- Phone:
- (317) 278-7718
- Email:
- mpolites@iu.edu
- Campus:
- IU Indianapolis
Mike Polites, who teaches public speaking, interpersonal communication and interviewing classes in the School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis, has helped thousands of people overcome their fear of communicating. His academic research interests include first-year experience, service learning, humor, classroom civility and teaching methodologies. As a past-president of a local Toastmasters International group, Polites became the Indiana State Champion of Humorous Speaking.
Delivering over 500 dynamic and energetic presentations, workshops and conference breakouts on effective communication, team-building and the power of a positive attitude, Polites is frequently asked to return as a guest speaker. To share his passion for quality communication, Polites began Training Group Inc. in 2004 to facilitate communication training across the United States.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Ball State University, he worked in sales and consulting for five years. During this time, he worked as a recruiter in high school classrooms, encouraging thousands of Indiana high school seniors to continue their education by going on to college. He later returned to Ball State and obtained both a Certified Training Certificate and a Master of Arts in communication studies with an emphasis on training and consulting in organizations.