A graduate of the Class of 1966, Susan Bussey Shimanoff is a professor of speech and communication studies at San Francisco State University and the graduate coordinator of the school’s College of Humanities. She holds a Ph.D. in speech communication from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in speech communication from San Diego State University and a bachelor’s degree in public address from Northwestern University. Shimanoff is a published writer of numerous articles, and she has spoken to diverse audiences across the country and internationally on communication issues. While at Oceanside High, she placed fourth in the nation in extemporaneous speaking for women.