His research interests include deception, message production, and family communication. Dr. McCornack teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on interpersonal communication, relational communication, and language/discourse. Since he began at MSU in 1988, he has received several awards for undergraduate teaching excellence, including the Amoco Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award, a Lilly Endowment Teaching Fellowship, the MSU Teacher/Scholar Award, and the MSU Alumni Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award. Dr. McCornack was MSU's 1999 and 2010 nominee for the Carnegie Foundation United States Professor of the Year Award. Dr. McCornack received his B.A. from the University of Washington and his M.A. and PhD from the University of Illinois.