Chapman professor recognized in top 1% of communication scholars

Between fundraising for dog rescues and leading impactful initiatives, Sara LaBelle was recognized by the national journal Communication Education as one of the most productive scholars in her field. Photo by SIMRAH AHMAD, staff photographer

When Sara LaBelle took her first communication class at Canisius College in New York as an undergraduate student in 2006, she had no idea her future profession would involve puppies. 

As a longtime volunteer at Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue — a Southern California dog rescue — LaBelle saw an opportunity for collaboration when she began teaching her advanced message design class in the strategic and corporate communication major at Chapman. 

With a goal of constructing an effective campaign, LaBelle and her students raised awareness and fundraised thousands of dollars for the rescue by planning various events on campus, one which involved bringing eight dogs to Argyros Forum for a couple of hours in Oct. 2022.

“That was a really special project,” LaBelle said. “I had been a volunteer for four and a half years, and I've always bragged about Chapman's students and then the organization got to see how amazing they are. There were some scenes, like students hugging onto the dogs and laying down with the dogs. It was good for the students too.”

LaBelle, who serves as an associate professor and assistant dean of academic programming and faculty development, has dedicated her career to combining her research with her passions. She told The Panther her commitment towards enhancing student learning, leading impactful initiatives and producing quality published research has led LaBelle to be recognized in the top 1% of scholars in the field of communication by the national journal Communication Education.

The study examined data from a sample of 24 peer-reviewed journals in communication released between 2017 to 2021 in the field of communication in order to determine the baseline for a normative rate of publication. Then, by analyzing author order and individual research contributions, the journal determined which scholars published at an exceptional rate. 

Thus, LaBelle was recognized in the top 10 of the most productive scholars in her field. 

“I know that I try to publish as much as I can, but I was surprised (when I read the article),” LaBelle said. “It was nice to just take a second and celebrate a win. I think sometimes we're constantly working and I'm constantly being self-critical and thinking I need to push harder. It was nice to take a second and be like, ‘Okay, I'm doing all right.’”

As a first generation college student, LaBelle earned an undergraduate degree in communication from Canisius College in 2010. She later earned her master's degree and PhD in the same field from West Virginia University in 2011 and 2014. It wasn’t long before she crossed coasts and came to Chapman, where she observed students getting involved in research from the get-go.

“I've done a lot of research with our undergraduate students, and when I did (research as an undergraduate), I was the exception,” LaBelle said. “Here, it's the norm. Our students are so involved. They're so focused and driven. They show up to class and they're ready to work and they know what they want to do with their degrees. I'm just continually impressed, and I think that that's a reflection of the overall culture here. Chapman is always striving to be better.”

LaBelle’s studies hone in on the intersection between instructional and health communication. Her publications relate to student-to-student communication in the classroom, the teacher’s authentic expression of self and she even conducts health communication campaigns. She utilizes her research in order to create a safe space where students are validating one another and since the latest research is constantly shifting, so is her teaching.

“I've been at Chapman for nine years, and I'm still excited by it,” LaBelle said. “I think that's because I'm always changing what readings I'm assigning or what activities we're doing to not only meet students needs better — because students change over time — but also what the research says we should be doing.” 

Within the confines of her classroom, LaBelle describes her class as an applied learning experience where students are working hands on. Aside from campaigning for a dog rescue, her students have campaigned for mental health during the pandemic, adderall misuse and first-gen student support — the latter of which resulted in LaBelle and her students creating the Chapman SoC Trailblazer Program.

Her ability to connect with her students earned her an Office of Residence Life Favorite Professor Award in 2018, which she said still brings a tear to her eye when she thinks about it. LaBelle has earned recognitions from her colleagues too, including professor and director of graduate studies in the School of Communication Michelle Miller-Day, who described LaBelle as indefatigable.  

“It takes a very organized, motivated and intelligent scholar to be able to balance the amount of service that Dr. LaBelle does with their research activities,” Miller-Day said. “Not only does she supervise, mentor and run instructional sessions for all of our graduate student instructors, she leads campus first-generation student initiatives and campus-wide health promotion campaigns. She accomplishes this all while being one of the most productive scholars in our field and, I daresay, among the entire faculty at Chapman.”

Outside of her classroom, LaBelle enjoys reading fiction, painting and paddleboarding on the weekends. You can also find her hanging out the dogs at Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue, which she assures will be returning to Argyros Forum soon. 

Inside the classroom, LaBelle hopes to continue publishing research alongside her graduate students, helping train PhD students to become teachers, improving her teaching methods and exploring the areas she’s interested in. She made sure to acknowledge her deep gratitude for her students and colleagues and their endless support.

"To be on a list like a top 1% scholar, you have to have people around you that are encouraging you and inspiring you and are supportive,” LaBelle said. “I've found that here at Chapman, and it's been a true home for me.”