WKU News
PCAL Marks Passing of Beloved Professor Heather Strode
- Jessica Luna
- Tuesday, January 14th, 2025
Heather Strode, associate professor in the School of Media & Communication, died Monday, December 31, 2024. She was 52.
Professor Strode attended Western Kentucky University, where she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and a Master of Arts in Corporate and Organizational Communication. During her time as a student on the Hill, she served as a WKU Spirit Master and a member of the Kappa Delta sorority, later serving as president.
Upon completing her degrees, she served as a Leadership and Volunteerism Coordinator for the Department of Student Activities at WKU before being hired as an Associate Professor of Communication. She also continued her work with Kappa Delta as an advisor.
In her more than 25 years of service to the university, she nurtured academic and professional growth in her students and empowered them throughout their educational journey. In an interview with the WKU Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) in April 2024, she stated that the most fulfilling aspect as a professor was witnessing the “aha” moments of students beginning to comprehend concepts and make connections in the classroom.
“Heather approached each day with a light that was truly infectious to those around her,” says Dr. Terrance Brown, Dean of the Potter College of Arts and Letters. “Her warmth, kindness, and spirit will be deeply missed, and we are all better people for having been a part of her life.”
During her time as a professor and advisor, Professor Strode was honored with the 2024 Randy Bracey Outstanding Advisor Award for Kappa Delta, the 2023 Alliance Award from the Kelly Autism Program, and the 2023 PCAL Unsung Hero Award, among others.
“Heather made every life she touched a little bit better. She cared deeply for her students, as well as all of her colleagues among the faculty and staff of WKU,” says Ron DeMarse, Director of the School of Media & Communication. “She was kind and conscientious, but also a fierce advocate for her people – whether those were kids in her classrooms or the instructors she managed and mentored. This is a loss that our campus will feel for many years to come.”