Possessing more than 50 years of professional experience, Dr. Richard E. Vatz is well-regarded in higher education for his expertise in political persuasion, rhetoric and communications. Recognized as a professor emeritus since 2023, he first joined the faculty of Towson University in 1974 as an assistant professor. As time progressed, he was promoted to the position of associate professor in 1982 and, subsequently, full professor in 1989. While teaching at Towson University, Dr. Vatz is notable for being the longest-serving member of the university’s University Senate, where he served for 41 years. He was also responsible for organizing appearances by prominent speakers, including former Governor Robert Ehrlich, who spoke at Towson University twice per year for 25 years under the guidance of Dr. Vatz.
Previously, Dr. Vatz was an instructor at the McKeesport campus of Pennsylvania State University from 1969 to 1973 and at North Carolina State University from 1973 to 1974. While serving as an instructor, he pursued his own formal education, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology in 1969. He continued his studies at the university, earning a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy in rhetoric and communication in 1970 and 1976, respectively.
Though retired from academia, Dr. Vatz has continued his scholarly contributions as a commentator and panelist for Square Off-Baltimore since 2024. He has also been highlighted as a media commentator on topics related to political rhetoric and communication, with features on various radio shows and media outlets across the nation. Impressively, he appeared as an analyst for Fox News, CNN, CBS Radio and ABC Radio and was a featured interviewee on “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” “The Phil Donahue Show” and “Larry King Live.” Moreover, Dr. Vatz was a longstanding editor for USA Today magazine between 1985 and 2022, having also published numerous articles and reviews for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Baltimore Sun, the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Notably, Dr. Vatz co-authored “Thomas Szasz: Primary Values and Major Contentions” in 1983 and “Thomas Szasz: The Man and His Ideas” in 2017. Well known for his authoring of “The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion: The Agenda-Spin Method” in 2011, he contributed to its subsequent eight editions until 2024. In light of this achievement, Dr. Vatz has been a sponsor of the Richard E. Vatz Agenda-Spin Persuasion Award, as bestowed by the Eastern Communication Association, and the Richard E. Vatz Best Debater Endowment from Towson University.
Testifying to his resounding success at Towson University, Dr. Vatz consistently received the highest teaching evaluation and won more accolades than anyone else on campus. To wit, he received four Outstanding Teaching Grants – the most of any faculty member on campus – and was honored with the university’s first Teacher of the Year Award in 2002. In 2004, he was awarded Towson University’s highest honor, the President’s Award for Distinguished Service. He also received Governor’s Citations for Achievements in Higher Education and Service from Maryland Governors Robert Ehrlich and Larry Hogan in 2004 and 2022, respectively.
