The National Communication Association has established an award in honor of Dr. Orlando L. Taylor, its 85th president and first African-American to serve in that capacity.
The Orlando L. Taylor Distinguished Scholarship Award in Africana Communication will honor a scholar whose body of work demonstrates a sustained commitment to the study of African-American and/or the African Diaspora communication and culture, according to an NCA statement.
“Dr. Taylor has made significant contributions to the discipline of Communication and to our association over several decades,” said NCA Executive Director Nancy Kidd. “Significantly, he helped propel Communication to greater prominence in national higher education discussions during his tenure.”
Taylor, currently Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Research/Director of the Institute for Social Innovation at Fielding Graduate University, served for more than 30 years in various leadership positions at Howard University, including Dean of the School of Communications.
“I am both humbled and honored to have the National Communication Association name this prestigious award in my honor,” said Taylor, who served as NCA president in 1999.