Dr. Mark Hlavacik

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Mark Hlavacik is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at Texas A&M University, where he specializes in the study of controversies in education through historical and rhetorical qualitative research methods. He has authored significant works such as 'Willing Warriors: New History Education Culture Wars' published by the University of Chicago Press in 2025 and 'Assigning Blame: Rhetoric Education Reform' from Harvard Education Press in 2016. His scholarship is featured in reputable journals including the American Journal of Education, Communication Education, PMLA, Rhetoric & Public Affairs, and Theory and Research in Social Education. Hlavacik's research explores how cultural wars impact politics in education, utilizing historical inquiry and rhetorical analysis to theorize the role of controversial discussions in teaching practices within humanities and social studies classrooms. He earned his PhD from Penn State University in 2014 and has a decade of teaching experience at the University of North Texas before joining the faculty at Texas A&M University in 2025. Hlavacik holds a BA in history and received a secondary education endorsement from Western Illinois University in 2007.

Research Interests

Courses

COMM 460: Communication Contemporary Issues

Requirements for Texas A&M University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE General
TOEFL
Total
Required:80
Prerequisites
Baccalaureate degree Baccalaureate degree in Communication or related field preferred
Application Checklist
  • Curriculum Vita
  • Statement of Purpose (500-750 words)
  • Writing Sample (up to 10,000 words)
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • GraduateCAS Application
Specialization Notes

Department: Department of Communication and Journalism. Ph.D. program only currently admitting. GRE is test-optional.