br>University of Alabama in Huntsville<br>Huntsville, AL  35899<br>256-824-6646<br><a href="mailto:clarke.rountree@uah.edu" target="_blank">clarke.rountree@uah.edu</a>
</div></div>