Peggy Kendall
Email: p-kendall@bethel.edu
Job titles
-
Professor of Communication Studies
Communication Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
Strategic Leadership (M.A.) Graduate School
Highlight
Kendall is a recent Fulbright Scholar who conducted research in Poland on issues related to eldercare. Her current work explores how TRUST is built in remote workplaces. Drawing on her expertise in communication and technology, she is a sought after keynote speaker, trainer, consultant, and executive coach. She has written 4 books examining the impact of technology, including Trust at a Distance, co-authored with David Horsager and published by Berrett-Koehler.
Started at Bethel
1999
Education
- Bethel College - B.A. in Communication, 1983
- University of St. Thomas - M.A. in Education, 1988
- St. Mary's University - M.A. in Counseling Psychology, 1997
- University of Minnesota - Ph.D. in Communication, 2004
Courses taught
- Strategic Communication (GS)
- Group Communication
- Organizational Communication
- Advanced Public Speaking
- Professional and Technical Speaking
- Health Communication
- Communication, Technology, and Society
- Facilitating Difficult Conversations
- Nonverbal Communication
- Research Methods
- Senior Capstone
Awards
Fulbright Scholar, 2020
3 Edgren Scholarships
Publications
Kendall, P., & Horsager, D. (Nov. 2025). Trust at a distance: Six strategies to manage in the remote workplace. Berrett-Koehler.
Kendall, P., Scott, M., & Jolivette, K. (2019) “Well you can’t force them”: Altercasting in the home health care context. Journal of Communication Studies, 70(1), 71-93. doi:10.1080/10510974.2018.1462838
Kendall, P. (June, 2018). [Review of the book Heart of the machine: Our Future in a world of artificial intelligence, by Richard Yonck.] Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, 70(2), 135‐136.
Kendall, P. (2009). Finding adolescents through cyberspace: Youth workers, teenagers, and Instant Messaging. In S. Socha & R. Stamp (Ed.s), Parents, children, and communication: Interfacing outside of home (pp. 241‐257). New York: Routledge/Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Reboot: Refreshing Your Faith in a High-Tech World published in 2009 by Judson Press
Youth Ministry in a Technological Age an edited book published by Xlibris in 2011
Connected: Christian Parenting in an Age of IM and MySpace published by Judson Press in 2007
Rewired: Youth Ministry in an Age of IM and MySpace published by Judson Press in 2007
plus various articles and reviews in Youthworker Journal, Today's Christian Woman,
Presentations
Peer-reviewed Scholarly Presentations
Kendall, P. (September 6‐9, 2018). Facebook, Cell Phones, and Google: What social technology can teach us about how to better engage our students. Paper presented at the XV CercleS International Conference, Poznan University of Technology, Poland.
Kendall, P. & Jolivette, K. (February, 2018). Fictive kinship and formal care: A study of social support and home health aides. Paper presented at the Edgren Scholarship award presentation. Bethel University, St. Paul, MN.
Kendall, P. & Jolivette, K. (March, 2017). “Well, you can’t force them”: Altercasting in the home health care context. Paper presented at the Central States Communication Association Convention, Health Communication Division. Minneapolis, MN.
Kendall, P., Baldwin, J., Coggio, G., & Smith, L. R. (March, 2017). Creating Study Abroad Programs: Addressing the challenges of educational outcomes, administrative constraints, and surviving life with a group of twenty year olds. Paper presented at the Central States Communication Association Convention, Communication Education Division. Minneapolis, MN.
Kendall, P. (March, 2015). Senior seminar: An examination of aging. Paper presented at the Central States Communication Association Convention, Communication Education Division. Madison, WI.
Kendall, P. (March, 2006). Youth work and Instant Messaging: Using cyberspace to meet the needs of young people. Paper presented at the Central States Communication Association Convention, Media Division. Indianapolis, Indiana. The paper received the top debut paper award.
Selected Keynote Presentations
Kendall, P. (March, 2021). The Fruit of Technology. Full day workshop at Hillside Baptist Church, Lakeville, MN.
Kendall, P. (July, 2019). Fruit of Social Media; Workshop for Living the Questions week at Bethel University, St. Paul, MN
Kendall, P. (February2012). Generosity in emerging generations. Keynote speech and workshop at the Ecumenical Stewardship Center Convention, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Kendall, P. (June, 2012). Social media and ministry: The state of the art. Workshop at the Converge and Bethel University Biennial Convention, Washington D.C.
Kendall, P. (June, 2011). The new normal. Keynote speeches and symposium at the American Baptist Convention, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Kendall, P. (August, 2011). Deconstructing the 21st century learning paradigm. Keynote speech at St. Johns University Technology Day, Collegeville, MN.
Certificates and licenses
ICF Certified Coach
Change Management Specialist
Hobbies and interests
Peggy Kendall enjoys watching old movies, Candy Crush, and sitting in the Delta Sky Lounge.
Areas of expertise
Kendall has focused her research and writing in two areas. Most recently, she has focused on communication challenges in the remote workplace. This work began with an Edgren scholarship examining psychological safety in dispersed teams. Her previous research has examined the challenges of direct care service providers and how the pandemic added to existing communication barriers and burn-out in in group homes. This research culminated in a Fulbright Scholarship where she studied cultural differences in attitudes toward elder care.
Teaching specialty
Kendall has been teaching public speaking classes for over 30 years. She also coaches speakers as they prepare for various professional speaking engagements. Her secondary area of teaching is related to her consulting work, focusing on leadership and communication in organizations.