A communication studies alumnus will return to his “home” department on Friday to talk to current faculty and students about how he uses what he learned at Eastern in his current career.

The presentation begins at 9 a.m. in the Coleman Hall Auditorium.

Chris Caldwell, who graduated from Eastern in ’87 with a degree in communication studies currently works as the government affairs manager for DuPont, a production company that makes items in a variety of industries including chemicals, construction, energy, electronics, food and mining.

Melanie Mills, a professor of communication studies, had Caldwell as a student in multiple classes and said he was extremely involved on campus.

“He was involved in student government, WEIU TV and radio, and was in a fraternity,” Mills said. “ He was very involved on campus so it is not a big surprise that he is still very connected to Eastern.”

Caldwell is a member of Eastern’s Alumni Association Board of Directors but lives and works in Virginia

According to his biography, he has supported approximately $800 million in new company investments and hundreds of new manufacturing jobs in the region – as well as lobbying for new legislation for Brownfield cleanup in Virginia.

Mills, who started teaching at Eastern in 1985, said after Caldwell’s graduation, the two lost touch but recently reconnected when he added her on Facebook.

Michael Bradd, the interim chairman of the communication studies department, said Caldwell’s presentation will focus on how what he learned at Eastern helps him in his field and what exactly his job entails.

There will also be a portion of the presentation set aside for a question and answer session.

Mills said part of the problem with the communication field is that students do not always know what they can do with a communication degree.

“Basically it’s about where you can go from Eastern, but not necessarily specific jobs, just how to go about it and strategies, see what’s coming next,” Mills said. “Communication is a very flexible degree; student’s don’t always see that.”

Amy Wywialowski can be reached at 581-2812 or alwywialowski@eiu.edu.