Matt's Vita

Matthew Abrahams

EDUCATION:      

                                Single-Subject Teaching Credential San Francisco State University, Department. of Education.

MA  University of California at Davis, Department of Communication.

                               BA  Stanford University, Department of Psychology.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

7/04 - present      Speech Communication Instructor, De Anza College*, Cupertino, CA.  Develop and teach Communication curricula including speech, group, interpersonal and persuasive communication.

8/02 – 6/04           High School English Teacher, Leland High School, San Jose, CA.  Develop and teach English and Speech curricula to 120 students, while assistant coaching the nationally ranked Leland Speech and Debate team.

8/01 – 7/02           Vice President of World Wide Education, Openwave, Inc, Redwood City, CA.   Ran a multi-million dollar, multi-national training organization that developed, delivered and assessed training for customers, partners and employees.

5/98 – 7/01           Senior Director of World Wide Education, Ariba, Inc, Mountain View, CA.  Ran the development and delivery of training for customers, partners, suppliers and employees.  In three years time, grew group from $250,000 a year and 5 people to $10 million a year and 84 people worldwide.  Localized content and delivery into Asian and European languages.

10/94 – 5/98         Director of World Wide Education, The Vantive Corporation, Santa Clara, CA.  Assessed and addressed all educational needs world-wide of customers, distributors, partners and employees.  Ran an organization of 15 trainers and three managers that accounted for $3.2 M in 1997.

2/94 - 10/94          Senior Training Consultant, Ultradata Corporation, Pleasanton, CA.  Designed and taught training classes for a client-server, database application for credit union transactions.

1/94 - 3/94             Interpersonal Communication Instructor, De Anza College, Cupertino, CA.  Taught interpersonal
7/02 & 7/03            communication and   process to  undergraduates.     
                       

9/93 - 12/93         Public Speaking Instructor, Santa Clara University, CA.  Taught fundamentals of public speaking
                               including organization,  visual aids, critical thinking, and argumentation.    
                                                             

9/91 - 6/93             Group Communication Instructor, UC Davis, Davis, CA.  Taught group communication theory     
                                and skills to undergraduates.  Problem solving, conflict, and facilitation were covered.
                                 

9/92 - 1/93             Intern, LucasArts, San Rafael, CA.  Served as an intern for George Lucas’s LucasFilm Ltd.

*De Anza College won the 2005 Western States Speech Communication Association's Model Teaching Award

TEACHING INTERESTS:

                                Public Speaking

                                Group Communication

                                Interpersonal Communication

                                Facilitation Skills

                                Listening Skills

                                Persuasion and Social Influence

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

                                American Society of Training and Development

                                Western States Speech Communication Association

                                National Communication Association

                                American Teachers of the Martial Arts     

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES:

                                BUILD

                                Kidpower International

                                Community Emergency Response Team Member                                                      

PUBLICATIONS:

                                Abrahams, M.F., & Bell, R.A., (1994).  Encouraging charitable contributions:  An examination of
                                three models of Door-in-the-Face compliance.  Communication Research, 21, 131-153.

                                Abrahams, M.F. (1994).  Perceiving Flirtation Communication:  An exploration of the perceptual
                                dimensions underlying judgments of flirtatiousness.  The Journal of Sex Research, 31, 283-292.

                                DiBattista, P., & Abrahams, M.F., (1995).  The role of relational information in the production of
                                deceptive messages.  Communication Reports, 8, 120-128.
 

                                Bell, R.A., Abrahams, M.F., Clark, C.L., & Schlatter, C., (1996).  The Door-in-the-Face compliance
                                strategy:  An individual differences analysis of two models in an AIDS fundraising context. 
                                Communication Quarterly, 44, 107-124.

                                Berger, C.R., Knowlton, S.W., & Abrahams, M.F., (1996).  The hierarchy principle in strategic
                                communication.  Communication Theory, 6, 111-142.

Clark, C. L., Shaver, P. R., & Abrahams, M. F.,  (1999).  Strategic behaviors in romantic relationship initiation.  Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2, 707-720.

CONVENTION PAPERS:

“Promoting charitable contributions:  An examination of three theories of Door-in-the-Face compliance.”  Matthew F. Abrahams and Robert A. Bell.  Presented at the annual of meeting of the Western States Communication Association, Albuquerque, NM, February 1993.  This paper was a Top 3 Paper in the Interpersonal Communication Division.                               

“Altering communication plans in response to goal failure.”  Charles R. Berger and Matthew F. Abrahams.  Presented at the annual of meeting of the International Communication Association, Washington DC, May 1993.

“Further areas for applied interpersonal communication research:  Common threads and new research criteria.”  Delivered as part of a panel presentation “Taking it to the streets:  The challenge for applied interpersonal communication.”  Presented at the annual of meeting of the Western States Communication Association, San Jose, CA, February 1994.

“Perceiving flirtatious communication:  An exploration of the perceptual dimensions underlying judgments of flirtatiousness.”  Matthew F. Abrahams.  Presented at the annual of meeting of the International Communication Association, Sydney, Australia, July 1994.

“Production characteristics of deceptive relational messages:  Do we use what we know?”  Patrick diBattista and Matthew F. Abrahams.  Presented at the annual of meeting of the International Communication Association, Sydney, Australia, July 1994.

“Perceiving flirtatious communication II:  Distinguishing among types of flirtatious communication.”  Matthew F. Abrahams. Presented at the annual of meeting of the Western States Communication Association, Portland, OR, February 1995.

“Does it matter who answers the door?  An individual differences analysis of two models of Door-in-the-Face compliance within a fundraising context.”  Robert A. Bell, Matthew F. Abrahams, Catherine L. Clark, and Christina Schlatter. Presented at the annual of meeting of the International Communication Association, Albuquerque, NM, May 1995.

“Mental models of interpersonal attachment and their effect on affect, relational goals and plans for interpersonal interaction.”  Patrick diBattista, Jose Alfredo Gomez, Catherine L. Clark, and Matthew F. Abrahams.  Presented at the annual of meeting of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL, November 1997.

"Praying to Godiva: Communication Principles in Cults."  Matthew F. Abrahams.  Presented as part of the Western States Speech Communication Association's Great Ideas for Teaching Speech panel.  Presented at the annual meeting of the Western States Speech Communication Association, San Francisco, CA, February 2005.

"Crossing the Line:  A Simple Classroom Activity That Demonstrates a Myriad of Communication
Topics."  Matthew F. Abrahams.  Presented as part  of the Western States Speech Communication
Association's Great Ideas for Teaching Speech:  Gender Communication panel.  Presented at the
annual meeting of the Western States Speech Communication Association, San Francisco, CA, February 2005

"From Carlin to Cosby to Costello: Comedic lessons about language." Matt F. Abrahams.  Presented as part  of the Western States Speech Communication Association's Great Ideas for
Teaching Speech.  Presented at the annual meeting of the Western States Speech Communication Association, Palm Springs, CA, February 2006

"Winning the Nobel Prize:  Exploring Figures of Speech and Speaking Style."  Matt F. Abrahams.             
Presented as part  of the Western States Speech Communication Association's Great Ideas for
Teaching Speech.  Presented at the annual meeting of the Western States Speech Communication Association, , Seattle, WA, February 2007

"Using eValu8 Software to Provide Presentation Feedback."  Matt F. Abrahams.             
Presented as part  of the Western States Speech Communication Association's Speech Evaluation panel.  Presented at the annual meeting of the Western States Speech Communication Association, Seattle, WA, February 2007

"Unconventional Speech Grading Techniques:  Using Software Programs to Administer Speech Feedback"  Matt F. Abrahams.  Presented at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association, San Diego, CA, November 2008

"Order in the classroom!"  Different approaches to handling student [mis]conduct  Matt F. Abrahams.  Presented at the annual meeting of the Western States Speech Communication, Mesa, AZ, February 2009.

"Deviant for a Day"  Matt F. Abrahams.  Presented as part  of the Western States Speech Communication Association's Great Ideas for Teaching Speech.  Presented at the annual meeting of the Western States Speech Communication, Mesa, AZ, February 2009.

"What is a thesis statement?”  How do you ensure that students are getting the fundamental skills needed to succeed.  Matt F. Abrahams.  Presented at the annual meeting of the Western States Speech Communication, Mesa, AZ, February 2009.