It is with a heavy heart that we share with you one of our longstanding faculty passed on Saturday, January 31st. Michael Beatty was an important and dedicated member of our School and academic community.

Professor Beatty joined the School of Communication, Department of Communication Studies, in 2007, and held a joint appointment with the University of Miami, Department of Psychology. He was a distinguished scholar, accomplished academic leader, devoted educator, and cherished colleague whose influence in the field of communication will endure for generations. He will be remembered not only as a distinguished intellectual, but first and foremost as a passionate individual committed to contributing to and supporting our communication field.

Professor Beatty’s career was marked by extraordinary scholarly accomplishments. He earned his Ph.D. in 1976 from Ohio State University. He is also an alumnus of Central Missouri State University and University of Missouri-St. Louis. He served as a professor and in academic leadership positions at Texas Christian University, West Virginia University, University of Hawaii, Cleveland State University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and the University of Miami. He was also a consultant to the U.S. State Department, U.S. Justice Department, MacDill Air Force Base, and multiple corporations including Metropolitan Life Insurance, New York Life Insurance, Penn Mutual Life Insurance, AT&T, and First National Bank of Dallas.

Over the course of Professor Beatty’s 50-year career, he authored and co‑authored an extensive body of research that shaped foundational understandings of communication theory, communibiological perspectives, and interpersonal processes. A previous editor of Communication Monographs and Communication Research Reports, his impact was recognized nationally and internationally. Professor Beatty was twice named among the Top Three Most Prolific Sholars in the field of communication, a testament to his remarkable productivity, intellectual rigor, and sustained contributions to the discipline.

At the University of Miami, Professor Beatty was not only a respected researcher, but also a deeply committed teacher and mentor. Students remember and appreciate his courses for their innovation, meticulousness, and challenge, while colleagues speak gratefully of the generosity with which he shared his time, insight, and encouragement. He approached academic life with a genuine devotion and purpose, always striving to elevate others while advancing the field he loved.

Beyond his scholarly accomplishments, Professor Beatty will be remembered for his compassion, collegial spirit, and unwavering dedication to our academic community. His passing leaves a profound void in the University of Miami School of Communication, and in the discipline at large. His legacy will continue to resonate through publications, mentorship, and the countless lives he enriched.

We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, colleagues, and students. The University of Miami will honor Professor Beatty’s memory with gratitude for his countless contributions and all that he inspired.

Karin G. Wilkins, Dean of the School of Communication
Ronald L. Jackson II, Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Studies
Diane Millette, Associate Professor of Communication Studies