UW-Green Bay Professor Phil Clampitt leads commencement procession as University’s Mace Bearer
Carrying the mace for the December 2016 commencement ceremony was UW-Green Bay Professor Phillip G. Clampitt.
The University Mace — a ceremonial staff signifying authority — is carried to the stage by one of the most accomplished faculty members just ahead of the Chancellor during the commencement procession. The centuries-old academic tradition is believed to be based on medieval practice when a member of the king’s court would carry an ornate club as a symbolic protection for the monarch.
Clampitt received his Ph.D. in organizational communication from the University of Kansas. He holds the Blair Endowed Chair of Communication and was previously the Hendrickson Professor of Business. Clampitt is the chair of Information & Computing Science, Communication, Computer Science and Information Science. Sage Publications recently published the sixth edition of his best-selling book, Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness. He also has co-authored two books with Robert J. DeKoch, President/COO of the Boldt Company: Embracing Uncertainty: The Essence of Leadership and Transforming Leaders into Progress Makers. His newest book, Social Media Strategies for Professionals, will be published in May 2017.
Clampitt’s work on “Decision Downloading” was featured in the MIT Sloan Management Review and the Wall Street Journal. Additionally, he has been published in numerous journals, including The Academy of Management Executive, Journal of Communication Management, Journal of Business Communication and Management Communication Quarterly. He is also on the editorial board of many professional journals. Over the past 30 years he has worked on communication and leadership issues with many organizations including Nokia, PepsiCo, Schneider National, The Boldt Company, Dental City and Menasha Corporation.
Clampitt has been a guest speaker at the U.S. Army War College where they use his books in their Strategic Leadership class. In addition to many guest-speaking opportunities in the U.S., he has also been invited to speak internationally at places such as The University of Pisa, The University of Aberdeen, The University of Ulster, as well as to numerous multi-national businesses and professional organizations. His students have heard him say, “So what?” so often that they started calling him “Dr. So What.” Subsequently, he developed an associated website (www.drsowhat.com) that highlights his passionate commitment to critical thinking and thoughtful inquiry.