Anyone might feel intimidated walking next to a man who is a distinguished journalist and historian, has written more than six books and numerous scholarly articles, has served as a Fulbright professor in Russia and China and who has contributed to major news publications such as The Washington Post, The Advocate and Southern Voice.
But professor Rodger Streitmatter, also senior associate dean of the School of Communication, is the most comfortable man anyone could ask to be around.
Dressed in a black button-down dress shirt with colorful vertical pinstripes, black slacks and a glimpse of argyle socks above his shoes, Streitmatter sits with his arms crossed and gives an uplifting, amiable smile.
"Every year I set my own initiatives. I like to help make things happen," Streitmatter said.
Described as a "master teacher" in his American University biography, Streitmatter received the American University Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award in 1995 and presented the university's Distinguished Faculty Lecture in 2002, where he discussed sexual content in the media throughout the past and present.
A faculty member since 1979, Streitmatter teaches communication courses. His biography added that "students clamor to get into his classes and colleagues recognize his excellence."
"I really like his teaching style. He's very energetic and engages his students. He's open to a lot of different opinions and makes his students inquisitive by including a variety of materials," said Hayley McQuaid, a junior in the School of Public Affairs who is taking Streitmatter's "Dissident Media: Voices from the Underground" class.
The course examines the rise of publications seeking social change in American society.
Sometimes unsatisfied with existing books, Streitmatter writes his own and incorporates them into his classes. Streitmatter has written books such as "Mightier than the Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American History" and "Sex Sells! The American Media's Journey from Sexual Repression to Sexual Obsession."
His impact has gone beyond the realm of words, however. He has created more than a dozen courses at AU, including "How the News Media Shape History," a General Education course examining the effects of print and broadcast journalism on American history.
Streitmatter has created Honors Capstone courses, too. "Media and the American Mind," a course in which SOC students teach and work on their own project, is an SOC honors course that will be offered next semester, according to Streitmatter.
Since he was young, Streitmatter has always loved to write.
"I will always sit down to write at least once every day. I don't feel the day is complete if I haven't written anything," Streitmatter said.
With such an early passion for writing, Streitmatter found solace in journalism and reporting.
"I never really felt like a hard-targeting, investigative reporter. I was really drawn to the writing [more] than the reporting. I was doing more writing than drawing blood," Streitmatter said.
For students interested in journalism, Streitmatter touched on one important point to keep in mind.
"A reporter has to be a different person than they are. Asking questions is part of their job. There were times when I didn't feel comfortable asking a question, but being a reporter I knew it was my responsibility," Streitmatter said.
Balancing his professional life with his personal life, Streitmatter admitted a love for television. He mentioned watching shows such as "Prison Break," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Ugly Betty." After all, television is an important component of being a media studies academic.
Streitmatter is also gay and has been in a relationship for 24 years with Tom Grooms, who is an architect. Streitmatter and Grooms celebrated their 24th anniversary in September. Streitmatter was previously married, but has since divorced. He and his ex-wife are best friends now.
"We spend all of our holidays and birthdays together. We'll take care of each other's dogs, too," he said.
Streitmatter and his ex-wife had two children together, Matt and Kate. Streitmatter and Grooms raised them after Streitmatter's divorce. Matt, 31, now lives in France with his wife, and Kate, 28, is a fourth-grade teacher. Streitmatter and Grooms also have a dog, a Welsh terrier named Alice.
Streitmatter commends AU for embracing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and faculty.
"I'm really glad that the university has hired and paid a director to work at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies Resource Center. It shows that the university is really committed to embracing the GLBTA community," he said.
Recently, Streitmatter finished signing a contract for his next book on the media's depiction of gay men and women in American society, which examines works such as television shows "Queer as Folk" and "The L Word." The draft manuscript is complete and will be published in the future.
With an assortment of achievements and experiences earned throughout his life, Streitmatter continues his gentle commitment to help others learn. Students like his style.
"He has a different way of interacting with his students than other professors. He's more personal," said Charlie Stuart, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences who is taking "Dissident Media"
