Faculty Profile for Dr. Nikkie Saldivar Hodgson

Biography Section

Biography and Education

Nikkie Saldivar Hodgson, Ph.D. has 35 years of experience in higher education and her roles have included teaching, enrollment, retention, recruitment, civic engagement, employee development and training, organizational development, and operations. She is currently researching the speech act theory in maternal relationships across ethnic groups, leadership language usage in political speeches, small working group relationships, nonverbal communication, use of social media in relationships and ageism. Her current position is with Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas where she is an assistant professor of practice. In addition to her higher education career, she is a first time children's book author and provides consulting services to organizations.

Teaching Interests

Family Communication, Organizational Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Leadership Communication, Cultural Communication, Non-Verbal Communication, Employee Development/Training, Leadership Studies, etc.

Research Interests

In the past I have focused on Speech Act Theory in maternal relationships across ethnic groups, leadership language usage in political speeches, small group communication, online relationships and as I mature in my career, I have become interested in topics such as ageism and the importance of socialization for longevity.