Skip to main content
School of Communication

Blessing Okafor

Assistant Professor
School of Communication
Office
FEL Fell Hall 434
Office Phone
(309) 438-3671office
phone
Email
beokafo@ilstu.eduemail
  • About

Biography

Blessing Ekene Okafor is pursuing her PhD in Communication (ABD) at University of Missouri, Columbia. She holds a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Nigeria), a master's degree in English Language from the University of Lagos (Nigeria), and a second master’s degree in communication studies from North Dakota State University.

Current Courses

375.002Communication And Leadership

272.002Communication, Culture, and Difference in American Society

272.003Communication, Culture, and Difference in American Society

272.004Communication, Culture, and Difference in American Society

Teaching Interests & Areas

Organizational Communication, Leadership Communication, and Communication, Culture, and Difference in American Society, Qualitative Research Methods

Research Interests & Areas

As an organizational communication scholar, Blessing's research centers on workplace communication, where she explores how interactions within professional environments—such as businesses, organizations, and other work settings—can be optimized to enhance organizational effectiveness, employee well-being, and overall workplace dynamics. Additionally, she examines how employees can communicate effectively within both social and cultural contexts. Her research delves into topics including organizational dissent, workplace freedom of speech, organizational culture, identity, Intersectionality and power.
In addition to her primary focus, Blessing also investigates issues of precarity and resilience in various contexts, particularly in health and employment. Her work has been presented at regional, national, and international communication conferences.

Blessing's scholarly contributions have been published in reputable journals such as the Western Journal of Communication, Communication Studies, Journal of Family Communication, and Health Communication, as well as in The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in Organizational Communication. She has received numerous accolades, including the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Dissertation Award and the Southeastern Emerging Scholars (SEC) Fellowship. ​