Faculty Spotlight: Adjunct Associate Professor
Amanda Dickson Wilhelm
Adjunct Associate Professor Amanda Dickson Wilhelm brings her wealth of media experience and enthusiasm for communication into the classroom. Best known to Utah audiences as Amanda Dickson, she co-hosts Utah’s Morning News on KSL NewsRadio and hosts the award-winning program A Woman’s View. Beyond the airwaves, she is a published author, speaker, and dedicated community leader serving on several nonprofit boards, including the National Kidney Foundation of Utah and Hale Centre Theatre’s National Advisory Board.
Professor Wilhelm earned both her B.A. in English and her Juris Doctorate at the University of Utah, where she now teaches courses that inspire students to think critically about communication’s role in society.
She describes Media and Society (COMM 1500) as one of her favorite courses to teach, especially for its wide-ranging discussions about how media shapes health, truth, relationships, sports, and emerging technologies like AI. She also enjoys guiding students through Public Speaking (COMM 1020), helping them gain confidence by practicing and coaching each other throughout the semester.
Another course close to her heart is Argumentation (COMM 1270), which she believes equips students with essential skills to evaluate information, spot fallacies, and make reasoned judgments in today’s challenging media environment. Wilhelm’s “first love,” however, is Media Law, a course she has taught for more than 25 years. She finds particular energy in exploring landmark First Amendment cases and connecting them to current events.
Her teaching reflects the same qualities that have made her a recognizable voice across Utah—energy, clarity, and a passion for helping people communicate more effectively.