Communication Matters-Spring 2015

Spring 2015 1

COMMUNICATION MATTERS

Department of Communication Studies at UNC Charlotte EZine

Volume 5, Issue 1

communication communication NOTES FROM THE CHAIR

NOTES FROM THE CHAIR

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Dr. Shawn Long EDITOR Cheryl Spainhour STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS Chelsea Tubridy, Brittany Pailthorpe and Robin Cavin SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Genevieve Cordery and Sami Smith FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPH Courtesy of Wade Bruton DESIGNER Leigh Ann Privette

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elcome to Communication Matters, the official electronic magazine of the Department of Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. As you read this publication, you will see that our department is an exciting hub for faculty, student, staff, and community engagement focused on the study, practice, teaching, and service of all things communication.

Our award-winning faculty, staff, and students continue to do amazing work and this publication simply highlights the cutting-edge projects and accomplishments of our world-class community. As you read through our e-zine you will notice that Mr. David Landrum, our Budget and Office Administrator won the prestigious State of North Carolina’s Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service. You will note that Dr. Jonathan Crane was one of five finalists for the highly competitive UNC Charlotte’s Bank of America Outstanding Teaching Award. Ms. Cheryl Spainhour’s cutting-edge multimedia special topics journalism course: “Covering Poverty in America” won the 2014 Region 2 Mark of Excellence Award for the Best Independent Online Student Publication! We beat out heady competition within our region. Dr. Alan Freitag was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in Poland. These awards are simply the tip of the iceberg. Our faculty are securing book contracts, publishing ground-breaking research, and winning scholarly, teaching and service awards at the university and beyond.

Seven of our full-time faculty members (Dr. Jon Crane, Ms. Melody Dixon-Brown, Dr. Alan Freitag, Ms. Staci Kuntzman, Dr. Maggie Quinlan, Ms. Robin Rothberg, and Ms. Cheryl Spainhour) received 10 or more commendations from graduating seniors identifying them as having the most important impact on their academic career. Several of our faculty, including our department as whole, received at least one of these accolades. There are certainly more awards and recognitions within our department than this space will allow, so please browse through the pages of Matters and read about all the exciting things occurring within our department.

Our undergraduate (Ms. Carol Leeman) and graduate (Dr. Christine Davis) coordinators are leading our department in new and exciting ways. Thanks to their great work, we are now offering a competitive undergraduate research award program in our department. Our graduate students are winning top research awards and are being recruited for exciting industry jobs or securing their space in top doctoral programs across the country, most recently Ohio University, Howard University, University of Kentucky, and the University of Nebraska. I am very excited about the launch of our Communication Studies Learning Community this year.

Mr. Craig Paddock is leading this effort and is serving as our founding director.

We continue to grow as a department. We will welcome Ms. Brandy Stamper, Lecturer, to our department in fall 2015, as a full-time faculty member. Additionally, we continue to promote our faculty. Last year, Dr. Margaret Quinlan was conferred permanent tenure and promoted to Associate Professor. Ms. Staci Kuntzman, Ms. Robin Rothberg and Mr. Tim Horne were promoted to Senior Lecturer last summer. This summer, Dr. Christine Davis will be promoted to Full Professor. Ms. Melody Dixon-Brown, Ms. Sandy Hanson and Mr. Henrique Viana will be reappointed as Senior Lecturers and Lecturer, respectively, in July 2015.

Communication “Matters” in our society and we hope that you enjoy our individual and collective contributions to this idea.

Warm regards, Shawn D. Long Professor and Department Chair

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IACS SUMMIT

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNICATION & SPORT SUMMIT SHOWCASES RESEARCH, UPTOWN CHARLOTTE AND UNC CHARLOTTE’S COMMUNICATION STUDIES DEPARTMENT

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ver 120 scholars, professionals and students from across the country and around the world gathered March 6-8 for the 8th annual International Association for Communication and Sport (IACS) Summit.

Dr. Dan Grano, an Associate Professor in the Department, was responsible for bringing the conference to UNC Charlotte’s Center City campus and organizing a wide array of panels and programs presented by scholars and professionals working in the sports field.

Other featured guest speakers included Sports writer Jodie Valade and Sporting News College Basketball editor Kami Mattioli, who served as panelists on “Women in Sports Media Production.”

The IACS summit showcased innovative and timely research on the intersection of communication and sport.

Work presented included media coverage, national culture and the relationships between sport and race, place, memory, sexuality and capitalism. Smaller sessions focused on specific topics and entities such as Twitter and its use and authenticity amongst companies, sports teams and individual athletes. “The IACS conference was packed with new research studies by current leaders in the field and opportunities to learn and network,” said Alicia Emmons, a Department graduate student.

Grano says the Center City Campus was ideal because it is “an impressive, new building in a perfect location, so it really shows off UNC Charlotte and Center City to visitors.” The uptown campus also gave conference attendees easy access to the heart of the city. He said the conference, “put a lot of attractions and restaurants within walking distance for attendees.”

A welcome reception took place at BB&T Ballpark on Thursday night to kick-off the weekend’s events followed by a discounted Charlotte Hornet’s game at Time Warner Cable Arena on Friday night.

All perspectives, methodologies and sub-fields of research were welcome, with sports as the overarching theme. Dr. Michael Real, author of the seminal essay “Super Bowl: Mythic Spectacle,” served as the keynote speaker for the conference. Real, often credited as the unofficial father of sports cultural studies in communication, encouraged young scholars to “ask big questions” and to think critically about the future of the role of sports in communication studies.

Artis Twyman, Senior Director of Communications for the NFL team, the St. Louis Rams, was another featured speaker at the conference. This sweeping session addressed current issues surrounding politics and sports, specifically Michael Sam, the first openly gay player in NFL history. Harrison Card, a Department graduate student, said it “provided an excellent mix of professional and scholarly perspectives.”

MICHAEL BUTTERWORTH -

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LEFT TO RIGHT: HARRISON CARD, BETH BOOKER, EMILY CRAWFORD, MYASIA BURNS, ALICIA EMMONS

- OHIO UNIVERSITY

LEFT TO RIGHT: SIMON LICEN - WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY, MICHAEL REAL - ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY, DAN GRANO - UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE

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FACULTY AWARDS

QUINLAN WINS REGIONAL EMMY FOR DOCUMENTARY SERIES Dr. Margaret M. Quinlan, Associate Professor, won a regional Emmy with her associates for “The Courage of Creativity,” a documentary series. The series features three organizations that showcase how art and creativity can positively impact a person’s well-being and overall health. “Our inspiration for the series comes from years of collaborative research,” said Quinlan, who is an associate producer. “Each organization provides opportunities for participants to express themselves, connect with others and develop resiliency in the midst of suffering.”

Her collaboration with The Scripps College of Communication and WOUB Center for Public Media resulted in a regional Emmy from the Ohio Valley Regional Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Science, on Aug. 2, 2014. She and her associates—producers Dr. Lynn Harter at Ohio University and WOUB’s Evan Shaw – anticipate the final documentary will be complete by this fall(’15). “My hope is that this will start more conversations for ways we can integrate arts and medicine aimed toward the cultivation of community,” Quinlan said. The series received support from the Barbara Geralds Schoonover and Joe Berman Professorship.

You can view the trailer for “The Courage of Creativity” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UohnRbvmCo

2014 MARK OF EXCELLENCE AWARD Journalism student Chelsea Tubridy (left) is pictured with Senior Lecturer Cheryl Spainhour at the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards Luncheon. Tubridy accepted the award on behalf of the UNC Charlotte journalism students who won a 2014 Mark of Excellence Award at the SPJ Region 2 conference held March 29 at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism. The award, "Best Independent Online Student Publication," was given for the website created from student work for the 2014 course, "Covering Poverty in America," taught by Spainhour. Entries came from 16 colleges and universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Maryland and Georgetown University.

The student website can be viewed at http://ncpoverty.com/. The website is a culmination of news stories, profiles, commentary, and compelling photography looking at poverty 50 years after President Lyndon B. Johnson's declaration of "war on poverty" in his 1964 State of the Union address. Filmmaker and adjunct lecturer William S. Davis collaborated on the project, and his Community-Based Film Production class contributed film and webpage design.

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2014 BANK OF AMERICA AWARDS FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Dr. Jon Crane, pictured with his wife, Barbara, and his parents, was one of five finalists honored for outstanding teaching at the 2014 Bank of America Awards for Teaching Excellence ceremony. Dr. Crane has captivated and inspired students at UNC Charlotte since 1988. He is an Associate Professor whose areas of interest include Media, Film, and Popular Culture.

LANDRUM RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS GOVERNOR’S AWARD David Landrum, Budget and Grant Administrator for the Department, received The Governor’s Award in Excellence for Public Service in 2014, after being nominated by his colleague. The award, which acknowledges those in the community that go above and beyond their normal responsibilities to serve the state of North Carolina, is one of the highest honors a state employee can receive. Landrum said he was surprised by the award.

Governor Pat McCrory oversaw the awards ceremony on Nov. 18, 2014, in Raleigh, publicly acknowledging each of the 14 award recipients.

Landrum says he serves by “mentoring children and giving back to the community.” He was notably recognized for mentoring Vance Vaughn, a now-eighth grade student at Holbrook Middle School in Gaston County. Once a shy kindergartener, Vaughn found confidence in Landrum’s friendship and encouragement.

Landrum attributes his motivation for his volunteer work to “the simple fact that someone needs my help.” He says he will continue mentoring children and young adults in the years to come. He also plans to get involved with the Kidney Foundation.

“I think that this recognition is well overdue for David,” says Dr. Shawn Long, Department Chair. “David is a one-in-a-million person and this significant award just highlights how valuable he is to our department, university, and the State of North Carolina.

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CONCENTRATIONS AND HONORS PROGRAM

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION CONCENTRATION

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s one of the largest majors within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Communication Studies Department offers five concentrations to choose from as well as minors in Journalism and Communication Studies to educate students and help prepare them for professional positions following graduation. The Organizational Communication concentration is designed for those students interested in the practices and processes of communication with organizations.

“There are few social institutions that will affect the everyday personal and public lives of our students more than the organizations that employ them,” says Associate Professor Cliff Scott. “They play a critical role in everything from the economic opportunities and threats we face throughout our careers to influencing public policy to shaping the perceived limits of who we are and who we could become as individuals.”

While all majors have to complete the same core classes, Organizational Communication requires additional courses that explore work place situations. “We spend a lot of time talking about how you make sense of the skills you have and how that makes sense in the world outside of academics,” explains Associate Professor Loril Gossett.

Assistant Professor Jaime Bochantin also believes that the core-concentration requirements are of the utmost importance and recommends that students take “a variety of our special topics courses ... to get some more in-depth topics.”

Organizational Communication prepares students for various careers. Scott says it “offers students a broad background that they can use in a range of occupations – any setting in which collaboration with others is critical to organizational outcomes. Like many liberal arts majors, it can be applied in so many career domains. At the same time, it has a fairly applied focus that can be connected to highly marketable job skills.” He adds that “in recent decades, organizations have become less hierarchical and more collaborative or team-based, which has made organizational communication skills highly relevant to an incredible range of occupations.”

Bochantin says she “loves how applicable our major is to ‘real world’ contexts. I always stress to students just how vital it is to be knowledgeable in organizational communication when being involved with any type of organization.”

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She says there are employment opportunities in training and development, management, consulting, marketing, advertising and research jobs for large organizations like Google and Bank of America.

Gossett notes that "staffing/recruiting is an industry of choice for org comm graduates. Marketing/sales is probably the second most common job-type org comm students seem to find after graduation.”

Gossett enjoys keeping up with her former students via LinkedIn to follow their career paths. Many students coming out of the Organizational Communication concentration utilize the skills they develop through their academics and apply them in innovative ways. “One woman loves photography and music but she’s an org comm major so she’s made a career helping companies with planning their events and she does a little photography and marketing,” she says. Gossett also has current students who have already landed jobs in their field before graduation based on their performance through internships.

stude Meghan Bradshaw (December ’15), Major in Communication Studies (Organizational Communication concentration)

HONORS PROGRAM CONTINUES QUALITY-STRESSED TRADITION Tynaiza Whitaker (’16) is new to the Communication Studies Honors Program but has high hopes of developing valuable relationships and gaining new opportunities. The Honors Program recognizes students like Whitaker who display high academic achievement, and it promotes independent study.

Program director Ashli Stokes says honors students “turn their research ideas into Honors theses.” The Honors Program requires students to complete independent research for their theses which challenges them to analyze with and articulate complex communication issues. Whitaker says “Being a part of the Honors Program will be extremely beneficial to my academic and professional goals. It is definitely teaching me responsibility as well as time management.”

Stokes says the Honors Program experience and opportunities enhance student resumes. Whitaker anticipates her experiences in the Honors Program will help her after graduation. “I will hopefully be a Teach for America corps member after graduation which definitely encapsulates all of the things that the Honor Program will teach me.”

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SENIOR TOUTS ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION CONCENTRATION Q. What made you choose Organizational Communication as your concentration?

A. I felt that it would adequately prepare me for a variety of career paths, whether it be in management, human resources, consulting, or recruiting. Studying Organizational Communication has taught me about what I value in a career and has fine-tuned my personal and professional strengths.

Q. What is the most important thing you have learned so far?

Q. What do you hope to do after graduation?

A. In our Applications in Organizational course, Dr. Gossett taught us that everything we have been involved with, whether it be volunteering at a local charity or a part-time summer job, can be used as a platform to build our careers.

No matter how small we believe that experience may have been, it has in some way helped prepare you for something great in your future.

A. This June, I will be heading to Seattle, Washington to participate in the Retail Management Internship Program at the Nordstrom Flagship Store. I have long admired this company for its dedication to providing outstanding products and exemplary service, and was lucky to have had a jump start on my career with Nordstrom as a sophomore in college. I am so excited to see what opportunities will come in the future as I move into a new role and continue to grow with the company!

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CONFERENCES

FOUR DEPARTMENT MASTERS STUDENTS PRESENT AT CCA CONFERENCE With the support of the Communication Studies graduate faculty, their classmates, and program alumni, M.A. candidates James Hooks, Jaclyn Marsh, Emily Thomas, and Brittany Pailthorpe presented papers as part of the 2014 Annual Carolinas Communication Association (CCA) conference. Interpreting the conference theme, “Communicating Civic Responsibility & Reconciliation,” their topics spoke to the construction of community and identity in virtual and mediated environments. The conference was held in Greenville, S.C., on the first weekend of October. “We were able to attend other presentations where people talked about their research,” Marsh said, “from how people use community radio stations to strengthen their community to how Facebook is used by people as a means of dealing with loneliness.

Thomas and Pailthorpe were finalists for the Mary E. Jarrard Research Graduate Award. Pailthorpe’s research focused on a Sandy Hook memorial website, and Thomas’ paper was titled "Gay and Christian: Blogs, Narratives, and LGBTQ Individuals and the Christian Church."

Marsh, who presented for the first time at CCA, said “It was great that there were four of us presenting from the UNC Charlotte MA program. I got to watch two of my peers present before it was my turn, and I really enjoyed their pieces.

James Hooks and I then presented at a panel where he talked about his work with E-sports and gaming culture and I spoke about my work on Parents’ magazine.

“This conference is very welcoming and we were lucky to have our respondent give us great feedback about where to take our research next and how to strengthen our arguments,” she added. “This conference allows students to shine, not be self-conscious, and it is a great learning experience for them to gain presentation skills.”

NCA CONFERENCE REFLECTS ON PAST TO IMPACT FUTURE The theme of the 100th anniversary of the 2014 National Communication Association conference was "The Presence of our Past(s)". Scholars and students traveled to Chicago to reflect on the past of our discipline in order to improve our future. The five-day conference facilitated a space for the discussion of concepts like disenfranchisement, utility, focus, integration and individual and holistic identity. Faculty and graduate students from the UNC Charlotte Department of Communication Studies attended, notably Department Chair Dr. Shawn Long’s moderation of the opening session and Graduate Director Dr. Christine Davis' spearheading of the new Communication as Social Construction Division. Graduate student Brittany Pailthorpe taught a short course with Dr. Davis and her “Straight Talk about Communication Research Methods” co-author Dr. Ken Lachlan (UCONN) on teaching undergraduate and graduate research methods. MA candidate and CSGSA president Jaclyn Marsh presented original research at the conference. Marsh’s paper, "An Analogical Criticism of the Social Constructs Being Communicated to Infants Through Baby Einstein DVDs, " was included in the top student paper panel for the Communication as Social Construction Division. MA student Maria Jose Armendariz was inducted into Charlotte’s MU Chapter of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars. First year graduate students Alex Kello and Jade Myers also attended.

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UNC GREENSBORO PROFESSOR PRESENTS RESEARCH ON COPING WITH LOSS Dr. Christopher Poulos shared his autoethnographic work “Writing a Bridge to Possibility: Life, Death, and the Redemptive Power of Autoethnography” at the Department’s Fall Colloquium on Oct. 28, 2014. About 150 students, faculty, and alumni attended Poulos’ presentation at the Student Activity Center.

Poulos’ engaging presentation unfolded as he recalled seven personal experiences of loss, from his dog to his father-in-law, all within a two-year time span. He started writing about his experiences, which he said helped him to cope with these losses. After his talk, he fielded numerous questions from students and faculty alike.

Poulos is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at UNC Greensboro. With a Ph.D. in Human Communication Studies from the University of Denver, he describes himself as “an ethnographer and philosopher of communication with interests in relational and family communication, dialogue, communication ethics, and film.”

The Communication Studies Graduate Department and Communication Studies Graduate Student Association (CSGSA) hosted Poulos’ program.

DEPARTMENT HOSTS SOUTHERN COLLOQUIUM ON RHETORIC The Southern Colloquium on Rhetoric (SCoR) convened at the UNC Charlotte's Center City Building on Sept. 26 to discuss the discourse of capitalism and philanthropy. Fourteen attendees from eight universities analyzed the rhetorical and ethical implications of economic texts ranging from Andrew Carnegie's "Gospel of Wealth" to Warren Buffett's "My Philanthropic Pledge." Critical texts used to contextualize the discussions included Lincoln Dahlberg's "Capitalism as Discursive System?”, Jamie Cross's "The Coming of the Corporate Gift," and Dana Cloud's “Shock Therapy: Oprah Winfrey, Celebrity Philanthropy, and Disaster “Relief” in Haiti.” Brandon Inabinet of Furman University and Pat Gehrke of the University of South Carolina served as moderators of the early and late afternoon sessions respectively. Dr. Richard Leeman and Dr. Dan Grano served as local hosts on behalf of The Department of Communication Studies at UNC Charlotte. Dr. Nicole Peterson from the Department of Anthropology, who has an expressed interest in cultural economics, also attended. Following the afternoon's colloquium, the conversation continued with sustenance at an uptown Charlotte restaurant.

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alumni EYE ON ALUMNI

FROM COMMUNICATION STUDIES TO LAW SCHOOL Lamardo Davis (‘13) always wanted to travel abroad, but never had the opportunity, that is, until now. While studying in the Public Advocacy concentration in the Communication Studies Department, he was inspired by his peers from other countries and cultures, motivating him to assist other minorities with their traveling abroad plans. After graduation, Lamardo worked as a financial associate for Fidelity Investments. He now works part-time on Pazport, (http://pazportmag.com/) an online publication designed to encourage and support minorities wishing to study abroad. To fulfill his own longtime dream of traveling, he plans to take his first trip abroad backpacking across Thailand and Cambodia in May ‘15. When Lamardo returns, he plans to enter North Carolina Central University School of Law and after graduation, establish a legal career in foreign policy. He also hopes to expand Pazport.

I became involved with this because after graduation I was not successful in going abroad, so I got the idea to create a resource that would help other minorities and students overcome the obstacles that I was not able to.

Q. What inspired your passion for studying abroad and helping others who wish to take part in this?

A. What inspired me were my peers. Hearing about their cultures and their countries inspired me to want to travel and see the world through the eyes of as many cultures as possible … I believe that, as citizens of the world, it is our duty to travel and experience different places and cultures. As St. Augustine said, ‘The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.’

Q. Was there one class that stood out in your undergraduate studies?

A. The class which had the biggest impact on me as an undergrad student was ‘Accountability of Heads of State’. Throughout most of my college career, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do post-grad but it was in this class that I found my calling. In this course, we studied different human rights crimes and learned how to use international law and treaties to bring those responsible to justice.

Q. What are your future plans?

A. My future plans involve expanding Pazport into a full-fledged travel magazine so that it not only covers study abroad for minorities, but travel in general. I also plan on taking my first backpacking trip abroad before law school to Thailand and Cambodia. Lastly, I would like to start a career in foreign policy and become an advocate against human rights crimes.

Q. What inspired your decision to attend law school as the next step in your education?

A. I always had an interest in learning about the laws and policies of our country, but what truly inspired my interest in attending law school was being able to help change someone’s life for the better.

There are a lot of lawyers in the business that only want to make money, but I would like to lead a career of helping other people.

Q. What initially drew you to the Public Advocacy concentration?

A. I became interested in this track initially because I believed that the communication skills it offered would best prepare me for a future as a lawyer and activist to speak out against social injustice.

Q. What is Pazport and how did you become involved in this?

A. Pazport is a magazine that promotes study abroad amongst minorities by giving them the information they need to overcome the hurdles that traditionally prevent minorities from going abroad.

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Q. What class or classes at UNC Charlotte do you feel best prepared you for your future endeavors?

The class that prepared me the most for my future endeavors was Introduction to Entrepreneurship. In this class, I not only was inspired to begin my own venture, but I also learned about the merits of an education outside the classroom and the rewards that could come from it.

Q. What advice would you give to current undergraduate students that are preparing for graduation?

A. Don’t worry if you don’t have everything figured out after graduation! It can be tough adjusting to post-grad life, but you should enjoy that time of uncertainty and learn how to create your own opportunities.

GRADUATE ALUM WORKS AS ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY Mary Beth Usher (’07) has faced her share of challenges along the way to practicing law. While a pre-med student in the biochemistry program at N.C. State, she worked at the student newspaper and loved it. When her father became ill, she transferred to UNC Charlotte to live closer to her family. And when she changed schools, she also changed her major to Communication Studies because of her stint with the student newspaper. After earning her bachelor’s degree (Health Communication concentration) in 2007, she was accepted into the Department’s graduate program. Initially, Mary Beth’s area of interest was sports culture. She was a diligent research assistant for Dr. Dan Grano, her thesis advisor, who describes her as “incredibly smart, [with] great critical insight.” She finished her master’s degree in 2009, with plans to attend Wake Forest University’s law school. But an accident forced her to defer her enrollment for a year, and in the interim, she taught Public Speaking for the Department. She went on to graduate with a law degree from WFU in May, 2013, and that summer, passed the North Carolina Bar Exam. She’s since been working as an Assistant District Attorney for North Carolina’s Union County. Current graduate student Brittany Pailthorpe recently caught up with Mary Beth.

since. I absolutely love my job and have no plan for shifting my career path any time soon.

Q. How did our program prepare or help you for your current career?

A. Communication Studies and legal practice may not necessarily jive on the surface, but I feel that my exposure to studying rhetoric and persuasive techniques gives me an edge in my career. Whether it be arguing in front of a jury, organizing the order of evidence and witnesses, trying to convince a judge, or negotiating cases with defense attorneys, my background sheds light on different means and methods to present my side of the story. For example, Goffman’s “framing” theory is exactly what I do—on a smaller scale – when I develop a case theory to present to a jury. From what I studied while I was at UNCC, I firmly believe that I, one, understand more of the theory behind what works and what doesn’t and two, am potentially aware of more venues to pursue in my attempt to persuade.

Q. What about our MA program, in general, was most notable/memorable for you?

A. My favorite thing about the program was the interaction between the faculty and the students. The graduate faculty were always available to talk with you about anything that was on your mind—whether it be program-related or not. If it was program-related, they served as mentors who encouraged advancement and creativity within the field. They are truly invaluable assets to the program.

Q. Academically, what about our program was most notable?

A. Aside from the interaction with the faculty, I really enjoyed that the program allows students to get a broad-based understanding of the Communication field as opposed to a pigeonholed view of one particular area. Students were also strongly encouraged to participate in conferences, which I really enjoyed as a learning opportunity.

Q. Socially, what about our program was most notable?

A. I absolutely loved that the students in the program developed deep and long-lasting friendships with each other. Those relationships were vital during the program when high-stress moments happened – it’s much easier to talk through a problem with someone who truly understands what you’re going through than with someone who has not been exposed to the situation.

Q. Can you describe your post-MA career path?

A. I admittedly started the M.A. program not sure if I wanted to be an attorney or a Communication professor. At some point, I decided that lawyering was a better fit for me, potentially because I thought I could do more things with a J.D. in lieu of a Ph.D. I’m not necessarily sure that is true, but I went with it. I applied to a range of schools during my second year of the M.A. program and selected Wake Forest. I liked that it had the same community and family feel that the M.A. program did. Through internships and educational experiences, I realized that I wanted to litigate and practice criminal law (and not the sports law I initially had in mind). During law school, I was fortunate enough to do appellate-level work, including arguing in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and participating in Wake’s Innocence Clinic. I also clerked for now-Resident Superior Court Judge Lisa Bell and interned in my current office. Directly following graduation from law school, my current boss, the elected District Attorney, extended a contingent offer to join his staff after passing the Bar Exam. I gladly accepted and have been with the DA’s Office

Q. Do you have any advice for future graduates?

A. Take advantage of all of the opportunities that the program offers! Whether it be attending conferences and seminars or networking with professors and alumni, everything that is offered is offered with a purpose. But also take time to stop, smell the roses and have fun. The two years I spent in the graduate program were absolutely wonderful—it doesn’t need to be theory and research all the time.

Q. What is your favorite part about being an Assistant District Attorney?

A. My favorite part of being an ADA is, without a doubt, the constant ability that I have to make an impact on the community.

Every day, the actions I take in my job make a difference, whether it be big or small, direct or indirect. Some days it's convicting a sex offender or murderer; some days it's trying to sort through mountains of paperwork. Ultimately those actions add up to accomplishing the main point of my job: not to send every bad guy to prison, but to do justice.

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ENTREPRENEUR ALUMNAE

alumnea spread their en ALUMNAE PUBLISHES FEMINIST ZINE WITH A LOT OF HELP FROM HER FRIENDS

By Genevieve Cordery When Jackie Wu (‘14) is not working at Charlotte Ballet Academy as a receptionist, she’s hard at work on Riot Grrrl Magazine, an online publication she co-founded last April, with the help of her friends.

Magazine since its official launch in August. “Xavier is an English major at UNC Charlotte, so I need his expertise in grammar and editing to help edit the submissions that come in weekly,” Jackie said. He is currently the zine’s copy editor.

Jackie and her friends’ love for music inspired the magazine’s name. “Riot Grrrl was a feminist punk rock movement that began in the 1990s,” she explains. “It shows our appreciation for the community of women who had the guts to raise their voices about gender inequality, abuse and other issues going on in the music scene. Our magazine name pays tribute to those amazing women. There is not a standard ‘feminism’ that’s going to fit everyone but it does affect all of us. Feminism has layers – that’s why this zine is so important.”

Layne introduced Jackie to Neb Good, an aspiring musician, who has also become one of her closest friends and colleagues. Good lives in South Carolina, so most of their business interactions take place over Skype. “Neb is currently helping me create a podcast for our publication,” Jackie said. “He also reaches out to people in Rock Hill to promote Riot Grrrl Magazine.” As a freelance assistant, he contacts local bands and musicians, interviewing them for a chance to be featured on the zine’s website and their future podcasts.

As editor-in-chief, web-editor and public relations manager, Jackie has her hands full. She spends much of her time researching people or bands to feature on the website, responding to emails, editing articles by contributors and putting together a quarterly zine. “I chose a zine instead of a blog for several reasons,” she said. “I wanted to give people an outlet they felt comfortable with to express their opinions. The cool thing about zines is that you can collaborate with other writers, authors, artists and non-profit organizations.”

With the daily support Jackie receives from her friends, it’s not surprising the Riot Grrrl Magazine is faring well.

Her friends help her hold down the fort by editing articles, managing social media, recording podcasts and just keeping her sane.

Jackie’s apartment doubles as Riot Grrrl’s headquarters. Her bedroom walls are decorated with magazine clips, feminist quotes she identifies with, photographs and multiple Wonder Woman and Beatles posters. Her work set up includes a laptop, tablet, cell phone, legal pad and her favorite Sharpie pen sprawled out on her makeshift desk of the day. Just above her bed is her UNC Charlotte diploma and adjacent to it is a photograph of her family with distant relatives from Taiwan.

The native Charlottean is of Taiwanese descent and takes pride in the diversity of her Taiwanese and American cultures, but being different wasn’t always easy. “I took a lot of pride in my music taste,” said Jackie. “The best part about music was sharing it with other people and seeing them get excited too!”

Xavier Layne was one of those people. Their friendship started in 2006 when they met on a bus ride home from high school. He has been helping Jackie with Riot Grrrl

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About the Writer: Genevieve Cordery is a Communication Studies student (Mass Media concentration), set to graduate in May, 2015.

She is also Riot Grrrl Magazine’s co-founder, president and social media and marketing director. She works closely with her friends, Jackie, Xavier and Neb, to promote Riot Grrrl Magazine’s image and online presence. You can check out their zine at http://riotgrrrlmag.com/

ntrepreneurial wings and fly ALMOST-OVERNIGHT SUCCESS: THE ASHLEY BRODERICK STORY

By Sami Smith Ashley Broderick’s foldable card table is cluttered with a pink-handled hammer, cases of lettered, metal stamp rods, a black Sharpie, a bottle of sweet pea scented hand sanitizer and blank pieces of jewelry awaiting her thoughtful inscriptions. Ashley creates her magic – that has turned into a money-making enterprise on Etsy.com – right in her living room.

Ashley’s family moved around a lot when she was growing up. Born in California, her family eventually moved to Charlotte in 1998. Although she and her sister Courtney both attended Tusculum College in Tennessee, Ashley decided early on that more opportunities awaited her at a larger school. So she transferred to UNC Charlotte in the spring of 2010.

Ashley’s mother raised her daughters to follow their dreams and to do what makes them happy. Ashley spent the next three years studying at UNC Charlotte – being the happiest she had ever been. She graduated in December, 2013, with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies (Mass Media concentration) and a minor in Sociology.

Like many new college graduates, she spent the weeks after commencement searching for a full-time job. She spent long hours searching the web for job openings and participating in interview after interview, but luck didn’t seem to be in her favor. One day, a customer went through Ashley’s check out line at the Hobby Lobby where she works part-time, and she told Ashley how to use stamps to make homemade jewelry. Even though she kept actively job hunting, Ashley’s thoughts kept returning to her customer’s craft. Curious to learn more, she did some online research and grew more inspired.

With nothing to lose but a few hundred dollars, Ashley opened her own shop on Etsy.com. She launched “Classy Crafts By Ash” on Jan. 23, 2014, and since then, she has made approximately 2,150 sales. Soon after, her sister started her own business on Etsy. “I was not surprised because she has always been creative, a little less creative than me,” Ashley says, jokingly. “She also worked at Hobby Lobby so she had access to supplies and she knew what she needed.”

Ashley followed in the steps of her mother and stepfather, both successful entrepreneurs. Even though she didn’t have training in how to run and maintain a business, she used her experience as an avid shopper to design her shop and choose items she pictured herself wanting to buy. Inspirations for jewelry designs also came from close friends and family. Her best-selling item is a keychain set for long distance relationships, inspired by her best friend, Anna-Marie Foster. One keychain in the set has the inscription, “Always together but never apart” and the other, “Maybe in distance but never in heart.” There are charms with each person’s initial and a heart included in the set.

Anna-Marie also helped out during the shop’s Christmas rush. “Holidays are hard, but her biggest money-makers,” she said.

“I was her first unofficial employee.”

When a rush of orders comes in, it can bring with it a lot of stress. Ashley says if her business continues to grow, she’ll need to look into hiring someone year-round. “She makes more money than most college graduates from her Etsy shop,” Anna-Marie said.

Ashley loves making jewelry because she “loves helping people” by creating the perfect gifts for her customers. At an average of five-stars rating and over 250 reviews, her business continues to flourish and her customers are happy with Ashley’s products. One of her Etsy customers that gave Ashley five stars left this review: “I love the idea of really unique handmade things but I am not always the best at the execution. You were able to create exactly what I would have made if I had your talent- it could not be more true to what I imagined. Thank you for helping me give a perfect gift.”

Ashley is pleased with the positive feedback. “I never dreamed that it would get this far,” she says. “I really just thought I was going to open this to make a few extra bucks until I found a real job and it’s turned into my real job.”

About the Writer: Sami Smith is a Communication Studies student (Mass Media concentration), set to graduate in May, 2015. She’s friends with Ashley and wrote this feature for her journalism class. You can visit Ashley’s etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/ClassyCraftsbyAsh?ref=s2-header-shopname

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FORENSICS TEAM, HONOR SOCIETY & SCHOLARSHIPS

FORENSICS TEAM SUCCESSFUL 2014-2015 SEASON CFA FALL TOURNAMENT FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – October 17-18, 2014 –

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY COLUMBUS, OHIO – March 21, 2015 –

JULIA CONGEMA – 4th Declamation Speaking

HOPE CRAWFORD – 1st Dramatic Interpretation – 3rd Impromptu Speaking

HOPE CRAWFORD – 3rd Communication Analysis – 6th Impromptu Speaking UNC CHARLOTTE – 5th Place Overall Team Sweepstakes

CFA SOUTHERN EXCURSION GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA – February 6-7, 2015 –

CFA HOLIDAY INVITATIONAL MIDDLETOWN, VIRGINA – November 14-15, 2014 –

HOPE CRAWFORD – 3rd in Single Dramatic Interpretation – 3rd in Declamation Speaking – 2nd in Communication Analysis

HOPE CRAWFORD – 4th place Communication Analysis – 4th place Dramatic Duo – 5th place Declamation Speaking

JOEY CODY – 3rd in Impromptu Speaking – 6th in After Dinner Speaking

JOSIAH CODY – 4th place Dramatic Duo Interpretation

JULIE CONGEMA – 5th in Prose Interpretation – 5th in Informative Speaking

ELEAZAR JARMAN – 5th place Persuasive Speaking

UNC CHARLOTTE – 3rd Overall Team Sweepstakes

UNC CHARLOTTE – 5th place Overall Team Sweepstakes

FLORIDA COLLEGE GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – February 14-15, 2015 – JOEY CODY – Top novice Duo Interpretation HOPE CRAWFORD – 6th place Communication Analysis – 5th place Pentathlon Speaker

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2014-2015 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS Rebecca and Walter Roberts Scholarship Somgolie Ozodigwe & Jana "Lia" White

The annual deadline to apply for a scholarship is March 17. To peruse our Departments scholarships, click on the following link: https://communication.uncc.edu/scholarshipsinternships/scholarships

LAMBDA PI ETA HONOR SOCIETY 2014-2015

Fall 2013

Spring 2014

FALL 2014

SPRING 2015

Jadora Ross

Olivia Crawford

Jasmine Williams

Siarra Scott

Masayi Johnson

Tayloir Paisley Keishla Sheffield Allison DeJaegher Kevonna Holmes Ashley Eley Kayla Rice

Adviser

Katherine Puryear

Melody Dixon-Brown

Allison Walton

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STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

CSSA STUDENTS TOURED WSOCTV ON APRIL 3RD AS PART OF THEIR MONTHLY SERIES IN EXPLORING THE COMMUNICATIONS FIELD. PHOTO BY NIKOLAS MALDONADO

CSSA HAS ‘TRANSFORMATIVE YEAR,’ SAYS CLUB ADVISOR

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he Communication Studies Student Association (CSSA) stayed busy this year after aligning with the National Communication Association Student Club (NCASC), a distinction associated with less than 20 schools in the nation.

Faculty Advisor Debbie Baker said “CSSA has had an incredible transformative year! Our faculty mentorship and student leadership have developed a higher level of sustainability in the quality of programs and engagement through our campus.”

CSSA officers spent much of their time this year re-structuring to incorporate a more hands-on learning approach. The association’s president, Nikolas Maldonado, explained how the change came about after a conversation with a soon-to-be graduate who “wanted to work as a producer but had never even heard of production software.”

Maldonado saw it as an opportunity for students to explore new ways to learn and apply technical skills in extra-curricular programs. After looking into other Communication Studies programs at schools such as Western Carolina and UNC Chapel Hill, he found ways to integrate similar principles.

Focusing on networking – both in and out of the major – and providing media tours of radio stations and news stations,

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CSSA is being more proactive in preparing the Department’s students for promising futures in the Communications field.

“CSSA provides the hands-on learning that you won’t get in the classroom,” Maldonado said. “We benefit students by striving to make them dynamic individuals with both theoretical and technical skills.”

Because the department serves over 1300 students, he said they can benefit by networking and can often form friendships that last much longer than their college careers.

“These are life-long friends that could even help further your career in the future,” he said.

Baker said CSSA is open to all majors on campus. “This year we nearly doubled leadership opportunities and reached out to our Comm Studies Freshman Learning community to build community, membership longevity and leadership coaching,” she said.

CSSA reinforces how relevant and valuable a degree in Communication Studies can be. Maldonado said he’s “learned just how much you can do with our major. Not only that, but I’ve been able to see how happy many professionals are in our field, giving me high hopes for the future.”

PRSSA 2013-2014 EXECUTIVE BOARD President - Seth Kingdon Vice President - Sarah Cain Treasurer - Chloe Watson

Secretary - Briana Evans PR Director - Natalia Schiappacasse Historian - Jasmine Williams

Faculty Adviser - Ashli Stokes

PRSSA CHAPTER THRIVES IN 2014-15

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he UNC Charlotte chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) continues to thrive, with 59 members for the 2014-2015 school year. This year, the chapter participated in a number of activities, including Public Relations Society of America luncheons, guest speaker programs and PR agency tours. Members of the group travelled to Atlanta on Feb. 20 to attend the “Real World” PRSSA regional conference.

The PRSSA chapter assists members in building their professionalism before graduation. Seth Kingdon, this year’s president, said the experience helped him develop his public speaking and networking skills. He said “Our members are learning the importance of networking, internships, writing and many other things that PR professionals need in order to be successful.”

LEFT TO RIGHT: BRIANA EVANS, SETH KINGDON, SARAH CAIN, AND NATALIA SCHIAPPACASSE

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STUDY ABROAD AND DEPARTMENT NEWS

LONDON CALLING: SUMMER STUDY ABROAD SEMINAR DELVES INTO CULTURE

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“hearing from professionals as to how to get into these industries, or in what ways communication studies students can offer a competitive edge in acquiring these careers,” is invaluable.

Cavin, slated to graduate with a master’s degree from the Department in May, reveled in the opportunity to experience and learn about new culture. During the four-week summer course, students are “expected to explore and experience, whether on your own, or with other students,” she says. “To join a culture is the best experience in understanding it.

Although based in the heart of London at Regent’s University, the seminar format encourages students to travel.

Whether a day trip to Brighton Beach or an overnight trip to Ireland, Cavin says traveling during studying affords a “sense of independence and freedom, while still participating in the culture as a student with structure and rules,” giving the course a balanced purpose very few classes are able to reach.

s a student of culture, Robin Cavin was drawn to studying abroad in London last summer. Photo booths, fish & chips, art, architecture, field trips and classes are some of the highlights in the annual International Public Relations Summer Seminar in London offered by the Department of Communication Studies.

“This wasn’t a vacation in a hotel room with no responsibilities,” she says, laughing. Rather, this course is a four-week program designed to give a beginner or advanced student a history of the public relations sub-field, and how it fits within our larger field of communication studies. For Cavin, this course enhances her marketing toolbox, and makes way for more professional opportunities in research.

Guest lecturers, assignments and exams form the basis of the coursework, but the majority of the learning takes place in professional settings such as some of the world’s most prestigious PR firms, Edelman and Ketchum. She says that

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As a teaching assistant for communication theory, Cavin has encouraged her students to take advantage of study abroad opportunities. “Numerous perspectives,” Cavin says, are at the heart of studying abroad, and since Communication Studies students are taught from the start to embrace the interdisciplinary nature of our discipline, well mate, we already have a head start.

For more information on the London Summer Seminar, visit http://gradcomm.uncc.edu/international-program/london-su mmer-seminar

GRADUATE FACULTY AND STUDENTS ATTEND SSCA CONFERENCE The Communication Studies graduate faculty and students made an impressive showing at the 2015 Southern States Communication Association Conference (SSCA). Scholars flocked to Tampa April 8-12 for the 85th annual conference to present their research and to network. This year’s theme was “Communication as Art and Craft.”

Two graduate students and five graduate faculty members presented scholarship at SSCA. Graduate faculty Dr. Jon Crane, Dr. Christine Davis, Dr. Dan Grano, Dr. Richard Leeman and Dr. Ashli Stokes presented papers at the SSCA conference.

Maria José Armendariz presented her paper, “The Communication Triad LEP Patient- Interpreter Health Care Provider: A Matter of Agency through the Lenses of Muted Groups Theory.” Emily Thomas also presented her paper, “Dialectical Tensions in Intrapersonal Communication: Exploring Dialectics and Identity Construction among Nursing Home Residents.”

Both of these papers were well-received and the students gathered valuable feedback on their research.

-- Emily Crawford

WHAT’S NEW IN THE CURRICULUM This Fall (15) semester, The Department of Communication Studies will add a new internship course (JOUR 4410). This course will serve as a journalism minor elective and provide real-world experience to students exploring the journalism field. Undergraduate Coordinator Carol Leeman explains that the experience gained through the course will be displayed as such on student transcripts, differentiating the class from other journalism electives. It will also help distinguish journalism internships from communication internships, which will help clarify advising.

AUTUMN ALLEN, DANIEL DAWSON AND MAYA ROBINSON, STUDENTS FROM THE COMMUNICATION CLUB AT GUILFORD TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE, VISITED THE COMMUNICATION STUDIES DEPARTMENT AT UNC CHARLOTTE THIS SPRING. THEY ARE PICTURED ABOVE WITH UNDERGRADUATE COORDINATOR CAROL LEEMAN (FAR LEFT) AND DR. SHAWN LONG (FAR RIGHT.) PHOTO COURTESY OF KAYLA MODLIN

“CAMPAIGNS” CLASS OPENS INTERNSHIP DOOR FOR GRADUATING SENIOR Senior Lecturer Robin Rothberg regularly teaches the Public Relations Communication Campaigns class, which provides students with real world experience. For this class, she says she finds “two nonprofit or university clients to benefit from a research-based, creative public relations campaign plan crafted by a small group of public relations students for their capstone course experience.”

Last fall, she selected The Charlotte Museum of History as one of the two class organizations. Students gain real-world experience and apply strategies learned in previous classes in the public relations concentration to “create, refine and present their campaign,” she says.

Through Rothberg’s fall semester class, senior Kathleen Duckworth acted as the liaison for her group during the class, and connected with the Museum’s executive director. “I knew I couldn’t do quality work if I didn’t understand the mission and purpose of the organization we were creating a campaign for,” Kathleen explains. As a result, she received a post-graduation internship with the museum. “Through my internship, I have worn many hats,” she says. “The museum is a small not-for-profit organization with a board of trustees but only about five

staff members.” Learning to work independently and with others with different work styles, she feels she has grown in her internship. She says, “Knowing that students and adults are benefitting from the work we do and the programs we provide at the museum makes all of the hard work and dedication worth it.”

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THIS AND THAT

DEPARTMENT LECTURERS RECEIVE STL GRANT Craig Paddock and Robin Rothberg, lecturers in the Communication Studies Department, received a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning grant from the Center for Teaching and Learning to help them redesign Jour 2100, the Department’s Language Craft course. “We’re excited about it because we feel it will allow us to use resources more efficiently,� Paddock said. The grant enables them to create online tools for students such as PowerPoints, practice quizzes and study material to prepare for the online proficiency test.

Previously a seated class, the proposed pilot would no longer require students to attend the class. Instead, they will study the material at their own pace and take the test once they feel adequately prepared. Paddock says, “I think we’re really setting students up to learn the material well so that they can succeed in their upper-level classes.�

BARNETTE RUNS CHICAGO MARATHON IN HONOR OF THE PULLMAN PORTERS Academic Advisor Adrienne Barnette ran the 2014 Chicago Marathon with a time of 05:57:29, and she says “every step and mile was for the ञ 3 XOOPDQ ञ 3 RUWHUV Âľ +HU IULHQG &KDUORWWH WHDFKHU &ODLUH +XOOHU UDQ WKH marathon with her. To create a “separate but equalâ€? marathon experience, Barnette predetermined which water and restroom stations would be "colored only" and "white only" so that throughout the race, +XOOHU ZKR LV ZKLWH RQO\ GUDQN DQG XVHG WKH ZKLWH RQO\ ZDWHU DQG bathroom stations, while Barnette only drank and used the "colored only" stations. “The Pullman Porters is a wonderful positive character education story of individuals stepping beyond oppression and never giving up, even when a multitude of obstacles were upon them,â€?

Barnette said. “As I was running, tears came pouring down my face as the story of the Pullman Porters came to life. The Pullman Porters were able to navigate what seemed impossible – despite the lack of equal and equitable resources. They were able to secure social justice despite oppression and discrimination, with the most unlikely weapon, ‘non-violence.’� She added that “running the Chicago Marathon was simply beautiful to see diverse people running together and helping one another.�

To learn more, visit: http://www.carolinacharacter.com & http://www.racecounseling.com ŕ¤

STOKES’ ESSAY EARNS HER A SEAT AT CHARLESTON BANQUET This spring, Dr. Ashli Stokes, who is working on a book project devoted to identity and Southern food culture, earned a seat at an unforgettable historical Southern banquet. “In 1865, renowned Black chef Nat Fuller held a reunification banquet in Charleston that was unheard of at the time for inviting both blacks and whites to celebrate the end of the Civil War,�

Stokes explains. “One hundred and fifty years later, a group of chefs, writers and food producers, led by University of South Carolina Professor David Shields, recreated his feast in Charleston on April 19.� Stokes wanted a place at the table, so she entered the “Charleston's Post and Courier� essay contest and won one of six available seats. “I'm excited to compliment the conclusion chapter of my book with content gleaned from the opportunity of attending this banquet.� To read Dr. Stoke’s essay, click on http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150325/PC1206/150329636

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Seven faculty members in the Department were honored for receiving 10 or more commendations from graduating seniors identifying them as having the most important impact on their academic career. A Faculty Recognition and Appreciation Reception was held Jan. 21 to honor them.

Pictured here (left to right) are: Dr. Alan Frietag; Senior Lecturer Cheryl Spainhour; Dr. Jon Crane; and Senior Lecturer Melody Dixon-Brown. (not pictured: Senior Lecturer Staci Kuntzman, Dr. Maggie Quinlan; and Senior Lecturer Robin Rothberg)

Dr. Jillian Tullis was invited to serve as a panelist on WFAE's Public Conversation about “End-of-Life Planning And Choices,” held Feb. 12 at Levine Center for the Arts. She also was a guest panelist Feb. 10 on WFAE’s Charlotte Talks about End of Life planning.

You can listen to that archived show by clicking on http://wfae.org/post/conversati ons-about-end-life-planning

FACULTY HONORED FOR YEARS OF SERVICE Sandy Hanson - 15 years Dr. Shawn Long - 15 years Dr. Cliff Scott - 10 years Dr. Cristine Davis - 10 years

PRSA Reviewers Chuck Merydith and Vicki Bagwell, pictured at right with Dr. Ashli Stokes (left) and Dr. Dean Kruckeberg (right), visited campus this spring to conduct a recertification review for The Certification in Education for Public Relations program. It provides the Department’s PR program “outside evaluation and endorsement in meeting the gold standard for public relations education,” according to http://www.prsa.org/.

The Department was first certified in 2009.

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GRADUATE PROGRAM

GRADUATE PROGRAM NEWS: FROM THE GRADUATE DIRECTOR

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hat a successful – and busy -- year this has been for our graduate program! I have so much to brag about! Kudos to all our graduate students who have so actively participated in program, university, and disciplinary activities.

Our graduate students have done a lot of great things this year. They have conducted research and written papers. They have participated in research fairs, conferences, and colloquiums. And, some of them are gearing up to begin doctoral studies.

First event of the year was CCA, Carolinas Communication Association. We were major sponsors of that convention and our program was well-represented by Brittany Pailthorpe’s two papers, James Hooks’s two papers, Emily Thomas, Jaclyn Marsh and Myasia Burns. In addition, Brittany and Emily were finalists for the Jarrard Graduate Paper Competition and not only gave very interesting and intelligent presentations but also very impressively responded to audience questions afterwards. Many people came up to us afterward to compliment us on the quality of our students. Emily Thomas, Maria Jose Armendariz and Jaclyn Marsh did excellent jobs in presenting papers at the Southern States Communication Association convention in Tampa. And, Maria also presented two papers at the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies Conference. I should note that all of these students’ papers were competitively reviewed and competitively selected for these conferences. I want to congratulate the students who participated in Comm Week’s Graduate Research Poster Fair: Jaclyn Marsh, Brittany Pailthorpe, Myasia Burns, Robin Cavin, Emily Crawford and Beth Booker. They did a very nice job of preparing their posters and sharing their research.

We’re looking forward to another fantastic year next year –we’ll have 9 new graduate students coming in the fall, and they’re coming from Charlotte, South Carolina, and Arizona. And, we have to make room for our new cohort, so we’re letting some of our students go. The following are our eight MA students graduating in the 2014/2015 school year. This is very exciting because we are graduating our 100th graduate of our program! Congratulations to all of our graduates!

For more information about the Communication Studies Department Graduate program, click on www.gradcomm.uncc.edu Dr. Christine S. Davis, Director, Communication Studies Graduate Program

GRADUATES #96 Rachael Thomas: Rachael was the 96th graduate of our program and the first graduate of this school year, graduating in December 2014. I just want to say that I really love Rachael. She was in several of my classes and she completed her thesis under my direction. Her thesis, titled “Me, Myself, and Depression: Identity Construction and Depression” was a really nice example of the extension of theory in a specific mental health context. Rachael is a wonderful writer and her work was reflexive, deep, and thoughtful. She is a smart, caring individual and she was a joy to have in the program. I was Rachael’s thesis advisor, and Drs. Jillian Tullis and Jon Crane were on her committee. #97 Jaclyn Marsh: I have worked closely with Jaclyn in her role as president of CSGSA. I really appreciate how Jaclyn never says no to anything, and she always manages to find a way to get it all done. I appreciate Jaclyn’s energy, eagerness, and engagement. Hanging around Jaclyn reminds me of the joy of learning. Jaclyn came to our program from Ohio’s Baldwin-Wallace college and via stints in corporate America and preschool teaching. Jaclyn says

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that highlights of her time here include NCA in Washington D.C. and “falling in love with research,” OSCLG in San Francisco with program colleagues, working with Dr. Quinlan on her research, and studying with “great professors and fellow students.” Jaclyn cites Dr. Quinlan and Dr. Long as her key faculty members because of the work she has completed with them, and Dr. Scott’s Advanced Qualitative Research Methods class as her favorite class because, as she says, “it showed me that I can do a doctoral level course and succeed.” I’m very pleased and proud to say that in the fall, Jaclyn will be going to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to study Interpersonal and Family Communication and Women’s Studies with Dr. Dawn Braithwaite. Jaclyn says thank you to faculty here for “helping her along her journey.” Dr. Maggie Quinlan says of Jaclyn, “I have never seen a student grow in two years as much as Jaclyn. . . . Her committee was impressed that Jaclyn knew she was most afraid of taking the comprehensive exam capstone option but she successfully took it on and hit a home run.” Melody Dixon says: “If I could coax Jaclyn Marsh into wearing the red-white-and-blue Wonder Woman outfit, I would. She truly is the amazing Wonder Woman! She's a dynamo who will be successful in all she does.” Jaclyn completed her comprehensive exams under the direction of her chair Dr.

Maggie Quinlan and her committee Drs. Cliff Scott and Rich Leeman. #98 Robin Cavin: Robin was my Research Assistant this year and we had a great time working on literature reviews, and transcribing and coding interviews with ghost hunters and field notes of paranormal investigations. I especially love that Robin’s poster in yesterday’s poster session was about mortuary workers and featured an actual toe tag, body bag, and suture thread. I appreciate Robin’s dry sense of humor, her willingness to be vulnerable and try new things, and her appreciation for learning. Robin’s background includes two BS degrees from Western Carolina and a BA from UNC-Charlotte, plus 4 years as an office manager for a funeral home and 7 years as a bartender. She is truly a renaissance scholar. Dr. Freitag says that Robin is “thoughtful, analytical and receptive. She is undaunted by challenges of quantitative research; she’s willing to plunge in and expand her methodological palette. She knows way too much about action movies! She has a great sense of humor, if macabre at times.” Robin lists Dr. Plotnick, Dr. Scott, Dr. Crane, and me as her key faculty. She thanks “Dr. Plotnick for allowing me to use her as a sounding board, Dr. Scott for being an objective resource, Dr. Crane for understanding my quirks and still offering me guidance, support, and confidence, and Dr. Davis for constantly encouraging (demanding) me to own my voice!” Robin’s future plans include a corporate job. Robin successfully wrote and defended her comprehensive exam under the guidance of Dr. Jon Crane and committee members Drs. Alan Freitag and Rachel Plotnick. #99 Brittany Pailthorpe: Brittany was the graduate assistant for the graduate program and was my TA for Research Methods in the fall. Brittany and I worked very closely together this year and I think we saw each other in the best – and worst- of circumstances. All I can say is, Brittany rocks! I especially appreciate her leadership qualities and her organizational skills. I appreciate how – as my assistant – Brittany knew what I needed before I did and had it for me before I asked for it. She is incredible smart and quite the perfectionist. And she is a delight to be around. Brittany came here from New England, specifically the University of Rhode Island as a Writing and Rhetoric major and Magna Cum Laude graduate. She joined us with an interest in professional wrestling. She planned to critique the WWE and had no idea the places we would lead her to study! As Brittany says, “my interests evolved into broader issues of authenticity, memory, and technology, and without the generalist program, I may be a very different scholar, on a different path, without an MA. I was drawn to UNC Charlotte because it had an appreciation of sports culture . . . and when I visited the campus, I fell in instant love with the orange brick and Niner green and gold.” She lists program highlights as “the rare opportunity to find out who I really was apart from home. Meeting my cohort, my

professors, and teaching will be the memories I look back on with the most fondness. My first semester, my first breakthrough with my students, and getting to tell my boyfriend Bill about it, will always be the highlight of my time spent in Charlotte. A moment, I think, that will only be rivaled by defending my thesis.” Brittany lists almost every single professor as her favorite: Dr. Quinlan who “taught me how to trust my academic instincts”; me (Dr. Davis) who “always listened, and kept me organized. We worked together to accomplish our goals and she was never unavailable. She always took the time to tell me thank you, and as a value I held before graduate school, that is something I will always appreciate and continue”; Dr. Rachel Plotnick, who “opened my eyes to my interests in technology, helped me during my first semesters teaching, and always went above and beyond to help with my projects”; Dr. Jon Crane, who she says “is one of the most understanding and empathetic people I know. He taught me how to be humble”; Dr. Dan Grano, who “taught me how to do rhetorical criticism, and that is something I will be forever grateful for. He was always available to talk a problem out, and continues to encourage me and be confident in my ability”; and Dr. Richard Leeman who “is simply, my Yoda, and though everyone helped me thrive and survive graduate school, I could not have done it without him. I continue to lean on him for support, and he never fails to tell me to trust myself, be authentic, and write with more conviction than regrets.” Brittany lists her best class as Dr. Grano’s Rhetorical criticism, in which “he taught me how to be a critic.” Brittany’s plans include a trip to Charleston, an internship and job, with a non-profit or local government. Dr. Leeman says “Brittany’s interests are wide ranging. She is the only student I have come across who can combine Foucault, Baudrillard, Duck Dynasty and World Federation Wrestling all in the same sentence. She has amazing intellectual breadth and curiosity, combined with an outstanding work ethic. It was a pleasure to work with her.” Brittany successfully wrote and defended her thesis under the direction of Dr. Leeman. Drs. Stokes and Grano were also on her committee.

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GRADUATE PROGRAM

NEXT TO GRADUATE (ONE OF WHOM WILL BE OUR 100TH GRADUATE) Maria Jose Armendariz: Maria has had three classes with me, and I appreciate how Maria – along with the rest of our graduate students – had to learn new theories, new concepts, new ways of thinking – and Maria not only learned how to be a deeper, and a more theoretical and critical thinker, but she learned this in her non-native language. I appreciate how eager she is to learn, and her always cheerful personality. In addition to receiving her MA from our program this year, Maria will also be receiving a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. Maria joined us from Ecuador – the Universidad San Francisco de Quito with degrees in Organizational Communication, Public Relations, and psychology. Before coming here she worked with Compassion International in Ecuador. She was awarded a full scholarship from the Ecuadorian government to come here. She lists her highlights at UNC-Charlotte as the many associations and organizations she has been involved with, including CSGSA, NCA, and two honors societies -- Phi Beta- Delta Honor Society for International Scholars and the National Gerontology Honor Society. She has also been an International ambassador at UNCC and a bilingual interpreter at UNCC. Maria names Dr. Tullis as her favorite faculty because, as she says, “I admire her research and also her ability to connect with students. She has taught me that in order to be a good researcher you need to connect with people and have a culture-centered approach. She has motivated me to serve my country and to embrace diversity.

Because of all of this she has gained not only my admiration and respect, but my eternal gratitude for everything that she has taught me and done for me. Gracias Dr. Tullis.”

Maria’s best class was Dr. Tullis’s "Spirituality and Health Communication" class because “we embraced diversity and looked at different models of care by the end of life. We also studied the holistic approach to patient care and hospice care, which really opened my eyes to a different world and a different perspective about end of life communication.” Maria is returning to Ecuador after graduation for additional research and work experience.

Possible future plans might entail a Ph.D. or starting her own long term care facility in Ecuador. Dr. Jillian Tullis says “You can count on Majo to have a bright smile on her face and enthusiasm for studying communication. I applaud Majo for the bold decision to pursue graduate studies in the US and not in her native language. Having a student like Majo, who shares my interests in communication at the end of life, was great because I had the chance to teach her, but broaden my own horizons, and see the inside of an hospice in Ecuador through her eyes. I also appreciate that she always lets me practice my broken and limited Spanish.

Felicitaciones!” Maria is defending her comprehensive exam under the direction of Dr. Tullis and committee members Drs. Ashli Stokes and Dena Shenk from Gerontology.

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James Hooks: Last year, in his first year as a TA, the instructor of a class in which he was TA had a family emergency and I had to call James late one afternoon to tell him he was taking over the lecture at 9 am the next morning. I really appreciated his response, he said ‘no problem, I have this under control.’ And he did. James came to UNC-Charlotte for his BA in Communication Studies after completing two associate's degrees in Digital Media and Entrepreneurship and doing freelance work. Once in our program, he liked us so much he stayed. James says that a highlight of his time here has been “teaching the undergrad business communication courses because of the practical uses of the course and having students come back to thank me for my attitude and candor as well as how much they were able to learn from me.” He names Drs. Leeman, Quinlan, and Plotnick as his most memorable faculty because Dr. Leeman is “an excellent teacher and I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from him, . . . Dr. Quinlan for her ridiculous ability to dot every i and cross every t in her students' lives, and . . . Dr. Plotnick because she's awesome and in so many ways, kept me grounded during her class.” He names Dr. Plotnick's history of new media course as his best course, because “it closely aligned with many of my research interests as well provoking me to consider my research from another perspective.” He plans to work in player behavior research at a gaming company. Henrique Vianas says of James, “He is an overall great guy and I just don’t know how he is able to wear flip flops when it’s 20 degrees outside.” Dr. Leeman says “James is an incredibly focused student. Every time I have talked with him--from his early inquiries about graduate school to his work in ProSem to his Directed Project, he has known what he is interested in, what he wants to do, and pretty much who he wants to do it with.

Our discussions have never been about where he wants to go, but about how he can best get there. I wish him every success in reaching that goal, and perhaps our online gaming communities will become more humane places as a result.” James is defending his directed project under the direction of Dr. Richard Leeman and committee members Drs. Shawn Long and Rachel Plotnick.

Emily Thomas: I had Emily in Research Methods, and I want to say that she is an intelligent, thoughtful scholar and a very good writer and presenter. I especially appreciate her warm personality; she always makes me smile when I see her. Emily came here from Appalachian State, where she got a BS in Organizational and Public communication, and after jobs as academic advisors for Caldwell Community College and Gardner-Webb University. Emily notes that highlights of her time here include “time spent in faculty offices exploring research interests. I have learned just as much in

the classroom as I have speaking one on one with faculty members.” She lists Dr. Tullis, Leeman, and Freitag as her key faculty because “being Dr. Fretiag's graduate assistant has been such a wonderful learning experience. Dr. Freitag took the time to assess my strengths and gave me multiple opportunities to showcase them in the classroom. I learned something new every day from Dr. Freitag and those pieces of information really allowed me to flourish as a graduate and teaching assistant. Dr. Tullis served as my advisor but it is quite the understatement to say she was just my advisor.

In fact, I credit Dr. Tullis for directing me in a way that allowed me to explore the many possibilities of my research interests. Our conversations were also rich and I walked away each time with something new to ponder. Until Dr. Leeman, I never knew how much I enjoyed rhetorical studies. Aside from ethnography, rhetoric is the driving force behind so much of my research. Dr. Leeman challenged me in ways that advanced my understanding of research, writing, and most importantly life in and out of academia.” Dr. Leeman’s Politics and Media class was her favorite class because it “really helped shape my understanding of the influences that exist within the political realm. Not only has my understanding of the political arena grown, my interests in politics increased, giving way to potential career opportunities in the future.”

After graduation, Emily plans to work in corporate communication. Long term plans might include a doctoral degree or trekking across the U.S. Dr. Tullis says, “what I appreciate about my time [with Emily] was her thoughtful input during class discussions. I look forward to seeing how Emily translates her research interests in the community. I also hope she'll keep sending me pictures of her cute doggie, Jackson.” Emily is defending her comprehensive exam under the direction of Dr. Tullis and committee members Drs. Dan Grano and Rich Leeman.

Meghan Snider: Meghan has been a delight to work with.

For the past two years, Meghan worked with me on an ethnographic research project at Levine Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric Palliative Care Unit, which encompasses dying babies and children, neonatal and seriously ill children. We spent hundreds of hours together observing and interviewing patients, medical staff, and families. We have shed tears together (Meghan more than I), and have been awestruck more than once. Megan is a delight to work with. She has a strong analytical mind, she has great compassion, she has top research skills, and she has become a very good writer. I will miss having her in the program. Meghan received her undergraduate degree in Comm Studies here and was encouraged by Dr. Heather Gallardo of our program to consider graduate school.

Meghan lists as program highlights conference participation, especially the 2013 OSCLG (Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender) Conference and the 2013 NCA Conference, where Meghan and two other students presented on a panel with some of

the seminal communication scholars in qualitative research.

Other highlights included being president of CSGSA last year. Meghan notes that “one of the best features of our program is its talented and diverse group of faculty members. Throughout the program different faculty have helped me discover my passion for critical-cultural approaches to communication research and my interest in health communication, body rhetoric, and embodied identity.” She mentions Dr. Quinlan, Dr. Grano, and me as her most influential faculty members. She says “Dr. Quinlan challenged my thoughts about gender and the way we talk about women's bodies, introducing me to influential scholars such as Michel Foucault and Judith Butler. Dr. Grano furthered my critical lens by introducing me to philosophical approaches to ethics and raising questions of subversive power by looking at historical, cultural, and political context. However, my most influential faculty member has been my advisor, Dr. Christine Davis. As co-researcher on Dr. Davis' research project at Levine Children's Hospital, I had the opportunity to participate in an ethnographic research project. I had the opportunity to expand my theoretical interest within the unique and complex topic of pediatric palliative care.” Meghan’s favorite classes have been Healthcare Narratives and End of Life Communication, both taught by me, because “Healthcare Narratives, while being one of the most challenging courses I have taken, offered in-depth teaching on the full spectrum of qualitative scholarship and helped me develop the skills needed to use them in my own scholarship. My End of Life Communication class was great in that created a space for dialogue about the culturally silenced topic of death.” After graduation, Meghan plans to either get a job in the healthcare industry or as a lecturer in the communication department at a university.” Long term goals include a doctoral program. Meghan is defending her comprehensive exam under Dr. Quinlan’s direction.

Committee members are Drs. Grano and me.

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faculty

FACULTY UPDATES

TULLIS TRAVELS TO WEST COAST TO TEACH Dr. Jillian Tullis will head west this August to work at the Department of Communication Studies at the University of San Diego.

“My time at UNC Charlotte has been great, a real learning experience,” Tullis said. “I’ve made some life-long friends here and the students have influenced the way I approach teaching in a positive way. I have had a lot of jobs in a lot of industries and I don’t think I could have asked for a better first full-time academic job.”

When asked about the Department’s graduate program, she said, “Our faculty and students are really smart. It’s the best part of being on a college campus, you get to share ideas with people who are intelligent and engage in thought-provoking conversations. It’s a real privilege to explore ideas. It’s something I hope everyone gets to do unencumbered at least once.”

Tullis will be teaching and researching at the University of San Diego, a private Catholic school. “Their Department of Communication Studies is smaller with fewer majors,” she said. “I expect to work more closely with undergrads than I do here and since there is no graduate program any contact I have with graduate students will be from other disciplines, like nursing. You can see the Pacific Ocean from campus – it’s really beautiful,” the California native added. “I’m pretty sure there are no more snow days in my future.”

GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR TAKES LEAVE TO RESEARCH Dr. Christine S. Davis was awarded the Reassignment of Duties Leave for Fall 2015-Spring 2016. During her research sabbatical she will work on several book projects concerning end-of-life communication and research methods. The first book, co-authored with Interim Graduate Director Dr. Jon Crane, “Crossing Over: Media and Mortality in the Dead Zone,” is about the relationship between film and death. The second project is a book titled “Communication in Focus Groups: Understanding Group Process and Discourse.” Her third book project will be “Walking the Thin Line: Communication at End of Life.” She and her co-authors of “Straight Talk About Communication Research Methods,” will be collaborating on revisions for the third edition of their textbook.

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FACULTY FULBRIGHT FELLOW RETURNS TO POLAND

In the midst of a transition to a position in UNC Charlotte’s Graduate School, Dr. Alan Freitag was awarded his second Fulbright Fellowship. Freitag and his wife will live in Poznan, Poland, with opportunities to travel and guest lecture across the Baltic region, from September to July 2016. As the appointee to the Distinguished Chair Fulbright fellowship, Freitag will teach both undergraduate and graduate Public Relations classes at the Poznan University of Economics.

“During my first Fulbright there in 2012, I established personal and professional relationships with many wonderful people – students, faculty colleagues, friends from all over the world who participated in the church my wife and I were part of in Poznan, even our landlord and landlady,” he said. “In many cases, we’ve maintained and nurtured those relationships virtually since our return to Charlotte. We’re most looking forward to deepening those relationships through new shared experiences. I’m also looking forward to contributing to the exceptional undergraduate and graduate programs offered in public relations at the Poznan University of Economics and perhaps establishing formal linkages between our two great campuses.”

Freitag said he’ll miss the “one-on-one conversations” with his students at UNC Charlotte. “Of all the activities I’ve enjoyed here – teaching; research and writing projects; professional, community and campus service – I find these interpersonal dialogues the most rewarding and satisfying use of my time,” he said. “These are the times I can guide a student – graduate or undergraduate – through explorations of challenging academic issues, career trajectories, even personal problems.

These are the times the student and I can develop a sense of trust, and perhaps I can help the student evaluate the many decisions to be made at this most critical juncture in life’s path. My obligation goes well beyond imparting discipline-specific knowledge to the young men and women I’m privileged to teach and advise; I need to contribute to their character and help them recognize and realize their full potential and purpose. That’s a humbling responsibility.”

WELCOME BACK, BRANDY! Brandy Stamper will rejoin the Department this coming fall, this time around as a full-time lecturer. Brandy graduated with honors from UNC Charlotte in 2006 with a double major in Psychology and Communication Studies (organizational communication concentration). She earned her master’s degree in Communication Studies from the Department in 2009; her thesis was “Mobileme: Transitioning From In-House Employment to Telework.” She worked as the Department’s Academic Advisor and has been an adjunct faculty member since receiving her master’s degree. Most recently, she worked full-time in the Communication Department at South Piedmont Community College in Monroe. In April, she and her husband Greg welcomed their first child, Dane Michael Stamper!

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news

COMMUNICATION STUDIES

communication studies ce STUDENTS AND FACULTY RECOGNIZED AT ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM Students, their families and faculty gathered at the Harris Alumni Center for the Department’s annual Awards program on April 23. This year’s theme was “Communication Celebration Night, Forever Green & Gold: Recognizing Past Present & Future Achievers.”

The program honored faculty, recognized undergraduates and graduates and featured live music.

It was planned by the Communication Studies Program Committee, Lecturer Sayde Brais, Dr. Jillian Tullis, and Senior Lecturer Melody Dixon Brown, and students of the undergraduate event planning course.

GRADUATING SENIOR OHAVIA PHILLIPS (PICTURED ABOVE) AND AMBER ROWE WERE THE LIVELY EMCEES FOR THE DEPARTMENT’S ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM.

DR. SHAWN LONG WAS HONORED AT THE AWARDS PROGRAM FOR 15 YEARS OF SERVICE, ALONG WITH DR. CHRISTINE DAVIS (10 YEARS), DR. CLIFF SCOTT (10 YEARS) & SENIOR LECTURER SANDY HANSON (15 YEARS).

1ST AND 2ND YEAR GRADUATE STUDENTS TAKE A BREATHER OUT BACK OF THE HARRIS ALUMNI CENTER BEFORE THE HOODING CEREMONY AT THE AWARDS PROGRAM. (PHOTO TAKEN BY BRITTANY WILSON)

SENIOR LECTURER MELODY DIXON-BROWN INDUCTED THIS YEAR’S LAMBDA PI ETA MEMBERS.

Dr. Margaret Quinlan (on left), Jade Myers and Kristen Okamoto are pictured above at the April 23 screening of Quinlan’s regional Emmy award-winning documentary, “A Beautiful Remedy.” Myers is Quinlan’s GA/RA and advisee and is in her first-year in the Department’s MA program. Myers transcribed the film for closed captioning for PBS. Okamoto graduated from the Department’s MA program in 2013 and is a doctoral student at Ohio University. She is an assistant producer on the film. (You can read more about the film in this EZine issue on page 6.)

elebration week april 20-24 ANNUAL POSTER SESSION FEATURES TOP GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH

CSGSA PRESIDENT JACLYN MARSH DISCUSSED HER RESEARCH POSTER AT THE GRADUATE POSTER SESSION

Graduate and undergraduate students and faculty gathered in the graduate lounge on April 22 for the Graduate Student Research Poster Fair. Representing the best of the research in the UNC Charlotte Communication Studies Graduate program, students Jaclyn Marsh, Robin Cavin, Brittany Pailthorpe, Emily Crawford, Beth Booker and Myasia Burns, all presented posters.

Their research included analyses of media coverage, politics, PR campaigns, organizational communication, end-of-life communication and technology .

Posters are discussed during an informal session similar to poster presentations at academic conferences. The annual session was planned by Dr. Christine S. Davis, CSGSA Graduate program director. “The posters were outstanding,” she said after the session. “The students did a fantastic job and made us proud.”

Fall 2015 incoming graduate students Emily Carter and Matt Lojacano also attended.

SCHOLAR PRESENTS ‘COMPASSION’ RESEARCH AT SPRING COLLOQUIUM Dr. Sarah Tracy, a celebrated qualitative scholar from Arizona State University, spoke with conviction on compassionate communication to a packed audience April 21 at the Department’s spring colloquium in the Student Union.

Tracy presented her research, “Compassion in the Face of Terror: A Case Study of Recognizing Suffering, Co-Creating Hope, and Developing Trust in the Case of a Would-Be School Shooting.” She shared an in-depth exploration of the compassion communicated by a Georgia school bookkeeper, Antoinette Tuff to would-be school shooter Michael Hill. With this research, Tracy extends current theoretical conceptualizations of compassion and contributes insights for communicating compassion to sufferers who may be angry, threatening or resisting help. Tracy lectured on the same theme the night before in Dr. Jaime Bochantin’s advanced qualitative methods graduate course.

An annual staple of Communication Studies Celebration Week, the spring colloquium features a leading scholar in the field of Communication Studies to share research with the UNC Charlotte community. Tracy, a professor of organizational communication in The Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at ASU, has published over 60 monographs and two books and often collaborates with the Department’s Dr. Cliff Scott.

DR. SARAH TRACY ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

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news

COMMUNICATION STUDIES AND STAFF

ALUMNI PANELISTS OFFER SOUND CAREER ADVICE A group of seven UNC Charlotte Communication Studies alumni gathered on campus on April 20 during Celebration Week to speak to students who wanted to know more about communication careers after college.

Senior Lecturer Tim Horne led the lively, hour-long conversation. The speakers emphasized how social media know-how is a vital and essential skill to have in today’s business world and that “making connections with people is really important” explained Josh Whitener, a 2009 alumni and managing editor at the Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly newspaper. The panelists spoke on time management, networking and how to put into practice the things learned during college years.

Internships were emphasized as a key component to landing potential jobs post-graduation and several of those who interned said they wished they would have taken even more advantage of internship opportunities.

While each alumnus shared their own story and job description, they all happily agreed with Whitener when he said, “No one week is ever the same!”

STANDING (L -R): SARAH OBEID; JOSH WHITENER; TIM GHEEN; GINI ARNOLD SEATED (L-R): COLLEEN MILLER; TORI KARLEK; SAMANTHA KONG

BEAUTIFUL BLUE CAROLINA SKY OVER UPTOWN CHARLOTTE PHOTOGRAPH BY GRADUATE STUDENT BRITTANY PAILTHORPE

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staff David Landrum joined the Communication Studies Department in 2012 as the Office Manager and also serves as the Budget and Grant Administrator. He has been a member of the university community for nearly two decades: He graduated with UNC Charlotte’s class of 1997 and has been employed at the University since 2000. David previously held positions as an advisor for the Africana Studies Department as well as Grants Manager for the English Department, Writing Resources Center, and the Writing Project. David enjoys traveling the world in his time off. In 2012, he vacationed in South Korea, where his mother’s family lives, and visited the coastal city of Gyeongju and the volcanic island of Jeju.

Adrienne D. Barnette

Kayla Modlin

David Landrum

Kayla Modlin joined the Communication Studies department as an administrative assistant in September of 2013. A graduate of UNCC (’12) with a Bachelor’s degree in English and minor in Art, Kayla spends her free time enjoying her duel passions of music and photography. Together with her friends, she enjoys playing guitar, singing, and song-writing.

Kayla is also a working photographer; currently focused on engagement shoots and other types of portrait photography.

In the future, she hopes to travel to the different coun-tries on her “wish list” and expand her portfolio by shooting conceptual works and landscapes.You can find some of Kayla’s work on her website: kaylablakephoto@wix.com/photography.

Adrienne D. Barnette, MA, NCC, LPC received Bachelor of Art degrees in Organizational Communication and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2004. In 2007 she received a Master of Art degree in School Counseling from UNC Charlotte. She is a National Certified Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor. Upon graduation from UNC Charlotte Counseling program, she was ranked in the top 1% of Counseling Professionals chosen to serve as ambassadors in the International Scholar Laureate Program. While attending UNC Charlotte, she was a student athlete on the UNC Charlotte Track and Field team and still holds the Outdoor and Indoor Track and Field High Jump School Record. Prior to joining UNC Charlotte Communication Studies Department as the Academic Advisor in 2013, she worked with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools from 2008-2013 as a School Counselor, Academic Facilitator, and Counseling Department Chair and has worked with students in a range of academic settings. Barnette is the re-cipient of the 2013 UNC Charlotte Outstanding Young Alumni Award, the UNC Charlotte Outstanding Counseling Alumni Award, the 2012 UNC Charlotte Excellence in Education Award, and the UNC Charlotte Citizenship Award. In 2012 she was the Keynote Speaker for the UNC Charlotte Chancellor Diversity grant on her project ROUTE 1961, which was a character education journey of retracing the 1961 Freedom Riders route on motorcycle from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans, to protest segregation, to teach her K-12 students with severe emotional disabilities a tale of positive character. In the summer of 2013, she embarked on her latest counseling character education endeavor, “Pedal for Peace,” in which she retraced 800 miles of the the Underground Railroad on bicycle from Ohio to Canada.

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faculty Debbie Kilby Baker Debbie Kilby Baker, Senior Lecturer, has taught undergraduate courses in business communication, small group, interpersonal communication contexts, and public speaking – including Freshman Learning Community sections – since January 2001.

Having earned licensure in education with graduate work in communication theory and teaching effectiveness, Baker specializes in creating diverse, engaging learning opportunities to help students be inspired, challenged and successful learners. “Walk by my classroom and you might hear laughter flowing freely, the ‘Olympics Fanfare’ medley resonating when teams proudly accept their medals or complete silence as students work intently on an exercise,” she says. “I proudly hang in my office a 2011 student-designed faculty award which states ‘Most Eccentric’ for my teaching style and personality because it acknowledges the effective pedagogical and andragogical research for which I value.” Outside of the classroom, mentoring has been integral part of Baker’s professional engagement. She has designed and presented several workshops and training sessions for Diversity Summer Institute, S.A.F.E, University Center of Academic Excellence, Center for Graduate Life, University Advising Center and Communication Across the Curriculum on campus, in addition to a myriad of departmental and community instruction. She currently serves as COMM 1101 Adjunct Faculty Liaison, Communication Studies Student Association Faculty Advisor, Scholarship & Awards Committee Chair and is the 2013-2015 Communication Across the Curriculum Fellow, a faculty development initiative which aims to support departments in developing and revising the Oral Communication Goal course designs and instructional strategies for academic excellence.

Sayde J. Brais Lecturer, Sayde J. Brais, received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communication Studies from UNC Charlotte. She began teaching for the department as a graduate teaching assistant in 2010, and was hired as a full-time faculty member in 2013. Brais teaches undergraduate classes which include: Research Methods, Public Speaking, and Business Communication. Drawing from

Debbie Kilby Baker

her experience as a recent student, Brais’ teaching philosophy revolves around the notion that “the great teacher continues to be a student”. She believes that every class taught provides a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge, for the student and the instructor. In her spare time, Brais enjoys playing with her dog, Minnie, and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Jaime E. Bochantin Dr. Jaime E. Bochantin is an Assistant Professor in Organizational Communications. She examines the social issues, member behavior and cultural landscape of an organization in order to provide managers and HR practitioners with strategies for the implementation of policies, practices and procedures to better the organization and the relationships/communication between employees and managers. Her current research examines work-life/family, stress and well-being, organizational conflict and negotiation, workplace mistreatment including incivility, bullying and violence, and generational differences in the workplace. Her research has appeared in high quality journals including Communication Studies, International Journal of Business Communication, Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, and Negotiations and Conflict Management Research. Bochantin is also a certified mediator, trained in the art of conflict resolution. Research suggests, and personal experiences support, the notion that students and teachers have an interdependent relationship. As such, both teachers and students play a role in each other’s successes and failures,” she says. “Because of this, I do my absolute best to establish rapport early with my students and develop a supportive culture within the classroom where students feel safe.”When she is not working she enjoys traveling, reading and competitive running. In fact, she has completed three full marathons and dozens of half-marathons. She currently lives with her husband and two dogs—Fendi, the Puggle and Gabbana, the Bugg!

Dr. Jon Crane Dr. Jon Crane received his bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois, and studied for his doctorate at The Institute

Sayde J. Brais

Dr. Jaime E. Bochantin

of Communications Research, specializing in cultural studies.

Currently he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in communication theory, mass media and film studies. “Teaching is an activity akin to chatting with a friend over coffee, swapping lies with mates at a bar and revisiting family legends around the dinner table,” he says. “It is one of the ways we best apprehend our shared world and when it goes well there are few better ways of fashioning common sense.” Crane’s areas of interest include media, film, and popular culture, and his research projects deal extensively with film and the role genre plays in the interpretation of cinematic violence. He is an author of Terror and Everyday Life: Singular Moments in the History of the Horror Film (Sage, 1994), and has also written extensively on the complex interplay between individual directors and their chosen generic niche. A devoted Chicago baseball fan, Crane has this to say: “The unfounded rumors that have circulated for decades maintaining that there are two professional baseballfranchises in Chicago are patently untrue.

There is only one professional baseball team in the Windy City and they play ball on the Southside.”

Christine Davis Dr. Christine Davis is Associate Professor of Communication Studies, and the Coordinator of Graduate Studies for the department. She received her BA degree in 1979 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; her MA in 1999 from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro; and her Ph.D. in 2005 from the University of South Florida, all in the field of Communication Studies. She teaches courses related to Health Communication and Communication Research Methods, and focuses her research and teaching on the areas of children’s mental health, disability, aging, end-of-life communication, and health communication in the contexts of family, patient-provider, and healthcare teams. She has a strong interest in Communication Research Methods, especially in the areas of narrative, ethnography, and autoethnograph. Her current research includes several projects related to end-of-life communication in material culture and communication in children’s treatment teams. Dr. Davis says that she “strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students, the university, and the community—both locally and nationally” through her research

Jon Crane

and teaching. About her teaching philosophy, she says: “I think that part of my role as instructor is to develop in students a love of learning. I am very intentional about fostering a culture of openness and high expectations.” In her spare time, Dr. Davis loves to sail, hike, and jog.

Melody Dixon-Brown Melody Dixon-Brown, Senior Lecturer, emphasizes the business elements of communications. With almost 20 years of corporate experience that included BBDO Advertising and DuPont, Dixon-Brown believes that “ students must build on their strengths of creativity and oral and written communication; however, they must learn managing, budgeting, and professional ‘best practices’ as well.” She has taught business communication, event planning, interpersonal communication and small group communication. She has a dual degree in marketing and communications management from Syracuse University and an MBA from The University of Delaware. When not teaching, you’ll find her enjoying a good book.

Alan Freitag Professor Dr. Alan Freitag earned his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh in 1973, his M.A. from Webster University in 1977, and before completing his Ph.D from Ohio University in 1999, he began teaching here in August 1998. He teaches undergraduate courses within his areas of interest, including Fundamentals of Public Relations, Public Relations Writing, International Public Relations, Research Methods, Event Planning and News Writing. He also teaches graduate courses in Communication Campaign Management, Internationals Public Relations, and Media Relations. He also advises the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). In the classroom, Freitag says, “I have striven to maintain sharp focus on preparing students for entry into the demanding profession of public relations and rapid ascent to its higher levels.” Dr. Freitag has had works published in Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Journal of Public Relations Research, Journal of Communication Management, Public Relations Quarterly, Newspaper Research Journal, Airman, and Asia-Pacific Defense Forum. He has also earned formal, professional accreditation in public relations practice through the Public Relations Society of America. In the past, Freitag

Christine Davis

Melody Dixon-Brown

performed in several dozen amateur theatrical productions and appeared in a motion picture, “The Last Days of Patton,” with George C. Scott.has a dual degree in marketing and communications management from Syracuse University and an MBA from The University of Delaware.

Daniel Grano Dr. Daniel Grano is a graduate and undergraduate professor of Rhetorical Theory, Criticism, Ethics and Cultural Studies. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis in 1995 and his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Rhetoric and Public Address from Louisiana State University in 1997 and 2003, respectively. His research focuses on how power shapes moral judgment, especially in popular cultural contexts like mediated sport, and he has published in various journals, including “Critical Studies in Media Communication”, “Rhetoric & Public Affairs”, “Rhetoric Society Quarterly”, and “The Southern Communication Journal.” His latest article in “The Quarterly Journal of Speech” is on the race and class politics of the New Orleans Superdome reopening. As a teacher he says

Alan Freitag

process. I work to create a classroom environment that encourages students to freely contribute their ideas.0 In order to make the course material come alive, I use case studies, video clips, and discussion questions. I also design research and writing activities that encourage students to apply course concepts to their daily lives.” Outside teaching, Gossett enjoys film and has attendedseveral film festivals, including South by Southwest and Charlotte Film Festival. She is a long-distance runner and has completed three marathons, with plans to participate in more.

Sandy Hanson Sandy Hanson received her Bachelor of Science at Louisiana State University and her Master of Science at Florida State University. She has been a full-time Lecturer since 2000, teaching undergraduate courses in Health Communication, Organizational Communication, Small Group Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Public Speaking, and Communication and Conflict. In 2010, she was promoted to Senior Lecturer. Hanson has published a chapter in an

Daniel Grano

his philosophy is grounded in a basic assumption from the liberal arts tradition. “Our job is to prepare students for critical and ethical participation in civic life,” Grano says. “For me teaching is exciting because there is always something new to take up with students based on research developments or everyday events, so semester to semester our exchanges are always changing shape.” When not teaching he enjoys being the proud father of his baby boy, Anthony.

Loril Gossett Dr. Loril Gossett is an associate professor in Introduction to Organizational Communication and Control and Motivation in Organizational Settings. She has interests in areas of Organizational Communication, Nonstandard Labor Arrangements and Identification, Participation and Control in Organizational Settings. From the University of Colorado, Boulder she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1993 and her Doctorate degree in 2001. In her research she examines how alternative work relationships, such as out-sourced employees, volunteers, and geographically dispersed workers, impact our understanding of what it means to be or communicate as an organizational member. Gossett says she loves the topics she teaches andshowing students how these concepts can impact their daily lives. “I consider teaching to be a highly interactive

Loril Gossett

introductory textbook on conflict and communication and the preliminary edition of her textbook on Small Group Communication was published in January of this year. In addition to her teaching duties, she serves as a guest lecturer with the English Language Training Institute, Extended Academic Programs, and the Office of International Programs, writes textbook reviews for various publishing companies, and presents papers at professional organizational conferences.

“Teaching, well, is challenging!” she says. “I work hard to enliven classroom discussions with humor, student participation, and anecdotes to bring theory to life. Also, I believe in an experiential learning model so I use Problem-Based Learning in my classes. This allows my students the opportunity to refine their analytical skills through participant-observation and reflection.” She manages to make time to teach 9-10 classes of water aerobics a week (she's just shy of 20 years of teaching experience in the water) and is an avid hiker happily trodding along on 15-20 mile hikes in the beautiful North Carolina mountains.

Tim Horne Director of Forensics Tim Horne has been an instructor with the department since 2006. The Forensics Team is a competitive speech and debate program that gives students the

opportunity to develop their argumentation and communicative skills against other teams at colleges and universities throughout the nation. During his tenure with the team, the forensics team has received over 300 awards through competition. Horne also teaches a number of courses for the Communications Studies department, including Advanced Public Speaking, Media Ethics, Persuasion, Mass Media, and Argumentation and Debate. “Professional, to the point, with a little bit of humour,” remarked a student. “Okay, a lot of humor, but it breaks up the monotony and adds some personality to the course. Informative, yet witty. Good combination.” Horne was honored with a B.E.S.T. Outstanding Teaching Excellence award for this work at UNCC and in 2014, was promoted to Senior Lecturer. He encourages students to take the skills and information gained from his courses and apply them in a macro sense within their discipline and future careers. A graduate of both the undergraduate and graduate program at UNCC, Horne refused to leave until given gainful employment.

His areas of interest include interactive media, film, popular culture and practical argumentation. When not teaching he

Sandy Hanson enjoys relaxing with his wife, Nhia and their Ratapooie (part Rat Terrier, part Poodle) dog Sebastian.

Mia Jiang After working in news and film industries in China and receiving her Ph.D. degree in Communication from Purdue University, Dr. Min Jiang now teach classes in new media & technology, global media, and research methods at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She also conducts research on Chinese Internet technologies, politics, and policies. Various research institutions have invited her to present her work or funded her research, including the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), Fairbank Center at Harvard University, Programme in Comparative Media Law & Policy at the University of Oxford, the International Reporting Project (IRP), the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at JohnsHopkins University, Center for the Study of Contemporary Quentin Tarantino’s assistant while a graduate student in Beijing and has always admired great art and artists. China of University of Pennsylvania, the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), University of Hong Kong, Institute of Network Cultures at Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Dr. Jiang’s work is highly interdisciplinary, blending new media studies, political

communication, international communication, legal studies, and information science. Her work has appeared in New Media & Society, Policy & Internet, Social ComputerScience Review, Electronic Journal of Communication, SAIS Review of International Affairs, China Information, Information Visualization, Sage Handbook of ConflictCommunication among others. More specifically, she has written about Internet sovereignty, authoritarian deliberation, regime legitimacy, Internet events, state capitalism, and search engines (Google, Baidu, and Jike in China). Currently, she conducts research in digital technologies (search engines and microblogging) in global contexts, Chinese Internet policies, media activism (helping set research agenda for the Asian region), and digital diplomacy (Chinese microblogging public’s responses to DNC and U.S. presidential election). Outside work, Dr. Jiang enjoys running, tennis, yoga and piano practice. She is an avid fan of “Downton Abbey” and “Breaking Bad”. Fun fact: Dr. Jiang worked as film directorQuentin Tarantino’s assistant while a graduate student in Beijing and has always admired great art and artists.

Tim Horne

Mia Jiang

Dean Kruckeberg Dr. Dean Kruckeberg, APR, Fellow PRSA, is a professor in the Department of Communication Studies. He has a Bachelor’s in English with a minor in journalism from Wartburg College (1969); an M.A. in journalism (PR) from Northern Illinois University (1974); and a Ph.D. in Mass Communications from the University of Iowa (1985). Dr. Kruckeberg has co-authored several publications, including “Public Relations and Community: A Reconstructed Theory” and “This Is PR: The Realities of Public Relations.” In spring 2010, 2011 and 2014, he taught UNCC’s London International Public Relations Seminar at Regent’s University. He has earned prestigious awards, including the “Atlas Award for Lifetime Achievement in International Public Relations and the “Outstanding Educator” Award from the Public Relations Society of America and the Wartburg College Alumni Citation that recognized his accomplishments as one of the nation’s leading public relations educators. He was inducted into Rowan University’s Public Relations Hall of Fame in 2014. Dr. Kruckeberg stresses the value of achievement in his teaching philosophy: “I try always to remember the importance of what we do as educators and the good that we can do when we perform our jobs well. Those in higher education are responsible for preparing tomorrow’s

leaders of global society, which is an awesome responsibility but a most rewarding task.”

Staci Kuntzman Staci Kuntzman was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2014 and has been the Internship Director for the Department of Communication Studies since August 2005. As a senior lecturer, Kuntzman – who teaches Interpersonal Communication and Introductory and Advanced Public Speaking – makes regular use of the moodle learning management system to offer power points presentations, weekly quizzes, a calendar of events, and other important class information. Special speakers and hands on learning exercises are utilized in all courses when appropriate. As the Internship Director, Kuntzman is responsible for directing and supervising all activities related to the department’s internship program. This includes all recruitment and promotion efforts, communicating with companies/organizations about the internship program, prescreening all potential interns to determine eligibility, maintaining all student files and documentation, assessing current interns’ progress through an early and final evaluation, and maintaining website content for the internship webpages and online orientation. Additional service at the university level includes the Liberal Arts and Sciences Employment Readiness (LASER) taskforce, the University Professional Internship

Dean Kruckeberg

of the course in such a way that the students see the connection between the material and how it can enrich their lives.” Previously, she served as Coordinator of the College of Arts and Sciences Freshman Learning Community. She has conducted workshops in managing conflict, communicating assertively and creating supportive climates for a variety of campus and community organizations. Her other accomplishments include membership on the CHAMPS/Life Skills Coalition Advisory Committee and Greek Matrix Committee. She is active in the Carolinas Communication Association, where she has served as President. In her free time, Leeman says she likes to venture outside the Queen City: “I love to travel, and to see new things and learn about different places.”

Richard Leeman Dr. Richard Leeman joined the Communication Studies Department faculty in 1989. He became the Department’s second chairperson in 2001 and served until 2010. He teaches undergraduate courses within his areas of interest, including Rhetoric, Public Address, Political Communication and African American Orator. He also teaches courses on the graduate level in Textual Analysis. His teaching philosophy comes from his drive to challenge his students’ ways of thinking about the world. “My job is not so much to tell them what to think, but I

Staci Kuntzman

Program (UPIP) Faculty Advisory Committee, the Washington Center Scholarship Committee, among other departmental committees. Kuntzman is the proud Mom of three kids and two dogs.

Carol Leeman Undergraduate Coordinator and Senior Lecturer CarolLeeman has been teaching at UNC Charlotte since 1988. Leeman became a full time faculty member in 1997 after receiving her Bachelor’s degree from UNC Charlottein 1985 and her Master’s degree from Wake Forest University in 1993. Courses she has taught include Small Group Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Communication and Conflict, Freshman Seminar, the Sophomore Seminar for the Arts and Sciences Freshman Learning Community, and Persuasion. She says what she loves the most about teaching Communication courses is the often direct application of communication theories to everyday life. “My goal is to convey the theories and principles

Carol Leeman

do hope to help them decide what to think about.” Leeman received his B.S. from Shippensburg State University in 1977 and his Master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, in 1982 and 1990 respectively. Leeman has participated in writing, co-writing, or editing seven books: “The Will of a People: A Critical Anthology of Great Speeches by African Americans” (with Bernard Duffy, Southern Illinois University Press); “The Teleological Discourse of Barack Obama” (Lexington Press); “The Rhetoric of Terrorism and Counterterrorism”; “DoEverything Reform:” “The Oratory of Frances E. Willard, African-American Oratory: A BioCritical Sourcebook”; “American Voices: Encyclopedia of Contemporary Oratory” (with Bernard K. Duffy); and “The Art and Practice of Argumentation and Debate” (with Dr. Bill Hill). Aside from his teaching and publishing achievements, Leeman divulges a little known fact about himself: “[I am] distantly related to Irene Ryan, who played Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies. Helps explain the good looks.”

Shawn Long

Rachel Plotnick

Dr. Shawn D. Long is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Studies and Professor of Organizational Science. Long earned his undergraduate and M.P.A. degrees from Tennessee State University and his Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Kentucky. His teaching and research areas are organizational communication, virtual work, diversity communication, virtual-team assimilation and socialization, health communication, and qualitative methods.

He is an award winning teacher, researcher and administrator.

His most recent research appears in The Electronic Journal of Communication, Communication Monographs, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Clinical Transplantation, Journal of the National Medical Association, Journal of Health Communication and Communication Teacher. He has published two books, “Communication, Relationships and Practices in Virtual Work” and “Virtual Work and Interaction Research” and has a third book under contract. Long serves on several editorial boards and has consulted local, regional and national organizations.

Dr. Long is currently Chair of the Affirmative Action and Inter-caucus Committee of the National Communication Association. He is also past Chair of the African American Communication and Culture Division (AACCD) of the National Communication Association.

Dr. Rachel Plotnick received her PhD in Media, Technology and Society from the School of Communication at Northwestern University. Prior to attending Northwestern, she completed an MA in Communication, Culture and Technology at Georgetown University and received a BA in English and Journalism from Indiana University - Bloomington. Her research and teaching at UNCC for graduate and undergraduate students focus on information, communication and media technologies from historical and contemporary perspectives. Of teaching, Plotnick says, “It’s a great joy helping students to think critically and analytically about the media and technology that they consume every day.” Her research is similarly focused on these practices of daily life, with a specific emphasis on interfaces like buttons, dials, and touch screens that help (and sometimes hinder!) communication. Plotnick’s work is published in a number of academic journals that include Media, Culture and Society, Technology and Culture, and Critical Studies in Media Communication. She has also received awards from major organizations in her field that include The Bernard S. Finn IEEE History Prize (Society for the History of Technology) and a Best Paper Award, History (American Society for Information Science and Technology). Outside of academia, Plotnick worked for the National Sleep Foundation as Director of Internet and Publications and for Discovery Communications as an

Richard Leeman

Shawn Long

Craig Paddock Lecturer, J. “Craig Paddock received his Bachelor’s in Print Journalism from Bob Jones University and his Master’s in Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina. He teaches undergraduate journalism courses in editing, media ethics, and Introduction to Journalism for the Department. He has taught communication studies at various area colleges, including Wingate, Gardner-Webb and CPCC since 2005 and has worked as a copy editor and page designer at newspapers such as The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C. and the Charlotte Observer for 20 years. His teaching philosophy is simple: “I like tothink I bring a journalist’s mindset into the classroom -- a curiosity about the world, a love for asking questions and a real interest in people.” In addition to his teaching and newspaper responsibilities, Paddock, once a pipe organ player, has taken to raising chickens ... he assures the two are not related.

Craig Paddock interactive producer of digital media content. When not researching, writing, or teaching, she loves playing with her young son and enjoying the outdoors with her husband and two beagles.

Margaret Quinlan Dr. Margaret M. Quinlan is an Associate Professor of Communication and a Core Faculty Member of the Health Psychology Ph.D. Program. She joined the Department in 2009.

Her scholarly work explores the organizing of health care resources and work opportunities for people with lived differences. She has published in Text & Performance Quarterly, Health Communication, Management Communication Quarterly, Communication Teacher, Communication Research Reports, Journal of Research in Special Education Needs, The Braille Monitor, and Review of Communication. She earned her Bachelors of Science from Marist College, her Master of Science from Illinois State University, and her Doctor of Philosophy from

Rachel Plotnick

Margaret Quinlan

Ohio University in 2009. She teaches Communication Theory, Interpersonal Health Communication, Gender Health Communication, and Narratives of Health and Illness. “My goal for the courses I teach is to create an environment where we are co-learners,” she says. “In doing so, I hope to create a safe and effective environment for learning and discussing the topics that are necessary for a person to be able to become a better student and a more effective communicator ...

Ultimately, I believe that the quality of each student’s education is largely dependent on her or his own efforts, attitudes, and behaviors.” She is associate producer of “A Beautiful Remedy,” a 2014 award-winning documentary. Outside the world of academia and film making, Maggie is the proud new mother of Sweeney Quinlan Carbone.

Robin Rothberg Lecturer Robin Rothberg earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Communications and English (double major) from Florida State University in 1999 and her Master of Arts in Journalism with a certificate in business and economics reporting from New York University in 2000. She teaches undergraduate courses in Public Relations and Journalism/Public Relations. In the classroom, she says: “My goal is to help my students understand the material, of course, but also themselves and their responsibilities as communicators.” A little known fact about Robin Rothberg: she’s a full- fledged, lacto-vegetarian. “I haven’t eaten any meat since I was in college as a student,” she says. “My husband, meanwhile, never met a steak he didn’t like!”

Clifton Scott University in 1997, 2001 and 2005, respectively, Dr. Cliff Scott joined UNC Charlotte as an assistant professor, teaching classes in organizational communication, research methods, communication theory and organizational science. As a teacher, Scott says he views learning as a shared responsibility between students and instructors. “I see our time together in the classroom as an opportunity to extend and deepen what students have already learned outside the classroom through their reading and via their personal experiences,” Scott says,

Robin Rothberg

adding that “if you don’t like to read, don’t enjoy thinking critically and abstractly about your own everyday experiences, and prefer spoon feeding, you probably won’t enjoy my classes.”

Outside of teaching, Scott’s research on organizational communication concerns occupational safety and health, organizational socialization, high reliability organizing and work meetings. His research has been published in outlets as diverse as Management Communication Quarterly, Human Resource Management, MIT Sloan Management Review, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Communication Theory and Communication Monographs. He also serves as a consultant for local organizations through UNC Charlotte’s Organizational Science Consulting and Research Unit. In his free time, Scott says he enjoys spending time with his wife, their dog, and his growing collection of used cars.After earning his Bachelor’s degree from Bradley University, his Master’s degree from Northern Illinois University and his Doctorate from Arizona State

Cheryl Spainhour Cheryl Spainhour is a full-time Lecturer in the Communication Studies Department who is passionate about the journalism courses she has been teaching here since 1998. She currently teaches undergraduate courses in the Journalism minor, including Advanced News Reporting and Writing, Feature Writing, and Introduction to Journalism. She also teaches Public Speaking. She earned a Master’s degree in Speech Communications and Theatre Arts from Wake Forest University and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia. She is a 2010 recipient of B.E.S.T. Teaching Award (Building Educational Strengths and Talents) for excellence in teaching and assisting undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte. She is honored to be a founding member of the new (2010) Charlotte chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2012. In the classroom, she aims at getting her students caught up in the world of journalism (and the current technology revolution) and encourages them to read and commit outstanding journalism.

Outside of work, she happily revels in life in the country with her family, always outnumbered by a menagerie (of both wild and domestic types).

Clifton Scott

Cheryl Spainhour

Ashli Stokes

Ashli Stokes Dr. Ashli Q. Stokes is an associate professor in the Communication Studies Department, teaching graduate and undergraduate classes in public relations and health communication campaigns. She received her bachelor’s degree at Virginia Tech University, her master’s at Wake Forest University, and worked in public relations before she began studying for her doctorate at the University of Georgia. The majority of her research focuses on public relations and public communication, specializing in rhetorical approaches to analyzing public relations controversies. She has published in numerous journals and has authored several book chapters. She is also co-author with colleague Dr. Alan Freitag of the book “Global Public Relations: Spanning Borders, Spanning Cultures.” Dr. Stokes sums up her philosophy about teaching this way: She feels lucky to get to share what she loves with her students and loves watching them develop their own careers and apply the knowledge gained in our program. Outside of work, Stokes enjoys adventures around Charlotte and the world with her family: husband Jeff, 6-year-old Kate and 1-year-old Charlie, and Super Golden Retriever Brody.

Her floors aren't always clean and quiet may be in short supply, but her house is full of life that inspires her.

Henrique Viana Henrique Viana has been a Lecturer at the Communication Studies Department since Fall, 2013 and taught as an adjunct for the three previous years. A native of Brazil, Henrique acquired his bachelor’s degree in Public Relations with a concentration in International PR and Global Understanding from East Carolina University. As an undergraduate, he was a student-athlete, captain of the tennis team and vice-president of the student-athlete advisory council. He received his master’s degree in Communication Studies with a focus in International PR from UNC Charlotte, where he did a semester abroad studying Culture, Communication and Globalization at Aalborg University in Denmark. For the past four and a half years, he has taught Business Communication, Public Speaking and Applications in Organizational Communication and will add other classes, including Small Group Communication and Persuasion. His approach to teaching includes trying to make theory more relatable and applicable to students and helping them see how it

Henrique Viana

can be used outside of class. He strives to make his classes “engaging and open.” He is an advisor to more than 20 students along with serving as a member of the department’s Scholarship Committee and Department Diversity Liaison for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Outside of the university, he is an avid traveler always looking for somewhere new to explore (and often going back to his favorite places) trying foods from around the world and tasting good Italian or Chilean wine. “My goal is to one day have visited 100 countries. There are a lot more to go, but I’m halfway there and know life will be a lot more fun when there’s something like that to look forward to.”

Internships COMM 4410 Professional Internship Visit the UNC Charlotte Communication Studies Department Internship website for more information.

http://communications.uncc.edu

faculty

Department of Communication Studies at UNC Charlotte EZine 2015 Volume 5, Issue 1