INSIDE: Advisers bring personality to job ... Grant supports good-news research ... Student work named nation’s best
52
CONTENTS 4
CARNEGIE NEWS
16
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
28
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
34
STUDENT NEWS
34
Closeup: Hello, Hollywood Real-life challenges in business journalism course Webcasts provide important opportunities, service
Closeup: Advisers bring important perspective to work Faculty member part of team that earns $1.95M grant Lecturer’s film gets national distribution deal with PBS
Donors driven by personal passions to give
Closeup: Celebrating Cuba Journalism, meteorology efforts combine for success Undergrad, graduate students honored by University
48
ALUMNI NEWS
Closeup: A Recipe to Stay Alive Awards honor alumni for contributions, impact D.C. Program prepares for 20th anniversary
DEPARTMENTS
From the Dean, 3 / Alumni Notes, 60 College Calendar, 63 / Contact the College, 63
ON THE COVER
Twelve students were selected as the inaugural class to participate in the Penn State Hollywood Program. The on-site internship program begins next spring. (Photo by Jeanine Wells)
16
THE COMMUNICATOR
The Communicator is published twice a year by the College of Communications at Penn State. Dean: Marie Hardin Editor: Steve Sampsell Publication Policies: All items relating to the College and its faculty, staff, students and alumni will be considered for publication. Correspondence: The Communicator Penn State College of Communications 302 James Building University Park, PA 16802 Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other protected groups. Nondiscrimination: http://guru.psu.edu/policies/AD85.html
U.Ed. COM 15-165
FROM THE DEAN Society of America and a student-run PR firm, Happy Valley Communications. She also completed four internships and traveled to Ireland last fall with a class that covered the Penn State football game against the University of Central Florida. Her work was part of a student-produced “wire service” used by news outlets across Pennsylvania. Her next step is a year-long apprenticeship with Reebok at its headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts. John Affleck, a faculty mentor of hers, said, “Melissa is one of those people you just know is headed for great things. Not only is she smart and engaged, she’s also a great team player and a lot of fun to be around. I can’t wait to see her succeed in the professional world.” We want to expand opportunities for the many students we have like Melissa. In this issue, you’ll read about initiatives such as our internship program in Hollywood. This program will connect our students with game-changing opportunities in the entertainment industries. It’s been exciting to see the alumni support and student interest. Another initiative is to expand our embedded travel programs. These are classes that have a travel component built in — allowing students a more affordable, yet powerful, alternative to a semester abroad. Melissa’s trip to Ireland is one example. Another is our international reporting class. The work of the students who went to Cuba last year was honored with national award for the show they produced. As we grow these classes, more students will be able to gain the remarkable experience they offer. Our faculty members are excited about the possibilities! Thanks for your support as the College continues to build upward. These are exciting times, and I’m grateful for your part in them, whether as an alumnus, friend, parent or student. Please stay in touch. I’m always glad to hear from you.
By the time this issue of The Communicator reaches you to celebrate a remarkable academic year in the College, our alumni ranks will have grown by about 750 graduates. Alumna Jayne Jamison (’78 Adv), publisher of O, The Oprah Magazine, addressed the class at commencement May 9. And some graduates at the ceremony were on campus for the first time! They earned their degrees in our newest program: strategic communications. We’re excited about the growth of this onlineonly option in the advertising/ public relations major, which extends our reach to nontraditional students who want to earn a Penn State degree. As you would expect from a program designed and taught by our faculty, this program is top quality. We are designing other degree programs for online learners, all with attention to both the fundamentals and the most cutting-edge techniques and technologies. Our online degree programs are one way we’re expanding even as we maintain our foundation. The fundamentals — such as attention to teaching our students core skills in research, writing, and ethical decision-making — remain at our core. And we have our ongoing student success to prove it, such as our overall top-10 ranking in the Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program and recent third-place finish in the American Advertising Federation’s regional competition. Our chapter of Kappa Tau Alpha, a national honor society for students studying journalism and mass communications, continues to thrive. In April, six students were inducted into the Douglas A. Anderson KTA chapter. When we provide our students with opportunities to achieve, they do. Take Melissa Conrad, our marshal at commencement. Melissa earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations with a minor in business and a certificate in sports journalism. Melissa followed the College’s formula for student success, exceling in the classroom (with a 4.0 GPA) and then piling on campus and career experience. She was involved in the student chapter of the Public Relations
THE COMMUNICATOR
3
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE CLOSEUP The 12 students who compose the inaugural class of the Penn State Hollywood Program were selected from a pool of 116 applicants who represented every major in the College of Communications. (Photo by Jeanine Wells)
Hello, Hollywood
Program offers Tinseltown internships beginning in 2016
W
hen Terry City talks about his city, Hollywood, it’s clear he loves the place. He grew up in Philadelphia, then lived in State College and St. Louis, but the Penn State alumnus enjoys everything about Southern California. “I’ve been out here 18 years, and I wish I would’ve moved out even sooner. If you’re interested in the entertainment industry, there’s so much energy. It all happens here.” City, the West Coast vice president for Buzzfeed, leads a team of three dozen people in the company’s business unit that focuses on sales and strategy.
He and his 12 direct reports craft strategic partnerships with other media companies on anything and everything related to entertainment. In addition, he and his wife, Cayman Grant, co-founded Steel Titan Productions, which specializes in the development and production of entertainment programming for film, television and online. The company produced the the Emmy Award-winning “Playing for the Mob” as part of ESPN’s “30 for 30” series of sports documentaries in 2014. The couple also has two young boys under the age of 4.
THE COMMUNICATOR
4
City, who earned his degree in telecommunications in 1990, has clearly embraced all Hollywood has to offer. “There’s an energy and newness to this town. I still remember my first day out here. One of the first things I did when I arrived was drive around and see all the places where films and shows were filmed. And it took a while to get used to seeing celebrities at the supermarket. I remember the first celebrity I saw. It was Marion Ross, who was Mrs. Cunningham on ‘Happy Days.’ I couldn’t believe Mrs. Cunningham was right next to me in line!” City holds that same enthusiasm
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE CLOSEUP
Benjamin Bobick
Hannah Brown
Jeff Capanelli
Anders Hershberger
Hunter Hulbert
Lindsey Hutterer
Carl Laguerre
Jesse Pepperman
Jared Rayment
Dorisa Rodney
Allen Rounsley
Morgan Shaw
for 12 people who will be his newest neighbors beginning in January 2016. Those 12 compose the inaugural group of students selected for the Penn State Hollywood Program, a semester-long educational and internship opportunity conducted on site in Los Angeles. “It’s just an amazing opportunity,” City said. “If something like that had existed when I was a student, I would’ve been very interested.” Current communications students felt that way, too. There were 116 applicants for the inaugural program, which has been modeled after the Penn State Washington Program that celebrates its 20th year in the nation’s capital this year. With the creation of the program, Penn State is one of just a handful of U.S. universities that facilitates intensive, on-site internship opportunities in both Hollywood and Washington, D.C. Professor Robert Richards, who created and leads the Washington Program, will be on site in Hollywood throughout the inaugural semester that begins in January 2016. He interviewed every one of the 116 applicants for the program, working students into backto-back-to-back 15-minute time slots over a series of days. Along with basic interview questions, he also conducted a rapid-fire
response round during each interview, prompting students to answer as quickly as possible questions about how good they were at waking up on time, their sense of direction, handling stress, and even handling heavy traffic. “You’d be surprised at how honest people are in those situations, and that was the intent. The pool of candidates was just superb. We could’ve accepted dozens of students and they would’ve represented Penn State well,” Richards said. “But, it’s a small class, and the program is just getting started. Along with the standout talent and stellar resumes, the interviews provided a glimpse at personalities and the students’ abilities to deal with change and the challenges that’ll come with being far away from home and campus as well as adapting to Los Angeles.” The timing of the Hollywood Program coincides with the spring semester at Penn State. Thanks to an enthusiastic network of alumni and partners in the Los Angeles area who appreciate the reputation of Penn State and the communications program, Richards has abundant interest from potential internship sites, and every student has been guaranteed an internship. For example, City connected Richards with counterparts at Buzzfeed who lead units that typically rely heavily on interns.
THE COMMUNICATOR
5
In addition, courses on entertainment industry topics will be offered on site in Los Angeles, and students may enroll in Penn State online courses in order to maintain a full course load while completing their internships. Students accepted for the program will pay their regular Penn State tuition (instate or out-of-state). Housing for the program will be at Oakwood Toluca Hills. “It’s a great mix, a program that keeps you on track academically and allows you to complete an amazing internship,” said Benjamin Bobick, whose final semester as a Penn State student will be completed in Hollywood. “Yea, I’m going to miss some of that last-semester-as-a-senior stuff next spring, but it was not really a hard decision compared to this opportunity.” Bobick is a native of Pittsburgh and the first in his family to go to college. He said he talks to his mother almost daily, but does not believe being on the other side of the country will be a problem. He picks up the pace of the discussion when he talks about the Hollywood Program. He sounds as excited as City describing his first celebrity encounter. Along with timing that works well academically, the spring semester schedule means the 12 communications students representing every major
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE CLOSEUP said. “You come here, see campus, the things would happen and that timetain the College will be in Hollywood at facilities and it all makes sense. ble played out just the way he said it a busy time. would,” said State College native Mor“It it weird that I’ll be away from Television production is in full gan Shaw. “I know I was worried — campus next spring, but it’s going to swing during the spring with dramas, everyone had to be worried — because game shows, late-night talk shows and be great.” you wanted to get accepted. And then, One member of the Hollywood sitcoms in production. When the it was the waiting.” Program will actually spend all of shows are in production, the allied Still, Richards (’83, ’84 MA) made fields (entertainment news, programthe 2015-16 academic year away from decisions within a week or so, as ming, publicity) are in full operation Happy Valley. Jesse Pepperman was as well. selected for both the Washington Pro- promised. Accepted students then started playing counselor for Additionally, the spring is “pilot season” in Hollywood, “We want to do our best, so more friends who did not get in sleuth as they tried to when networks order initial people in Los Angeles want Penn and determine who would be joinepisodes of shows that may go ing them in Hollywood. State students and so other on the fall schedule. While “When we got the group some cable networks launch students can follow us in the email for the photo shoot, shows at various times, there that was really the first time remains an abundance of new future.” production in the first four — Dorisa Rodney we had information on evmonths of the year. eryone else. No lie, I tried to Of course, the spring selook people up and find out mester begins with “awards season” in gram in the fall and the Hollywood who they were,” Pepperman said. Program next spring. Hollywood. The Golden Globes, the At this point, all 12 know each While some rising seniors accepted Screen Actors’ Guild Awards, the Diother. They might not be best friends for the Hollywood Program did not rectors’ Guild Awards and the Oscars or all majoring in the same thing, but really realize the impact of missing all take place during this time. they share a common bond. Only they their senior spring until after they Along with Bobick, the class inwill ever be the first class in the Penn were accepted for the program, they cludes a fifth-generation Penn Stater, State Hollywood Program. Because agree it will just force them to be a a student who selected Penn State of that, they’re justifiably excited and over Syracuse for his communications little more efficient with the time they respectful. do have on campus, and that they’ll eduction, a State College native ready “There’s a huge responsibility. It’s just craft slightly different memories. to experience the West Coast and on the 12 of us to make this a really They might not participate in the several students who appreciate the strong program. We want to do our Penn State Dance Marathon or study responsibilities that come with the opbest, so more people in Los Angeles on the Old Main lawn on a sunny portunity they all earned as members want Penn State students and so other day in April, but they’ll have the of the inaugural class. students can follow us in the future,” Specifically, Allen Rounsley came to Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Santa said Dorisa Rodney of Raritan, New Penn State after attending high school Monica Pier and Sunset Boulevard Jersey. “It’s an honor to be selected, in South Carolina. He’s a fifth-genera- instead. but they’ve also placed a lot of trust in “That seems like a fair trade,” said tion Penn Stater who has been consisus, and I think we’re aware of that.” Pepperman, from Simsbury, Contently impressed by the opportunities Members of the group quickly necticut. he’s found on campus. exchanged contact information once For all 12 students, the biggest “My senior year of high school, it they met, and while they have half a shared experience in the process for was great to be different, to not be year for the anticipation to build until the Hollywood Program was stress. one of the kids going to Clemson or the Penn State Hollywood Program While the College ranks as the largest actually begins, they’re united in their South Carolina,” Rounsley said. “All my family has gone here. This was just accredited communications program approach. in the nation, it also gets small rather the place, and that’s proven to be the “We’re ready to do our best, to case with all kinds of things. Going to quickly. So, students knew many more make our alumni out there proud, to people had applied than would be Hollywood is just the latest.” make Penn State proud and to take accepted for the program, and the Opportunities also made the difHollywood by storm,” Rodney said. comparatively brief interviews had ference for Hunter Hulbert. He said Even in notoriously storm-averse them attempting and altering their the decision to pick Penn State for Los Angeles, that’s just the kind of plans. They all appreciated that the his college education was easy — even storm alumni like City and other though he grew up in Syracuse, New process moved quickly, though. supporters of the program hope hits York. “Penn State just fit for me,” he “Professor Richards told us when Hollywood. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
6
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE NEWS
Real-life challenges in business journalism course Students in an initial 400-level business reporting course offered by the College of Communications gained valuable experience in the field while honing their journalism skills in some real-world situations during the spring semester. Andrew Cassel, a visiting professor who taught the class through a program funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation at Arizona State University, passed along his business journalism experience while leading semester-long course. “We cover all of the Visiting professor Andrew Cassel guided students in the business journalism course through basic areas in business hands-on activities that provided real-world experience. journalism, from writing profiles about a variety of State Colcourse, tasked to create a curricuabout companies and lege businesses—cafes, barbershops, lum and a syllabus. He said it was a earnings to personal finance, the clothing boutiques and restaurants. challenge because he had never taught stock market and economic indicaCassel also led a stock market exerbefore and because he had to get to tors,” said Cassel. “There is just a cise where the class wrote a daily stock know the students. whole range of things involved in market wrap-up after interviewing “They’re fun,” Cassel said. “It was business writing. We’re dealing with Smeal College of Business students an interesting group. I like them. each of those. We’ve broken it up into who manage the Nittany Lion Fund. There is a range of abilities and a parts and we’re taking one part at a The goal of the course was to exrange of interests. It was a big learning time.” pose students to all types of business experience for me, probably more Cassel taught the course through reporting. Cassel is confident business than for (the students).” the Reynolds Fund program, helping journalism has an important future. Joel Wee, a senior journalism major to jump start a business journalism “Over the last 30 years, business from Singapore, enjoyed the course. focus at Penn State. He brought a news has established itself as havHe initially scheduled the course bewealth of knowledge to the position ing a pretty good niche, not just in cause he believed a knowledge of busiafter previously serving as an editor newspapers, but there are all kinds ness and business reporting would be for a website focused on macroecoof websites that do a lot of reportbeneficial to him as a journalist. nomic data and analysis for Moody’s ing,” said Cassel. “There is a clear “Mr. Cassel is very approachable,” Analytics. From 1982 to 2007, Cassel understanding when you’re writing said Wee. “He’s nice. He gives good worked as a columnist, business editor about business that some people out feedback. Teachers who are more and reporter for The Miami Herald there have a real professional need for approachable, you can learn more and The Philadelphia Inquirer. In addiinformation and information of all from them. tion to the business reporting course, kinds. Whether it’s electronic or print “I think it was a very useful class. Cassel also co-taught a sports business or TV or radio or podcast or social You have to step out of your comfort course, collaborated with faculty media, somebody who can speak with zone if you want to improve. This across campus and worked to establish authority and clarity about money class really will make you step out of partnerships with regional media. matters is somebody who is going to your comfort zone and work hard. In The students worked on numerous be of value.” the process, you will learn something assignments in the class, including Cassel was given free rein with the new.” l
THE COMMUNICATOR
7
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE NEWS
Visiting experts and instructors for the second annual Freelance-AThon included alumnae Ebony Martin (’14, top) and Jill Knight (’13). Nearly 100 students participated in the event. (Photos by Will Yurman)
Faculty, students embrace entrepreneurial opportunities Students mindful of the changing communications landscape found many different ways to embrace entrepreneurial opportunities in recent months. From a trio of students who pitched a social media app during a “Shark Tank”-style competition, to the nearly 100 students who attended the second annual Freelance-AThon, a two-day event in Carnegie Building, students consistently strove to hone their skills and find venues for success. The students pitching the social media app won first price — and $30,000 to help make their app a reality. Additionally, separate teams representing Penn State at “hackathons” grabbed first place in a competition addressing the gender gap and technology at
West Virginia University and secured both first and second place in the Civitas Learning Student Success Hackathon in Austin, Texas. During that event, students were tasked with building a product around the themes of learning analytics and student success. While a comparatively small core of students drove the entrepreneurial approach, the Freelance-A-Thon in April reflected wide-ranging interest in alternative, or complementary, approaches to communications careers. Alumni and faculty members were willing to share their expertise and experiences to help students, too. “There are an abundance of approaches and opportunities out there for students that simply did not exist
THE COMMUNICATOR
8
a few years ago,” said Anne Hoag, an associate professor in the Department of Telecommunications who advised a couple of hackathon groups and organized the Freelance-A-Thon effort. “No matter the discipline, there are some really exciting opportunities that exist, and it’s great to be able to share those options with students and others who are interested.” Faculty from every department in the College participated in the Freelance-A-Thon, and the success of the second annual event has organizers excited about it — and other entrepreneurial efforts — in the future. l
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE NEWS
Student-driven webcasts produce unrivaled impact With a large dose of passion and just the right amount of technology, student-driven webcasts of the Penn State Homecoming parade, Penn State Dance Marathon and a live production of “Julius Caesar” all delivered impressive results. The three webcasts by College of Communications students all included a service component, allowing University alumni and friends to share the experience of on-campus events even if they were not on campus. For THON in particular, the reach was impressive. The webcast of the 46-hour event, this year rebanded 46 LIVE and led by the Telecommunications Club, attracted 94,000 unique page views from people in 103 countries. For the final reveal of the $13 million fundraising total, there were 26,024 viewers. Planning for each of the productions was significant. That included everything from recruiting hosts to recording some pre-produced segments and receiving support from faculty. The webcast of “Julius Caesar” — part of a collaboration with the School of Music and the School of Theatre — was a broadcast of a live production conducted on the steps of Old Main. “In the past I have produced webcasts of the parade and THON, and those events are different because they’re not scripted like a play. So, it was more general coverage of what’s happening and improvise,” said Maria Cabrera-Baukus, a senior lecturer in the Department of Telecommunications. “For students to be able to do a play, and be part of the process from the blocking and through the rehearsals, it’s a different skill set. “It allows you to see how all the parts come together and know how different angles can work, as well as how to work with the actors to tell the
From 46 LIVE, the rebranded webcast of the Penn State Dance Marathon, to an in-class primer about live production from alumnus and “Saturday Night Live” director Don King and a live webcast of “Julius Caesar,” students had many valuable, hands-on opportunities during the 2014-15 academic year.
story. They were learning something completely new, and they were doing a lot of it on their own.” Each of the webcasts was organized slightly differently, but students — underclassmen as well as upperclassmen — were integral in each production. Some experienced alumni also helped. Don King (’69), director of “Saturday Night Live,” visited campus just days after the program’s 40th anniversary show to share his expertise. Along with “SNL,” King is the creative director of Broadway Worldwide, having directed productions such as “Jekyll & Hyde,” “Memphis,” “Putting It Together” with Carol Burnett and “Smokey Joe’s Café.”
THE COMMUNICATOR
9
King used his experiences in the theatre and directing live television to provide valuable perspectives for students. He discussed audio, camera angles, preparation and the potential impact of weather. With a photo of Old Main on a TV in front of the cozy classroom, King provided specific advice based on the space, and he stressed an overall approach. He said less is often more, and by trying to do too much a production team can lose the audience. “Be careful about showing off,” said King. “Don’t go for the cool shot. The story comes first.” And, for the students, a valuable experience came as well. l
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE NEWS
Faculty member earns two diversity, equality awards A College of Communications faculty member received two University-wide awards for her efforts in diversity and equality. Jo Dumas, a senior lecturer in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, received the 2015 Commission for Women Achieving Women Award in the faculty category and the Council of College Multicultural Leadership Way Pavers Standard-bearers Award. “It was tremendously gratifying, but I see Jo Dumas, a senior lecturer in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies (center), and it as a reflection of all her husband Charles, professor emeritus in the School of Theatre, are awarded the Council of College Multicultural Leadership Way Pavers Standard-bearers Award. of the wonderful efforts going on around dent life and the climate throughout toward creating a more just world me,” said Dumas. “If I have taken a the University and local community, with respect to gender inequities, with little of their inspiration to a point and motivate others through their respect to diversity inequities, with that someone has chosen to acknowlleadership and impeccable character. respect to sexual orientation inequiedge me with an award, that is how Dumas was aware she was being ties, disability and condition of ability I see it. I am just one small reflective nominated for the Achieving Women inequities and of course racial and body of a huge body of many, many Award, but did not know she had won ethnic diversity inequities. We see a people doing this work and creating until a few days before the ceremony. world of greater justice and we try to these changes. She shared the award in the faculty contribute whatever we can toward “Our College is one of the leaders category with Sarah Bronsen, an building that world.” in building diversity, particularly associate professor from the College Employed by Penn State for 19 among the students that we serve, and of Medicine. years, Dumas has served in her incorporating diversity-understanding “It was just a surprise to me actually current position as a senior lecturer goals into our curriculum.” that I was selected among our wondersince 2003. While here, she has been The Achieving Women Award ful achieving women faculty members,” involved in many efforts, including recognizes Penn State women who said Dumas. “I was really amazed CORED (Commission on Racial have shown notable leadership and because I know I work with some and Ethnic Diversity) as the co-chair accomplishment in their fields and incredible achieving women faculty of the Academic Issues Management have gone beyond the requirements of members in our College of CommuniTeam, where she helped establish the their employment duties and responcations and at the University.” “What’s Diversity Got to Do With sibilities in support of the UniversiDumas received the Standard-bearIt?” workshop. Dumas has particity’s diversity efforts, promotion of ers Award with her husband, Charles, pated in the Penn State Forum on equal opportunity, or contribution who is a professor emeritus in the Black Affairs, served as a member of to human causes and public service School of Theatre at Penn State. the Martin Luther King Jr. banquet activities. “We’re a team,” said Dumas. “We planning committee, served as the Similarly, the Standard-bearers program producer and director for Award honors those who demonstrate have been a team for going on 45 years. Part of our academic pursuit, the Commission for Women’s 25th an extraordinary commitment to diAnniversary Celebration and is a versity and the creation of an inclusive but also our life pursuit, is to try community, positively enhance stuand contribute as much as we can member of the review team for the
THE COMMUNICATOR
10
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE NEWS university-wide Framework to Foster Diversity strategic plans. Outside of the University, she is a member of the board of directors for the United Nations Association of Centre County and participates in Global Connections, a non-profit organization of local citizens who befriend international students and faculty, helping them to adjust to life in Pennsylvania. She and her husband are also members of the Peace Team, a group of community members who work with the State College Borough to create a “peaceful presence” downtown, and currently participate in the Community and Campus Unity (CCU) Group. “As a senior lecturer, not a tenure-track professor, Dr. Dumas has no career-track reason to do research, as she carries a teaching load that does not easily facilitate it,” said Dean Marie Hardin, who nominated Dumas for the Achieving Women Award. “But she has published around issues of gender and technology, and she has presented at conferences around the globe … but where Dr. Dumas’ contributions are unparalleled is in the area of service — across the University and the community — as it relates to diversity and opportunity.” Since arriving at Penn State, Dumas has seen dramatic change in gender, diversity and equality. “Tremendous change,” said Dumas. “I don’t know what the statistics were for female faculty, for example, when I came here in 1996, but President Eric Barron announced that 39 percent of the faculty across Penn State are now women. I know that’s a much higher percentage than what it was when I came here in 1996. “Likewise with diversity. We have far more African-American, Latino, Asian-American student body, faculty and staff, growing at different rates, yes, but growing. Penn State has played a major role in building the diversity of this university so that it’s reflecting not just the neighboring Centre County and central Pennsylvania region, but we are far more reflective of the world.” l
Sundar serves as ‘Handbook’ editor Distinguished Professor S. Shyam Sundar is editor of the first-ever “Handbook of the Psychology of Communication Technology” (2015, Wiley). The volume serves as a source for seminal and cutting-edge research on the psychological aspects of communicating with emergent media technologies. S. Shyam Sundar ranks as one of the most pub“The last 20 years have lished authors of research on the psychological witnessed an explosion of effects of digital media interfaces. communication technol“This is a book scholars and several ogies, from the Internet academic disciplines have been waitto mobile phones to social media,” ing for,” said Peter Vorderer, president said Sundar. “These technologies have of the International Communication fundamentally changed the way we Association. “It connects the latest communicate.” The purpose of the handbook is to knowledge and expertise using new understand the appeal as well as the technologies with the psychological addictive potential of these technoloconditions and effects of it.” gies, he said. As founder and co-director of the It contains 25 chapters by leading Media Effects Lab in the College of scholars studying both positive and Communications, Sundar was among negative aspects of human interactions the first to publish refereed research with computers, smartphones, games on the psychological effects of digital and robots. media interfaces, and has been idenTogether, they cover a variety of tified as the most published author contexts, ranging from dating sites of Internet-related research in the to online classrooms to health and field during the medium’s first dewellness applications. cade. l
A Frank-ly superb puzzler performance Faculty member Russell Frank, an associate professor in the Department of Journalism, earned first place in the crossword division of a charity puzzler competition conducted by the MidState Literacy Council. Along with helping to raise funds for adult literacy, Frank put his passion for (and talent solving) crossword puzzles on display during the fourth annual event. Frank teaches news writing, feature writing, news media ethics and the literature of journalism. He writes about journalism ethics, literary journalism and Internet folklore. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
11
Russell Frank
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE NEWS
Men’s volleyball coach Mark Pavlik points out a detail to students from the College of Communications while watching a women’s volleyball game in Rec Hall. With him are (from left): freshman Mike Carnuccio, junior Tyler Feldman and sophomore Shannon Ryan. (Photo by Mark Selders)
Coaches share expertise with student broadcasters Coaching matters in sports—something that’s been proven repeatedly at Penn State through the years as teams pile up conference and national championships—and coaching matters for aspiring sports broadcasters. That’s being proven at Penn State as well. Thanks to a forward-thinking effort involving ComRadio, some championship-caliber Penn State coaches and a group of committed and talented undergraduate students, the state of sports broadcasting has already improved. It started with a brief discussion between men’s volleyball coach Mark Pavlik and ComRadio general manager Jeff Brown last summer. “Pav and I were at lunch and I told him that I’d always wanted to conduct seminars for students, to help educate those who want to do radio play-by-play,” Brown said. “It seems like everybody knows football, basketball and baseball, but we were sorely lacking for things like volleyball, soccer and wrestling. It’s hard to put students on
the air if they don’t know what they’re talking about.” ComRadio (http://commedia.psu. edu/comradio) is the Internet-based radio station housed in the College of Communications. More than 150 students contribute to ComRadio each semester. Programming includes a variety of news and sports-talk shows as well as play-by-play coverage of numerous Penn State varsity sports. Pavlik was immediately interested in the idea. “Jeff asked if I could help out every now and then, and I actually suggested we do it every week,” Pavlik said. “It worked out really well.” What resulted was a weekly Wednesday night meeting between the coach who has a national championship and 15 consecutive Final Four appearances to his credit and a handful of students whose combined volleyball experience or expertise generally ranged from watching the sport during the Olympics on TV to playing with family and friends at a summer picnic. In fairness, some had broadcast Penn
THE COMMUNICATOR
12
State women’s volleyball games before, but even they had a steep learning curve. During the sessions in Rec Hall, Pavlik showed the students Penn State game film and discussed volleyball basics as well as higher-end strategy. They talked volleyball and watched volleyball—especially samples Pavlik pulled from ESPN, YouTube and other sources that included work by people he considers some of the best volleyball broadcasters in the world. In addition, the students with some experience brought in samples of their broadcasts for Pavlik to critique. “It was an amazing experience,” said senior Tyler Feldman, an aspiring sports broadcaster who regularly works on ComRadio and for BTN.com broadcasts. “Coach Pavlik was wonderful sharing his time, and we got to know the game better as a result. Whether it’s little things or big things, he helped us understand how a volleyball broadcast should sound.” Pavlik was impressed with the stu-
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE NEWS dents’ passion and talent. Attendance of Communications. Along with Pavlik, for the sessions was consistent and women’s soccer coach Erica Walsh strong. His goal was to help them avoid plans to participate in similar sessions mistakes that an informed volleyball in advance of her team’s fall season. audience would easily catch and prepare Men’s soccer coach Bob Warming has them to be the best at what they do. expressed an interest as well. “They brought in a DVD of a During spring semester, the relawomen’s match that they did, so we tionship got stronger when ComRadio discussed that, and they had really good students, often Feldman, traveled with questions. For me, it was initially about the men’s volleyball team and covered avoiding obvious mistakes,” Pavlik said. matches on the road. “For example, someone might say, ‘MiIn addition, alumcah sets the ball up for nus Jeff Byers, the Nia.’ Well, ‘up’ is just “It’s been an unnecessary. Is she goamazing experience. award-winning radio ing to set it down? And broadcaster who calls ‘dug out.’ What was it Coach Pavlik was Penn State wrestling in that it had to be dug wonderful sharing for the Penn State out of? Once you point his time, and we Sports Network, plans out that those kinds of to conduct seminars things that are obvious, know the game with the student better as a result.” it improves a broadbroadcasters. In fact, cast — and much more — Tyler Feldman Byers, who earned his improvement comes (senior-journalism) broadcast-cable degree with familiarity.” in 1992, has broadened Late in fall semesthat connection to include members of ter, Pavlik and the students took their the wrestling coaching staff. sessions to a different level when the women’s volleyball team played at For Brown and ComRadio, the home on a Wednesday night. Instead coaching and mentoring sessions lead of talking and watching film, one of to better broadcasts and, eventually, the best coaches in the nation sat in the better-prepared alumni who move Rec Hall bleachers with students who into jobs as professional broadcasters. hope to be the best at what they do — Someday Brown anticipates home and all watching one of the best women’s away coverage of as many Penn State volleyball teams in the nation. sports as possible on ComRadio. He “These kids really want to be excelalso envisions sport-specific shows for lent at what they do, and its been a lot many Penn State sports on ComRadio of fun,” Pavlik said. “To be involved each week. with people who want to improve and Still, he knows some important first be the best they can be is special. It’s cersteps must be completed first, and the tainly nice to be in touch with students who are not my players. It just gives a initial combination of coaches and broader connection to campus. students — a truly engaged scholarship, “We have a University full of very out-of-the-box (and out-of-the-classroom) special people, whether it’s students, experience — represent a strong start on faculty or staff. Our students have never that journey. let us down. It’s so much fun watching “Pav was the ideal person go get them pursue excellence.” things started because he really cares Pavlik’s willingness to coach and menand has been so supportive,” Brown tor made him just the first of several said. “He understands that this is an edPenn State coaches who have commitucational experience, and that’s the core ted to help the ComRadio students — reason for what we’re doing. It’s about many of whom are part of the first-ofhelping the students get better at what its-kind John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, also housed in the College they do.” l
THE COMMUNICATOR
13
Curley Center award honors high school site A website that focuses on high school sports in northern Indiana and goes beyond game coverage — tackling timely topics and issues that matter to competitors as well as administrators, coaches and fans — was selected as the winner of a national award administered by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. TheFanVSN.com earned the sixth annual Award for Excellence in Coverage of Youth Sports, which was presented during a regional meeting of the Associated Press Sports Editors at Penn State. External judges for the award were unanimous in their support for the site, especially its “Long Reads,” longform journalism pieces. Submissions for the award — which was created in 2009 to recognize creative, in-depth and innovative coverage of youth and high school sports by broadcast, print and online journalists — came from news organizations, large and small, across the country. “It’s wonderful to be honored for this work. There’s so much that goes into it, and there are so many stories to tell,” said Kyle Newman, founding editor of TheFanVSN.com. “It’s just hard to believe. To earn the award puts us in really good company.” Recent winners were: “Varsity Blues,” The Tampa Bay Times, 2013; John Branch, The New York Times, 2012; Rob Rossi, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; 2011; George Dohrmann, “Play Their Hearts Out,” 2010; and Bob Hohler, The Boston Globe, 2009. Newman, from Denver, Colorado, attended Arizona State University. He graduated in December 2012 and worked in New Mexico for four months before launching TheFanVSN.com in October 2013. l
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE NEWS
Probing Question: Are there limits to freedom of speech? Court in 2007. The last conviction for blasphemy in the U.S. took place in Arkansas in 1928. “In the United States, people are free to criticize religion as well as By Melissa Beatie-Moss government,” Richards said. “Some The intrinsic hope and optimism of that criticism can be quite caustic, of a new year were shattered with the yet we don’t put people in jail, or Jan. 7, 2015, terrorist massacre of 12 worse, for engaging in that type of journalists in the office of French expression. Just a couple of years ago, satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo. the Supreme Court upheld the right The attack prompted swift worldof the Westboro Baptist Church to wide condemnation, but it has also reprotest at military funerals with signs newed intense debate about freedom carrying extremely offensive messagof expression. Not only do individual es. Without countries differ question, radically in their most Amerstances on free “The categories of speech that fall outside of icans found speech and [First Amendment] protection are obscenity, child censorship, but those demonpornography, defamation, incitement of violence and there are strugstrations to true threats of violence. Even in those categories, there gles within each be repugnant. nation to interNonetheless, are tests that have to be met in order for speech to be pret and enforce we protect illegal. Beyond that, we are free to speak.” their citizens’ the right to — Robert Richards, legal rights. protest.” John and Ann Curley Professor of First Amendment Studies and foundAre there limFrance has ing director of the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment its to the right to a long history free speech in the of subversive United States? If political repeatedly affirmed the notion that so, where do we draw those lines? satire, but so does the United States, unpopular speech enjoys full First “The U.S. Supreme Court has reminded Richards. “Satire and parAmendment protection. As the late recognized very few exceptions to ody in the United States are as old as Justice William Brennan put it, in a the First Amendment,” said Robert the country itself. Satire, such as what case involving flag burning, ‘If there Richards, founding director of the we often see in political cartoons, is is a bedrock principle underlying the Pennsylvania Center for the First an important part of the rights of a First Amendment, it is that governAmendment at Penn State, which free press. Of course, in some parts ment may not prohibit the expression of the world, that type of expression was established in 1992 to promote of an idea simply because society finds is taken much more seriously and the awareness and understanding of the the idea itself offensive or disagreeprinciples of free expression to the cartoonists are punished.” able.’” scholarly community, the media and In our own legal history, he says, Some would argue that much the general public. “the Supreme Court ruled unaniof the content in Charlie Hebdo is The Center is housed in the Colmously in 1988 that satire and parody blasphemous. Yet the very notion lege of Communications and directare protected expression. The court of blasphemy — defined as insulting ed by Richards, the John and Ann noted the history of political cartoons God or any religious or holy person Curley Professor of First Amendment and affirmed the importance of the or thing — varies greatly around the Studies. protection even though the cartoons world. In some countries, blasphemy “The categories of speech that fall can be quite stinging. Then-Chief outside of its protection are obscenity, is not only illegal but is punishable by Justice Rehnquist wrote, ‘The appeal child pornography, defamation, incite- death. In the United States, several of the political cartoon or caricature states have had laws against blasphement to violence and true threats of is often based on exploitation of unmy even though such laws violate the violence,” Richards explained. “Even fortunate physical traits or politically in those categories, there are tests that U.S. Constitution. Pennsylvania enembarrassing events — an exploitation have to be met in order for the speech acted a blasphemy law in 1977, which often calculated to injure the feelings was struck down by the U.S. District to be illegal. Beyond that, we are free of the subject of the portrayal. The (Editor’s Note: This article is excerpted from the Probing Question series published at rps.psu.edu by Research Penn State.)
to speak.” Charlie Hebdo is considered by many to be an inflammatory and offensive publication, particularly for its graphic cartoons lampooning religious figures such as the Prophet Muhammad. Does that change how we should view the publication’s free speech rights as seen through the lens of American laws and values? “Many people are mistaken in their belief that offensive speech or hate speech is not protected,” said Richards. “The Supreme Court has
THE COMMUNICATOR
14
SUMMER 2015
CARNEGIE NEWS art of the cartoonist is often not reasoned or evenhanded, but slashing and one-sided.’” In a 1964 case, the Court observed, “Debate on public issues will not be uninhibited if the speaker must run the risk that it will be proved in court that he spoke out of hatred; even if he did speak out of hatred, utterances honestly believed contribute to the free interchange of ideas and the ascertainment of truth.” Documents such as the United Nations’ “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” represent an attempt to create a shared global agreement regarding universal rights and freedoms, but some commentators have suggested that violent culture clashes between fundamentalist beliefs about blasphemy and secular beliefs about democracy and freedom of speech are inevitable in today’s polarized world. “While I support freedom of speech throughout the world, and the Universal Declaration certainly is a sound philosophy, I do believe that each country has the right to determine its own laws regarding speech,” said Richards. “We have a strong sense of free speech in the United States, and we back that up with a constitutional guarantee. Not all countries share our sense of protecting speech, and efforts to create a more global initiative would be difficult in this area.” However, the world is not entirely without common ground regarding free speech, said Richards. “What was inspirational to me during the Charlie Hebdo tragedy was the outpouring of support for free expression from many corners of the world. That support alone sends a message that many citizens of the world unite in the need for protection for free speech.” In the U.S., he says, it bears remembering that “in a sense, we have a First Amendment to protect unpopular expression — or the minority viewpoint — because we don’t need a constitution to protect what the majority thinks. The majority takes care of itself.” l
Bart Richards Award recognizes strong work of Nieman Reports A series of four deeply researched cover stories focusing on important issues impacting the field of journalism was selected as the 2014 recipient of the Bart Richards Award for Media Criticism, presented annually by the College of Communications. The stories by Nieman Reports (http://niemanreports.org) — a quarterly print publication and website covering thought leadership in journalism — were a unanimous selection for the award that annually recognizes outstanding contributions to print and broadcast journalism through responsible analysis or critical evaluation. Nieman Reports is published by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. The award was presented May 21, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. With its four 2014 editions, Nieman Reports focused on censorship in China, the state of journalism education, the future of foreign news and the lack of female newsroom leaders. Judges for the Bart Richards Award cited several reasons for honoring Nieman Reports. “Not only are the stories deeply researched, they’re timely, informative and well-written. They provide context and perspective about complicated issues affecting journalism and news reporting, and they provide insight into important questions that are being debated in newsrooms and journalism classrooms,” said judge Tom Mattesky, a retired deputy bureau chief for CBS News. “This is in-depth, critical reporting about the news media and issues affecting the news media at its very best.” “The breadth and scope of the work was impressive, and the variety of topics provided an important look into issues that truly impact journalism,” said judge Steve Geimann, an editor for Bloomberg News and president of the SDX Foundation, which supports the educational mission of the Society of Professional
THE COMMUNICATOR
15
Journalists. “The work was clearly the best among the finalists, and the kind of work that provides perspective and can make an impact.” “What I liked most was its consistency,” said Jackie Jones, chair of the Department of Multimedia Journalism at Morgan State University. “It’s the kind of work we ought to be doing with more regularity. It was just outstanding.” Submissions for the Bart Richards Award came from individuals and media organizations across the United States. The award comes with an honorarium and a trophy. The award is named after Bart Richards, the longtime editor of the New Castle (Pa.) News who was one of the founders and the second president of the Pennsylvania Society of Newspaper Editors. In addition, Richards served as president of the United Press International Editors of Pennsylvania, director of the Reporters Institute of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association and was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association. Richards served three terms as a representative in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, representing the city of New Castle. l
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY/STAFF CLOSEUP
Members of the advising staff include: (front row, from left) Brenda Johnson, Robin Bierly, Stephanie Fuss, BB Muré, (back row, from left) Kyrie Harding, Jamey Perry, Katie Kennedy and Shelley Wilk.
One-of-a-kind group of advisers does its job well Diverse interests, strong skill sets benefit students
S
tudents who have questions about academics, course selection, career goals, choosing a major, getting involved on campus or any number of other matters invariably contact or visit the advising office in the College of Communications. The dedicated group of advisers assists hundreds of students each week through appointments or drop-in hours, and that staff support for students is integral as they plan and achieve their academic and career goals. Everyone from freshmen and transfer students getting acclimated to campus to seniors preparing to leave for the “real world” know the advising office provides vital resources—pow-
ered by a committed, engaged and welcoming staff. Best of all, the eight-person staff brings a diversity of perspectives and personalities to the usually bustling office in Carnegie Building every day. That demeanor and diversity play a big role in the success of the College and its students. From an almost unrivaled Penn State football tailgater to a dog agility trainer, the avocations and hobbies of the advising staff show they’re just as diverse as the nearly 3,000 students they serve. Here’s a brief look at the staff, and their hobbies and talents.
Jamey Perry
Perry, a Berwick, Pennsylvania, native, is a Penn State graduate and leads the office in his role as assistant dean for academic services. A Penn State cheerleader as an undergraduate, he enjoys tailgat-
THE COMMUNICATOR
16
ing for Penn State football games, attending all home games and an average of two away games per year. Perry and his two best friends, whom he has been close with since third grade, have been hosting tailgates since they were freshmen at Penn State. “We take it seriously, but in a seriously fun way,” said Perry. The group meets as soon as the stadium parking lots open for good food, drinks and socializing with friends and guests. Every game, they have a ritual called “communion,” where they have a mini pep rally, singing fight songs and doing cheers for Penn State as well as the visitors, if present. “I can’t say we have any formal accomplishments, nor do we want any,” said Perry. “We often get asked to enter the best tailgating competition, but that is just not our style. We just want to relax, have
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS fun, be good sports and cheer the Nittany Lions on to a win. Postgame tailgating is always better after a victory.”
“It was such an amazing experience, and I have a year to step on stage with the other professional women to kind of defend that and earn that title,” said Fuss. “At the end of the day, helping people in my professional career and then in my hobbies is what I love to do.”
Robin Bierly
An academic adviser, Bierly’s favorite activity is traveling. The Williamsport, Pennsylvania, native and her Kyrie Harding husband visited Alaska At the moment, State on their honeymoon, College native Harding and they love traveling spends most of her free as often as possible. time with her 1-year-old Bierly has been to daughter, Mae, whom numerous cities on she describes as her the West Coast and greatest joy. Harding, a beaches on the East lead adviser, also tries Coast. She makes to live a sustainable and weekend road trips to minimalist lifestyle, enplaces like Baltimore, joying the simple things. Boston, New York “Living simply allows City, Philadelphia and me to enjoy the small Pittsburgh. pleasures of life,” said Longer visits overHarding. “The little seas have taken her to things in life are what the Czech Republic, really matter.” Croatia, Germany, In the office, her Italy and Switzerland. Adviser Stephanie Fuss with fellow Penn State alum Derek Stoecklein after a Spartan Sprint. lifestyle translates into She has also visited her approach, helping Honduras, Iceland and bies are competing and exercising. students who are overwhelmed. British Columbia. Her sister lives in Currently, the Pennsylvania native “I help them focus on the importVienna, Austria. is a qualified professional bodyant issues, breaking down problems “I have always loved history and builder and also completes CrossFit into simple steps so they can put learning about other cultures,” competitions. She works out twice their lives and education into persaid Bierly. “Now, I especially enjoy a day, first at 5 a.m. and then at 5 spective,” said Harding. introducing our children, Parker p.m., allowing one day off a week. and Ava, to people from all over the “I like it because there are few Brenda Johnson world. It’s also been so fun exposthings in life that you’re in control A staff assistant in the advising ing them to different languages, of, and you’re in control of your office, the Pine Glen, Pennsylvanew foods, different currencies and body and what you’re putting in nia, native is often the first person different modes of transportation.” it and how you portray yourself to students interact with when visiting Her experiences have helped her other people,” said Fuss. 204 Carnegie Building. Her joyful understand why so many students Fuss estimates she has helped and engaging personality — which want to travel abroad, and it helps means students are always met with to better appreciate the accomplish- more than 500 people change their eating and exercise habits. She says a smile — is an important asset to ments of international students. it compares to her job as an adviser the office. because in both roles she has to be Stephanie Fuss Johnson enjoys singing all types disciplined and organized. In NoOne of five Penn State graduates of music, particularly gospel, as well vember, she competed in her first in the office, Fuss is an academic as acting. Each year, she sings and fitness competition, which she won adviser and recruiter. performs in her church’s Easter ProOutside of the office, Fuss’ hobduction called “King of Kings.” and qualified pro.
THE COMMUNICATOR
17
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS “I enjoy singing because it lifts my spirits and hopefully the spirits of those around me,” said Johnson. “I can be heard singing in the hallways and offices of Carnegie any time of the day.” In addition, during the holiday season, Johnson also donates her time as a masseuse to faculty and staff, who in turn make a donation to the United Way.
Katie Kennedy
A State College native and Penn State graduate, Kennedy is a staff assistant in the Jamey Perry (above right), assistant dean for advising office. academic services, with fellow Penn State Her hobby is dog agility, alumni Tim Kinsbach (left), Larry Biacchi and President Eric Barron during a football and she has been involved in the sport since the fall of tailgate. 2000, when she was immeregenerative. In addition, she always diately hooked. As a trainer, she prefers a well-cooked meal to eating runs with her dog and directs him out and likes to express herself or her through a series of obstacles. and escape with dance and theater. The object is to get through the Watching movies and reading help course the fastest time without any her acquire knowledge and simply errors. enjoy herself. Kennedy has two dogs who “These hobbies are importcompete — Koi, who is at the ant to my mental and emotional master’s level, and Cyra, who just health and help me summon more started competing at the novice patience, intuitiveness and tolerlevel. Kennedy takes the dogs to a ance in my daily interactions,” said dog-training club once a week to Muré. “Advising students is an practice. Last July, Koi and Kennedy integral and critical part of my job earned their third Master Agility that I take very seriously.” Championship, the highest title in dog agility offered through the Shelley Wilk American Kennel Club. These days, Wilk, an academic “I am very proud of him, and adviser, keeps busy with her baby delighted in our continuing success boy, Tye, who was born in Novemin the sport,” she said. ber. A Blairsville, Pennsylvania, The hobby has helped Kennedy native and Penn State grad, Wilk develop traits she can apply to her enjoys her time with Tye as he eats, everyday life, including analytical naps, reads books and makes laps skills, dedication and persistence. around the house. Recently, Tye has rolled over and laughed for the first BB Muré time. Muré, a Penn State alumna, has “Being a mom has been the most many hobbies, including enjoying amazing and fulfilling experience, alone time, cooking, dance, movies, while also being the most demandtheater and reading. ing thing that has ever happened to The academic adviser and Puerto me,” said Wilk. Limón, Costa Rica, native finds In addition, Wilk enjoys working out and hiking. She and her her alone time pleasurable and
THE COMMUNICATOR
18
Advising office member Katie Kennedy with Cyra, who recently started novice level agility competitions.
husband exercise together and look forward to including Tye in their active lifestyle. Wilk also loves to sew. “Sewing allows me to create one-of-a-kind items through color, design and style,” said Wilk. “It’s important to encourage our students to continue their interests and hobbies to make them more engaged and purposeful in their endeavors.” Wilk, who missed students while she was out of the office on maternity leave, returned to work shortly after spring break. l
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
Researcher, team earn $1.95M grant to study feel-good stories Watch the evening news, scroll through Facebook or pick up a newspaper — stories, videos and posts that make you feel good are everywhere you look. While inspirational media messages may be quick to bring a smile, can they also help to make us better people? Distinguished Professor Mary Beth Oliver of the College of Communications, who serves as co-director of the Media Effects Laboratory at Penn State, will be a co-primary investigator with Arthur Raney, project leader and the James E. Kirk Professor of Communication at Florida State University, on a three-year grant to examine the answers to this question. In August, they will begin a research project to analyze the daily use and effects of inspirational media through a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, which serves as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the “big questions” of human purpose and ultimate reality. The Templeton Foundation awarded the research team $1.95 million for the proposal, “Your Daily Dose of Inspiration: Exploring How People Use and Are Impacted by Media Content that Elicits Self-Transcendent Emotions.” “Research in media psychology has been dominated by explorations of harmful effects such as media violence,” said Oliver, a member of the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies. “Our research acknowledges the potential of media to also have beneficial outcomes, such as enhancing our sense of well-being and heightening feelings of interconnectedness with others.” Over the next three years, the grant will fund psychological experiments, content analyses and national surveys on inspirational media. The project will culminate in a two-day conference hosted by Florida State’s College of Communication and Information in 2018. Inspirational media can take many
forms: viral videos, social media, television and films, and even newspaper stories. Oliver has already conducted some research on the Mary Beth topic. (See Page 20.) Oliver Her efforts as part of Raney’s team will take a deeper look at what makes media inspiring, who seeks out such content and why, and how people use it to stimulate positive emotions. It will also explore how those emotional experiences might build character and promote greater care and concern for other people. Oliver specializes in media and psychology, focusing on both the psychological effects of media and on viewers’ attraction to or enjoyment of media content. Her research includes studies pertaining emotional and cognitive responses to media entertainment, media violence (including horror and suspenseful films), reality-based television programs, gender and media, and media portrayals of racial groups and the effects of such portrayals on viewers’ racial attitudes. Her work has appeared in such journals as the Journal of Communication, the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Communication Research, Human Communication Research and Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, among others. She currently serves as co-editor of the journal Media Psychology, and has served as associate editor of the Journal of Communication and Communication Theory. In 2008, Oliver co-edited with Jennings Bryant the third edition of “Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research,” a book that serves as a comprehensive reference volume for media effects study. In 2006, she was the recipient of a Fulbright award to study media stereotyping of Maori populations in New Zealand. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
19
SUMMER 2015
Faculty member earns first prize in writing contest A College of Communications faculty member won first prize in the nonfiction category of the recent “Beautiful Ruins” Writing Contest. Cynthia Simmons won the contest, conducted by the Center for American Literacy Studies, that was built around a community read of “Beautiful Ruins” by New York Times bestselling author Jess Walter. Simmons submitted an essay titled “Outta Joint at the Joint.” In the essay, she recalls a visit to a penitentiary in New Mexico during an annual concert for the inmates. The Albuquerque radio station Simmons worked for at the time provided a blues band for the event. The event itself was called “Outta Joint at the Joint.” It was a daylong activity that was part of a federal court consent decree with the Department of Corrections in 1980 after the second-deadliest prison riot in U.S. history. During that riot, inmates held guards hostage, and 33 inmates were killed. Simmons interviewed a father-daughter pair during her visit. The teenager was meeting her father for the first time. He had been sending his daughter letters over the years that she kept in a box. After talking with the pair, Simmons had a migraine that incapacitated her. In the essay, she recalls the inmates’ kindness during her incapacitation. The essay is part of the introduction to a project Simmons is working on about the reporter who negotiated the end to the riot at the penitentiary. “I entered the competition to get some of my work out,” Simmons said. “As writers, we sometimes need affirmation — to know what we’re writing is appreciated by others.” Simmons is a senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism and serves as an affiliate faculty member for Penn State Law. l
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
Research: Online inspiration could lessen prejudices By Katie Jacobs Scroll through your social media feeds or browse the Web and you’re bound to see links to videos and images on sites like Buzzfeed or Mashable, many of them featuring cute animals or inspirational messages. It can be easy to dismiss them as silly spam designed to attract clicks—and to be honest, many of them might be. But some of these videos and images can have a surprising benefit, according to research by Distinguished Professor Mary Beth Oliver, co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory in the College of Communications. A study led by Oliver and published in the Journal of Social Issues found that watching inspiring online videos creates feelings of “elevation”—defined Researchers studying the benefits of certain types of online videos used peoby New York University professor ple participating in the Free Hugs campaign in their study. Jonathan Haidt as “a warm, uplifting a sense of connection and would lower affect the length of the effect. For exfeeling that people experience when prejudice toward those in other racial ample, how often we see these images they see unexpected acts of human or ethnic groups. goodness.” or if we see them go viral. Or, what if To test her hypothesis, Oliver and In turn, elevation can create feelings we’re the ones to create these videos?” her team of researchers split 258 white of greater kinship with and less prejuOliver said she hopes the results and undergraduate students into three dice toward diverse racial and ethnic the questions raised by the study will groups. One watched an inspiring vidgroups. inspire further research in the field, “Essentially, what we found is media eo, the second watched a funny video both with improving attitudes toward and the third watched a neutral video. images that create these feelings of eleother races and ethnicities and with advation hold great promditional issues such as ise as a way to reduce “Essentially, what we found is media images bullying or stigmatizaprejudicial feelings, at tion related to mental that create these feelings of elevation hold great least in the short term,” said Oliver. “One of the promise as a way to reduce prejudicial feelings.” and physical health. ways they do this is by — Mary Beth Oliver “Oppression and inequality are pressing making us feel closer to social concerns. It’s all of humanity, across Afterward, the participants were rated different races and ethnicities.” important to note that people may not An example of these videos are those on their reported feelings of elevation. be aware of their prejudicial actions Oliver found that those who of Kid President — the online alter ego toward others, making it difficult for watched the inspiring videos felt more of Robby Novak, an 11-year-old Afthem to acknowledge their own role in rican-American with a brittle bone con- elevation, and therefore felt a greater perpetuating prejudice,” said Oliver. connection to humanity overall. These dition who creates and posts inspiring “It’s important that we’re committed feelings of connection also led to greatclips on YouTube. His most popular to using the media in ways that can er feelings of closeness to others from video, “A Pep Talk from Kid President combat this.” to You,” has been viewed more than 35 different racial and ethnic groups. Creating greater feelings of connectWhile the effects of the videos were million times. edness across racial and ethnic lines clear, future work is needed to see how Online viewers commented that the is one way social media may combat long-lasting the effects could be. video made them feel inspired and reracism, Oliver said, adding that at the “Right now we’re not sure if the efstored their faith in humanity, precisely same time, diversity is something we all fect is short or long term,” said Oliver. the feeling of “we’re in this together” that Oliver hypothesized would create “There are a lot of factors that could must protect. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
20
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
Faculty member’s film gets national attention on PBS PBS stations throughout the country started airing “A Wing and a Prayer” in April, and they hold its rights for the next two years. The documentary by a Penn State faculty member tells the virtually unknown story of World War II aviators who risked their lives and freedom in 1948 to prevent a second Holocaust. Written, directed and produced by Penn State senior lecturer Boaz Dvir (“Jessie’s Dad,” “Discovering Gloria”), the hour-long film features exclusive interviews by the operation’s secretive key members, including its leader, Adolph Schwimmer, and chief pilot, Sam Lewis. PBS’ distribution arm, American Public Television, released the film on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Narrated by William Baldwin (“Hawaii Five-O,” “Parenthood”), “A Wing and a Prayer” features firsthand accounts of daring escapes and heart-pounding action by Schwimmer, Lewis and other members of the group, including Christian radio operator Eddie Styrak. Arrested by the British for trying to bring Holocaust survivors
into the burgeoning Jewish state, Styrak had to escape prison to join Schwimmer’s operation. Styrak, Lewis and the rest of Schwimmer’s recruits thought they were done fighting after WWII, which ended in 1945. Yet Schwimmer convinced them to risk their lives and U.S. citizenships to give the newborn Jewish state a fight-
ing chance in the 1948 Arab-Israel War, the stage for which was set six months earlier when the United Nations voted to partition British-controlled Palestine. The Jews accepted the deal. The Arabs rejected it. Vowing to “push the Jews into the sea,” the Arab League anticipated weak opposition because Israel had a sparsely armed military, wingless air force and no allies. The United States joined a worldwide embargo on Israel and barred citizens from helping the Jewish state. The morning after Israel declared independence, five Western-equipped armies invaded. The Jews’ return to their ancient land appeared short-lived. Schwimmer’s plot called for eluding the FBI and outsmarting the U.S. State Department by creating fictitious airlines, buying decommissioned transport planes and smuggling in surplus Nazi weapons from behind the Iron Curtain. Schwimmer and his men helped reshape history. Yet history books have ignored them. “A Wing and a Prayer” fills in that missing chapter. l
Award-winning film about child activist available for free on Hulu An award-winning documentary produced by a faculty member that chronicles a father’s transformation into a child activist after the murder of his daughter by a convicted child molester is now available for free on Hulu. The film, “Jessie’s Dad,” focuses on Mark Lunsford, whose daughter Jessica was abducted, assaulted, buried alive and found dead in February 2005. After his daughter’s body was discovered, Lunsford embarked on a journey to pass Jessie’s Law — which toughens sentencing against sex offenders and requires measures such as publication of their names in local papers and/or online — around the United States. Lunsford continues to use the film to boost child protection around the county 10 years after his daughter’s murder in Homosassa, Florida. In the past decade, he has convinced 46 states to pass the law. Pennsylvania was the first state after Florida to enact the law 10 years ago. “Jessie’s Dad” was written, directed and produced by Boaz Dvir, a senior lecturer in the College of Communications. The film has won several awards, including Best Documentary at the 2011 ITN Film and New Media Festival and the Direct Cinema Outstanding Documentary Award. Dvir teaches writing and production in the journalism and film
THE COMMUNICATOR
departments. Along with “Jessie’s Dad,” he has served as writer, director and producer of “Discovering Gloria,” which paints the portrait of an average inner-city schoolteacher who becomes a trailblazing innovator and a national model, and “A Wing and a Prayer,” which tells the virtually unknown story of World War II aviators who launched a secret, illegal operation in 1948 to prevent a second Holocaust. Dvir previously taught writing, storytelling and documentary filmmaking at the University of Florida. He has written for many publications, including Newsday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Tampa Bay Times, The Miami Herald, the Jerusalem Post, Scripps Howard’s Treasure Coast Newspapers, the Times of Israel and Explore magazine. Dvir has won six Florida Magazine Association awards and numerous awards from the Florida Press Association. Dvir received a Lilly Endowment grant from the Religion News Service to research spiritual aspects of the Holocaust. He served as an officer and a military journalist in the Israel Defense Forces, where he gathered vital information during 1991 Gulf War, providing material to foreign correspondents, James Baker’s office and Benjamin Netanyahu. l
21
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
Certain interactive tools really click with users online Clicking, one of the web’s early Before web developers add the new- including a more recent navigational navigational tools, continues to be a est bells and the latest whistles to their innovation, the 3-D carousel, which popular choice for users, according to allows users to rotate images. website designs, a team of researchers the researchers, who also found that suggests they zoom in on the tools Sundar said that users spent more the level of a user’s web experience that click with the right users and for time on the carousel and interacted influenced the effect tools had on the right tasks. frequently with the tool, but that the users’ attitudes toward site content. “When designers create sites, they number of interactions and length of For example, expert-level web users have to make decisions on what tools time on the tool did not necessarily liked the content more and thought it and features they use and where they mean they found the carousel menwas more credible when the put them, which takes a lot of site used simple clicking and planning,” said Distinguished mouse-over tools compared Professor S. Shyam Sundar, to less intuitive tools like the co-director of the Media 3-D carousel and drag. The Effects Research Laboratory reverse is true for those who housed in the College of have limited expertise with Communications. “You not technology. only have to plan where “These techniques may be the feature will be, you also less natural to use, but they have to design what will go are seen as fancy by lay users,” underneath that layer, then said Sundar. “They have a create the content for it, so effect’ on content.” we wanted to know if these “We used to think that the more ‘halo Regardless of the differencnew, more sophisticated ways es across users, finding that of interacting with a site time a user spent on a page or these interactive tools can are actually better than just feature, or how ‘sticky’ it is, was shape how users think and clicking.” a good thing. However, it could feel about media content is The researchers, who important discovery, he presented their findings also mean they are confused and an added. at the Computer Human having trouble navigating.” In the first study, the Interaction conference in researchers recruited 128 Seoul, South Korea, suggest — S. Shyam Sundar college students and assigned that interactive tools can not them one of 20 different only affect how people use a tally engaging. Looks do not lead to websites that were designed to test the website, but also how they feel about better usability, he added. interaction techniques. The content the site, what they think about its “The 3-D carousel looks attractive, was the same on all the websites. The content and what information they but in terms of encoding information, researchers then recruited 127 college retain after they use it. it was not effective,” said Sundar. students for a study that examined a In a series of studies, the researchThis discrepancy between the high combination of website tools. These ers examined how people interacted participants were assigned one of six with content using several web naviga- level of interaction and low level of satisfaction may also mean that a different website versions designed to tion tools, including clicking, sliding, commonly used metric—how long a test their reaction to those combinazooming, hovering, dragging and person has remained on a site—does tions. flipping, along with combinations of not necessarily suggest a positive user Sundar worked with several former those tools, according to Sundar. experience. They also measured how much Penn State doctoral students, includ“We used to think that the more information they retained during the ing: Saraswathi Bellur, an assistant time a user spent on a page or feature, professor at the University of Consessions as a way to test how absorbed or how ‘sticky’ it is, was a good thing the users were during the task. necticut; Qian Xu, an assistant profesand that it meant they were more Participants indicated that the slidsor at Elon University; Haiyan Jia, a er, which allowed them to scroll along interested in the page,” said Sundar. post-doctoral scholar in information “However, it could also mean they are sciences and technology at Penn State; a timeline to view images and text confused and having trouble navigatabout a historical event, was better and Jeeyun Oh, an assistant professor ing.” at aiding memory than other tools, at Robert Morris University. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
22
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
Tools can boost web’s persuasive power Messages conveyed on websites may be more persuasive if the websites are interactive, according to researchers. In a study, participants who visited an interactive antismoking website were more likely than controls to say that smoking was an unattractive behavior, and more likely to agree with the site’s stance against smoking. “When interface features are perceived as natural, easy to use and intuitive, users will feel more focused and have more fun during browsing,” said Jeeyun Oh, an assistant professor of communications at Robert Morris University who earned her doctoral degree in mass communications from Jeeyun Penn State in 2013. “Our Oh study shows that this positive perception and experience of an interface can translate into more positive attitudes toward the message itself.” Participants who used a drag-andslide bar to interact with a series of pictures representing the negative effects of smoking — what the researchers call modality interactivity — said the site was more exciting and cooler than the control website. They were significantly less likely to hold positive attitudes about smoking, for example, that smoking is pleasurable or sexy, after using the site. Similarly, participants who were able to interact with messages through links and breadcrumbs that show user actions—or message interactivity—were also more likely to have a positive attitude about the site’s anti-smoking message, according to the researchers, who will release their findings in the pre-print online version of the Journal of Communication. While both changing the way visitors interacted with the site and changing the way they interacted with the message created a more favorable attitude toward the message, the interactivity worked along different paths, said Oh. Interacting with the drag-and-slide bar absorbed the users and limited
the number of their thoughts, while interacting with the message increased the number of thoughts. “Modality interactivity persuades people because they are having more fun browsing the website, which absorbs them, and creates more positive attitudes toward the message as well,” said Oh. “Message interactivity persuades people by making users think more deeply about the message.” Web designers and developers may want to consider both types of engagement before they build their sites, and to carefully choose the tools they offer their users, said Distinguished Professor S. Shyam Sundar, co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory, housed in the College of Communications. “Engagement is not one thing, and different types of interactivity tools trigger different types of engagement,” said Sundar. “If you want people to be absorbed in an activity or in content, then you give them tools that they can interact with by sliding or swiping.” He said game designers often incorporate this type of interaction tool. “If you add tools that make people call up information, rather than giving them things to play with, this lets them learn more about the content and explore the content, promoting a thoughtful kind of engagement,” Sundar added. The researchers assigned 167 participants to use one of six website versions that were designed to test different combinations of modality and message interactivities. Before the participants used the websites, they were asked their opinions on smoking. After the test they were again asked about their attitudes about smoking. To measure the number of thoughts, participants were asked to write down the thoughts that came to mind while they browsed the site. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
23
SUMMER 2015
Faculty member drives success of inaugural Fest In the dead of a long winter, a College of Communications faculty member was among those who helped bring some relief — the chance to come in from the cold for a full slate of entertainment — to Happy Valley. The inaugural Thaw Festival kicked off in February, highlighted by the College Matt Town Film Jordan Festival at the State Theatre in downtown State College. The Thaw Festival, a community celebration of film, music and comedy, got its start by combining forces with a couple of existing events — the threeyear-old film festival and TEDxPSU. The College Town Film Festival included 11 feature-length films and 30 short films, as well as discussions with filmmakers and workshops. “The mission of the festival is twofold,” said festival president Matt Jordan, an associate professor in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies. “It is designed to promote independent films, and to use the unique advantages of a college town — lots of smart and curious faculty and students — to create conversations surrounding the films with the people who made them. “We believe that literacy in visual storytelling is essential for students, and that the more they can understand how films are made by watching them and talking to the people who make them, the better advantage they will have in the future.” Happy Valley Communications, a student-run promotional firm, added marketing muscle with a social media campaign, giveaways and promotions. l
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
WPSU: 50 years as a public, educational resource Informing, engaging since March 1, 1965 Fifty years ago, WPSU-TV went on the air for the first time. Students and teachers who turned on their televisions for the initial broadcast watched “Saludos Amigos,” an introductory Spanish class aimed at schoolchildren across central Pennsylvania. Since the station first transmitted its broadcast signal atop Penfield Mountain on March 1, 1965, WPSU-TV, which was first known as WPSX-TV, has dedicated itself to informing and engaging the community. On March 1, the station was rebranded as WPSU Penn State. Even before the station’s establishment, C.R. Carpenter, Penn State’s director of the division of academic research and services, recognized the need for the station as the University petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for allocation of an educational television channel. “In estimating the requirements of educational television in this state, we need to think beyond the formal classroom, although there is much to be developed there,” Carpenter said in a 1961 Penn State news release. “Millions of people out of school are potential ‘students’ if we have the vision to see it and the wisdom to develop the programs and facilities.”
Technology changes delivery
WPSU-TV reached approximately 250,000 students at 124 elementary and secondary schools in 22 counties across Pennsylvania in its first year of operation. Initial broadcasts ran from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Within a month, the station produced its own shows, including “Weather World,” originally known as “State of the Weather/Shape of the World,” which still airs today as a production of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and features meteorology students forecasting the weather. The station also produced Penn State credit courses for
THE COMMUNICATOR
the first time and worked with local school districts to create instructional programs for teachers to be used during the school day and for in-service activities. “In the early days, the teachers were aware of the broadcast schedule and they had to make sure to tune in and use it live,” said William Barnhart, the former executive secretary of the Allegheny Educational Broadcast Council, which helped distribute station programs. With the rise of cable, WPSU-TV expanded its reach with PENNARAMA, a 24-hour cable channel available around the state offering credit courses and other educational programs.
New building sparks continued growth Around the start of the 21st century, digital broadcasting, including high definition, and WPSU’s 24
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
FARAJI’S FOCUS
Salim Faraji, an associate professor at California State University Dominguez Hills, discusses diversity during a public session as part of his campus visit for Heritage Month activities organized by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. (Photo by Jeanine Wells).
move out of the Wagner Building on the University Park campus brought more changes to the station. The new studios allowed the station to respond to current events and produce programming much more quickly, said Greg Petersen, WPSU’s director of broadcasting. Today, WPSU-TV continues to produce local public affairs programs and original series including “Our Town,” “Higher Education in Focus,” “Conversations LIVE” and “Conversations from Penn State.”
Documentary productions
Alumnus and WPSU videographer Mark Stitzer (’02 Film-Video) films during the production of “Water Blues, Green Solutions.” Stitzer served as director of photography for the documentary, which won a 2014 CINE Golden Eagle Award.
As WPSU-TV looked to make a global impact, the station expanded its documentary production. WPSU-TV has produced several award-winning projects, such as “Telling Amy’s Story,” which has reached more than 6 million people through-on air broadcasts, online and various community events. One recent project, “Water Blues, Green Solutions,” examines water management approaches that use green infrastructure. The documentary focuses on the efforts of several cities, including Philadelphia, San Antonio and Portland, Oregon, but has gained attention throughout the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom and China. As WPSU-TV looks forward to the next 50 years, the
THE COMMUNICATOR
station is working closely with Penn State World Campus to develop video content for online courses. Today, WPSU-TV content also is available through a multitude of platforms, including three digital channels (WPSU-TV, Create and World) and on-demand platforms such as wpsu.org, YouTube and Vimeo. “It’s critical that we continue to fulfill our public service mission to provide educational programming that helps educate and entertain our communities, reaching them through our broadcast and new distribution platforms,” said Kate Domico, the station’s general manager. l 25
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
Study: Negative posts hurt, but ‘inoculation’ can help When people read negative Facebook posts about an organization, it erodes their trust in the institution and diminishes its reputation. Efforts to “inoculate” readers against damaging messages, however, do appear to mitigate the harm somewhat. One of the first formal studies to confirm the impact of negative social media content was published by a research team that included a College of Communications faculty member in the February 2015 issue of Corporate Communications: An International Journal. “We found that negative, user-generated Facebook posts significantly impact stakeholders,” said Michel Haigh, a senior research fellow in the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication. “After they were exposed to negative Facebook posts their perception of the organization-public relationship, the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts, and its reputation were significantly less positive.” Haigh, and co-researcher Shelley Wigley of the University of Texas at Arlington, involved 472 undergraduate college students in an experiment. Participants were asked their percep-
tions of a large international food manufacturing firm. They were queried on how trustworthy they felt the company was and its level Michel of commitment to Haigh long-term positive relations with its publics. The survey also measured thoughts about the firm’s corporate social responsibility efforts and its overall reputation. The respondents then were separated into two groups. One read an “inoculation” message in which existing attitudes about the firm were challenged. The second group did not get such a message; instead it read a neutral text. A week later all participants read adverse Facebook messages about the company that had been posted by people on its website, and then the participants were re-surveyed. Results indicated the negative Facebook posts clearly had an effect. The levels of decline in trust, commitment, belief in corporate social responsibility and reputation all were statistically significant.
“It didn’t matter that they did not know the individual making the negative comments on the organization’s Facebook page,” said Haigh, an associate professor in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations. “Their perceptions about the organization were negatively impacted by the adverse information.” The group that had read the “inoculation” message before reading the negative Facebook communications also registered a lower opinion of the firm afterward. But it was slightly less negative than the others. “Results indicate it may be possible to protect one’s attitudes against negative, user-generated content,” Haigh said. “While not statistically significant, the pattern indicates that participants exposed to an inoculation message felt slightly more positive.” This study is believed to be the first to observe the impact of damaging, user-generated Facebook messages on the attitudes of people toward an organization. The article, titled “Examining the Impact of Negative, User-Generated Content on Stakeholders” can be accessed through Emerald Insight online. l
Faculty filmmaker earns grant to advance feature-length film A faculty filmmaker in the screenwriting, production, College of Communications directing, film criticism, has earned a grant from the film studies and Jewish Institute for the Arts and studies. She also has conHumanities at Penn State to ducted independent studies support post production of a with graduate and underfeature-length film. graduate students, and has Pearl Gluck, an assistant advised thesis projects. professor in the Department Through her classes and of Film-Video and Media her filmmaking, Gluck Studies, received support explores themes such as culfor “The Turn Out,” which tural and ethnic influences focuses on a truck driver on contemporary television faced with a difficult choice and film; the rise of the when he meets an underage Hollywood studio system; Pearl Gluck (center) directs actors in “The Turn Out.” girl being sex-trafficked at his the use of comedy as social Ohio University, Indiana Universilocal truck stop. critique; and representaty, Emory University and Rutgers Gluck, who joined the Penn State tions of gender, class and faith in faculty in 2014, previously taught at cinema. l University. She has taught courses on
THE COMMUNICATOR
26
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS NEWS, NOTES
Retirees Richard Taylor, the Palmer Chair in Telecommunications Studies and Law, and Victoria Kovatto, assistant manager of facilities, were honored at the inaugural Faculty/Staff Awards Program at the Nittany Lion Inn.
Faculty member earns teaching honor The National Society of Leadership and Success, an honor society for undergraduate students, has awarded College of Communications faculty member Michel Haigh its Excellence in Teaching Award at Penn State. The award is given to an individual who teaches with passion and inspires students beyond the classroom. “It’s nice to know someone thought I fit that description,” said Haigh. Emily Kless, a senior majoring in public relations, nominated Haigh. “She has prepared me to enter the ‘real world.’ She truly cares about her students and takes the time to prepare them for their future,” said Kless, who has taken two classes with Haigh while at Penn State. “Dr. Haigh makes it her priority to help
each student improve their skill set, while providing excellent advice to students about interviews, resumes and jobs. She is a generous teacher.” In 2014, Haigh was named among of a group of “professors who inspire” by NerdScholar. In 2012, she was recognized as a Plank Fellow—a fellowship program for public relations educators sponsored by The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama. In the College of Communications, Haigh earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Service in 2010 and the Deans’ Excellence Award in Research in 2008. She teaches public relations writing, campaign courses, research methods and a freshman seminar. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
27
l Four faculty members, two faculty affiliates, two staff members and two graduate students in the College of Communications were among those honored with Deans’ Excellence Awards during a College-wide awards event. The annual awards recognize people who put the mission of Penn State and the College into practice on a daily basis. Faculty members honored were: Ken Yednock, a senior lecturer in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations, who earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Teaching; Distinguished Professor Mary Beth Oliver, a member of the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, who earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Research and Creative Accomplishments; John Dillon, the Norman Eberly Professor of Practice in the Department of Journalism, who earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Service; Matt Jordan, associate professor in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, who earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Integrated Scholarship; and Jeff Brown and Tom Yourchak, who were each recognized with the Deans’ Excellence Award for Outstanding Faculty Affiliate. Staff members honored with the Deans’ Excellence Award were Dorie Glunt, accounting assistant, and Victoria Kovatto, assistant to the facilities manager. l Denise Sevick Bortree, whose research focuses on corporate social responsibility and sustainability communication, was selected as director of the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication, housed in the College of Communications. l Staff members Karen Mozley-Bryan, manager of facilities, and Annette Jones, assistant to the financial officer, celebrated 25 years of service during the 201415 academic year. l The College’s annual undergraduate open house has been scheduled for Nov. 7 at the HUB-Robeson Center on the University Park campus.
SUMMER 2015
DEVELOPMENT NEWS A gift from Warren Carmichael (left) supported an inaugural on-campus conference about law enforcement and the media, with topics such as news conference protocol and social media approaches. Among the more than two dozen participants were Penn State Police Chief Tyrone Parham (center) and State College Police Chief Tom King.
Warren’s Work
Conference enables exchange of expertise, makes an impact
A
n important and timely conference for law enforcement officials was conducted on the University Park campus for the first time this spring thanks to the leadership and support of alumnus Warren Carmichael. Carmichael, a passionate supporter of the College of Communications and outgoing president of the Alumni Society Board, was the driving force behind “Informing the Public” — a free, two-day session that focused on effective communications and media relations strategies for law enforcement.
Nearly three dozen command-level law enforcement officers from across the state of Pennsylvania attended the event that was made possible by the Warren R. Carmichael Media and Justice Program, an endowment he established at Penn State for the purpose of encouraging an exchange of ideas between communications educators and experts, and law enforcement professionals. For Carmichael, who earned his degree in agricultural journalism in 1958, the event was a matter of personal passion that also provided benefits as a forum for faculty to share
THE COMMUNICATOR
28
expertise, for students to get hands-on experience and for law enforcement officials to learn about best practices for dealing with the media. Carmichael, who served in the Army and worked for the National Security Agency early in his career, later crafted an award-winning career in nearly two decades as a radio broadcaster, news director, operations director and station manager. He also worked five years as a principal in an advertising/public relations agency. Most relevant to the conference, though, and closest to Carmichael’s heart, were his 23 years as director of
SUMMER 2015
DEVELOPMENT NEWS the public information office of the Fairfax County Police Department. Carmichael also served as an instructor in media relations and Freedom of Information Act compliance for the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, volunteered as public information adviser to the City of Fairfax Police Department, and was a national instructor for the Columbia School of Broadcasting. Along with Carmichael, who has earned multiple honors for his work with law enforcement, presenters for the two-day session included several faculty members: z Steve Manuel (’84, ’92 MA), a senior lecturer in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations, who is a respected crisis communications expert and previously served as a public affairs officer for the Office of the Secretary of Defense and as a Marine Corps spokesman; z Marea Mannion, a senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism who has expertise in law enforcement and the media and who has conducted media training for command-level law enforcement across the Northeast through Penn State’s Justice and Safety Institute, and at the FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia; and z Curt Chandler, a senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism, who focused on best practices for social media. In addition, Mannion scheduled programming for the session, working closely with Carmichael to identify all panelists and presenters to make his vision for the conference a reality. On the heels of several high-profile incidents with law enforcement and the media in Pennsylvania, the two-day session was especially timely. Students were invited to participate in a question-and-answer session during the second day of the conference, and the faculty led a hands-on session during which the law enforcement personnel were provided with a scenario and needed to prepare for a news conference about the topic. Those sessions were then recorded and critiqued. l
Siblings honor grandmother’s memory, endow Trustee Scholarship in her name Joe and Suzanne Butcher grew up in a small town raised by their father who, now retired, worked as a pipefitter, and a stay-at-home mom. Both had student loans in order to go to college, and worked through school. Now, Joe (’88 Telecom, ’96 MA Telecom) works for Hewlett-Packard as a capture manager, doing business development for its government sector. Suzanne (’93 Telecom, ’95 MA Telecom ABD) does government consulting for Booz Allen Hamilton. The two western Pennsylvania natives currently reside in Vienna, Virginia. The brother-and-sister combo is now giving back, creating the Mildred Blazek Trustee Scholarship, which is in its first year. “We wanted to help others that were in a similar situation,” said Suzanne. “We have been very lucky in our careers and wouldn’t have been able to do what we do now if we weren’t able to go to school. Hopefully this scholarship helps a little bit.” The scholarship in the College of Communications is named after their late maternal grandmother, who came to the United States from Yugoslavia when she was 5 years old. “She lived with us growing up and helped lay that foundation of work ethic,” said Suzanne. “She was always busy with something, whether it was gardening, crocheting or baking incredible apple pie.” “She instilled the values in us that we needed to be successful in our lives.” Joe added. “Our grandmother and our parents taught us through example that helping others is key to a successful and fulfilling life. In their honor, we try to live by that principle every day.” The scholarship has already
THE COMMUNICATOR
29
Joe and Suzanne Butcher said their late grandmother Mildred Blazek taught them that helping others is part of a successful and fulfilling life. So they endowed a Trustee Scholarship in her name.
supported three students: Maria Garlowich, Zachary Herrmann and Andee Kiraly. Penn State is close to the heart for the Butchers. Their older brother, Rick (’84 Lib), also attended the University, and was the first in their family to attend college. Their niece, Sara Butcher, is a public relations major with a business minor who just finished her sophomore year in Happy Valley. “(Penn State) was a fantastic experience,” said Suzanne. “The cutting-edge stuff that we learned then still applies today. We learned how to think in terms of always looking ahead, being innovative, and being creative in accomplishing a task no matter what kind of task it is and, of course, being able to accept the feedback.” The College of Communications has 52 trustee scholarships, which are awarded to 212 students for a total of $499,000. l
SUMMER 2015
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Family’s scholarship honors memory of son, provides support for others One family’s worst nightmare has provided a resource for future generations of Penn Staters, specifically those in the College of Communications. Established in 2013, the Michael Sherman Allen Humanitarian Scholarship was created in memory of a Penn State junior who died unexpectedly while on vacation. His parents, Julie Diamond-Allen and Paul Allen, created the endowment through the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program at the University as a way to provide financial assistance to deserving communications students. Family members recall Michael, who was 21, for his ever-present smile, generosity and kindness. He was pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism, and enjoyed sports, traveling and spending time with his family and friends. Under the auspices of the Trustee Program, the University annually
provides, through a generous match, 10 percent of the total pledge or gift at the time a Trustee Scholarship is created. That makes the matching funds available for student awards as soon as possible — even before a donor’s pledge is fulfilled. Across the University, recipients of the scholarships boast an average grade-point average of 3.39 and more than half are in the first generation of their family to attend college. The matching funds continue every year thereafter, along with a percentage of the endowment’s market value. Therefore, when the endowment becomes fully funded, a Trustee Scholarship will provide approximately 15 percent of the endowment’s market value each year. To qualify for the University match, Trustee Scholarships must be endowed at a minimum level of $50,000. Those endowments can be completed over a period of as many as five years. l
$$$ DID YOU KNOW? Students in the College of Communications received scholarships worth more than $815,000 during the 201415 academic year, but less than 1 percent of that support was targeted specifically for excellence or incoming freshmen. Those two areas — support for our best students and support for incoming students to keep Penn State competitive with programs across the nation that provide hefty financial incentives — top the list of needs for the College of Communications. To learn how you can make a difference, please contact Kevin Musick or Joel Diamond at 814-865-8801, or visit comm.psu.edu/give online.
Make the connection. Make a difference. Learn more: GiveTo.psu.edu/AmusementPark
THE COMMUNICATOR
30
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS
A mother’s lost job. A hometown devastated by floods. A little brother in the hospital. A Penn State degree against the odds—and with your help. success a to giftthe to the SupportEnsure success withwith a gift Penn State College of Communications Support Award Emergency Assistance Funds. The University has always represented opportunity for ambitious students from every The University always opportunity for ambitious from every background, buthas hard workrepresented alone isn’t always enough. Through students no fault of their own,background, the young but hard work alone isn’t always enough. Through no fault of their own, the young who could people who could benefit most from earning a degree must sometimes abandonpeople that dream in the benefit the most from earning a degree must sometimes abandon that dream in the face of difficult face of difficult personal and financial circumstances, such as a family member’s job layoff, illness orpersonal death. and financial circumstances, such as a family member’s job layoff, illness, or death. With of Communications StudentFunds, Support you the candifference make the for Withaagift gifttotothe theCollege Penn State Emergency Assistance youAward, can make difference for students who need a award been created notnot to to address students who need and deserve a helping helping hand. hand. This These fundshas have been created address ongoing financial need but, instead, extraordinary and unexpected hardships that could derail a ongoing financial need but, instead, extraordinary and unexpected hardships that could derail student’s education. a student’s education. To learn more, please contact Janet Klinefelter, scholarship and stewardship coordinator, at To learn more,orplease contact John L. Dietz Jr., Associate Vice President for Development, at 814-865-8801 jqk9@psu.edu, or visit comm.psu.edu/give online. 814-865-0965 or jld5@psu.edu, or visit giveto.psu.edu/emergencyassistance
Penn State
PS_info ad_emergency assistance.indd 1
University Development
THE COMMUNICATOR
31
SUMMER 2015
2/6/15 2:15 PM
A Day in
S
tudents in COMM 269 Introduction to Photojournalism documented a typical day for students in the College of Communications for an assignment during the spring semester. They found their photos could be representative of an ordinary day in the life of most students at Penn State.
Advertising students prepare for the American Advertising Federation's National Student Advertising Competition. (Photo by Jeanine Wells)
Broadcast journalism major Gabrielle Chappel ties a fly for her flyfishing class. (Photo by Cameron Hart)
Film student Cody Cox experiments with lighting techn THE COMMUNICATOR
32
SUMMER 2015
n the Life
Broadcast journalism major Jenna Rosen sips coffee as she prepares to leave for class. (Photo by Jack Tumen)
Print journalism major Katie Fiorillo reads a paper while waiting to meet an adviser in Carnegie Building. (Photo by Katie Kavanaugh)
niques during a workshop. (Photo by Kimberlyn Turner)
Media studies major Rich Gebbia searches for a book in the stacks of Pattee Library. (Photo by Ashly Ninteman)
THE COMMUNICATOR
33
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT CLOSEUP Rachel White and Christian Heilman accepted the award for “Centre County Report in Cuba,” which was named Outstanding Magazine Show at the 36th College Television Awards in Hollywood. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision)
Celebrating Cuba
‘Centre County Report in Cuba’ named nation’s best show
A
n hourlong TV special created by Penn State students based on a weeklong educational experience in Cuba was named the nation’s Outstanding Magazine Show at the 36th College Television Awards in Hollywood. “Centre County Report in Cuba” was honored with the equivalent of an Emmy Award for college television at the awards program conducted by the Television Academy Foundation. “We’re happy our students were recognized in such a prominent setting,” said Dean Marie Hardin. “We know how hard they worked on this project, and how much they benefited from the expertise of our faculty members
and the support of our donors.” The show — with several segments focusing on Cuban culture, its people and politics — resulted from a trip to Havana for an international reporting class in 2014. Seventeen students and six faculty members made the trip, which garnered important support from donors and produced hands-on experience and unrivaled educational opportunities. Students were working throughout the trip on stories that were later shared with partner news organizations in the United States or that became part of “Centre County Report in Cuba.” Steve Kraycik, director of student
THE COMMUNICATOR
34
TV and online operations, made the trip to Cuba with the team last year. He also accompanied the team’s representatives — Christian Heilman (’14 Journ) and Rachel White (’14 Journ) — to Hollywood to accept the award in April. “To see our students’ work honored at the national level with this award is a tremendous source of pride. The level of competition was extremely high,” Kraycik said. “It’s clear the judges were impressed with the unique stories our students told in Cuba.” Even before the award, the international reporting class in general and the trip to Cuba in particular were successful by many measures.
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT CLOSEUP with the nation have officially Collaboration between the College of Communications, the warmed in recent months. FaculUniversity Office of Global Proty experts such as John Nichols grams and the Center for Marti were happy to share their experStudies, Penn State’s academic tise before and during the trip. partner in Cuba, were necessary Nichols, professor emeritus, has to make the trip possible. conducted 30 years of research Donors such as Larry and Elfocused on communications in len Foster and Helene Eckstein Cuba. He also traveled with the also provided vital support. team last spring. And students consistently In addition, Maria Cabrehave praised the experience ra-Baukus, a senior lecturer in and opportunity provided by a the Department of Telecommusemester-long course, COMM nications, brought videography, 402 International Reporting, technical insights and Spanish that includes an intensive, weekfluency to the trip while Will long work session in a foreign Yurman, a senior lecturer in country. the Department of Journalism, Tony Barbieri, a former assisted students because of his international correspondent extensive multimedia and photowho serves as the Larry and journalism experience. Ellen Foster Professor of Writing El Capitolo, the National Capitol Building, rises The Television Academy above Old Havana. (Photo by Kelly Tunney) and Editing, created the class Foundation is the charitable to present a global perspective relation to the United States. In the arm of the Television Academy, of journalism to students, and to previous years the class has visited: which coordinated the Primetime immerse them in it. “Students should Mexico City (2009), Shanghai (2010 Emmys. know that it doesn’t matter where and 2013), Cape Town (2011), Rio de “Centre County Report,” a weekly they end up working; they are still goJaneiro (2012), Cuba (2014) and Hong newscast produced by Penn State stuing to have to look for stories beyond Kong (2015). dents, had previously been honored what they can see,” Barbieri said. The trip to Cuba proved especially in consecutive years as the nation’s Included in Barbieri’s criteria for timely, with the students’ work getting best student newscast by the Broadcast choosing a destination is a country’s political and economic significance in additional attention as U.S. relations Education Association. l
PSNtv’s ‘Matchmaker’ gets third-place honor A reality program produced by PSNtv also earned national recognition at the 36th College Television Awards. “PSU Matchmaker” finished third among the the Series-Reality/ Unscrpted category. Four people associated with the program were on hand in Hollywood for the award presentation. Student-driven PSNtv has been producing a variety of shows since 2003. Shows range from news and game shows to sketch comedy and reality programs. The network provides many opportunities for hands-on experience and often uses College of Communications space for its productions. l
Members of the PSNtv team that produced “PSU Matchmaker” were honored at the 36th College Television Awards as the show finished third for Series-Reality/ Unscripted. Team members are (from left): Kyle Rebenauer, Terrin Hartman, Kelsie Johnson and Courtney Testa. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision)
THE COMMUNICATOR
35
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS
It’s all Over: Experiences shape skills for journalist, 28 Storytelling emerges for retired Marine, one-time garbage man By Trey Miller (’12) Ten years ago, Clayton Over was preparing to graduate from Williamsburg High School, a small public high school about 35 miles southeast from State College. At the time, he was anxious, excited and nervous to join the Marines, looking forward to the challenges and experiences to come. “At the same time, I had a very real understanding that the four-year period of my enlistment would shape the rest of my life, however long that would be,” said Over. Since graduating high school, he has served two tours in Iraq, collected garbage and worked full time at the Centre Daily Times covering police and courts. As he finished classes and prepared to graduate from Penn State in May with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he clearly understood the impact his experiences had on his life. “It’s been an interesting 10 years,” said Over, in a masterfully understated manner. “It has been an action-packed, very educational 10-year period of time. A little bumpy at times, for sure, but a great ride nonetheless. I guess one of the biggest changes from then until now is that I have a lot more confidence in myself, and I’ve learned to trust not only my own abilities but the ride itself.” About 10 days after graduating high school in 2005, Over, who enlisted in the Marines, headed to boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina, in what would be the first step in a four-year stint in the Corps that included two seven-month deployments to Iraq. Following graduation of boot camp, he advanced to infantry school at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and became a mortarman as a member of the 2nd Battalion 8th Marines. After a pre-deployment evaluation in
Clayton Over balanced a full credit load and worked full time covering the police and the courts for the Centre Daily Times during his senior year.
Twentynine Palms, California, Over deployed to Iraq for the first time in July 2006. On the first trip, which was around Fallujah, his platoon was assigned to protect their battalion commander, touring the area and patrolling on foot and in Humvees. “At that point in time things were still pretty violent in that region of the country,” said Over. “Not as bad as it had been at other points in time, but it was still pretty bad.” Over returned home in February 2007, knowing he would be doing another tour. Eight months later at the end of October, he deployed again, this time until March 2008. In his second tour, he was stationed around the city of Ramadi. According to Over, it was less violent the second time around and his unit only experienced one violent incident. Much of the time, he was on foot patrol, attempting to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, which included training Iraqi police. “I spent 14 months, more than a year of my life, over there,” said Over. “When I was in, it seemed like that four years was a really, really long period of time. After that, it seems like it has gone really, really fast. I wouldn’t change anything.” Upon his discharge from the Ma-
THE COMMUNICATOR
36
rines in 2009, Over returned home. He wasn’t ready to return to school, so he looked for a job. He took a gig as a garbage man for a period of time before starting a job buffing and detailing cars at Blue Knob Auto Sales in Duncansville, Pennsylvania. After about two years, he decided to attend Penn State. Even after starting classes at Penn State Altoona in fall 2011, Over always keeping busy and finding jobs to do around classes. His co-curricular employment included waiting tables, working at a grocery store and a job at the Nittany Mall over Christmas break after he moved to State College. It wasn’t until recently that Over realized how all of his jobs, including the military, have paid off for him in the field of journalism. While in the Marines, he spent time all over the country and overseas. “There’s just the discipline involved in it. That was the big thing,” said Over. “Also, they really preach being the best at anything you do. That always helped me buckle down when I had to for classes and do what I needed to do to take care of what whatever I needed to for work or class. “Something else, I traveled around quite a bit. I met all kinds of different people. That’s something that helps
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS me with the job now. I met people from all over the country and had to interact with them and work with them. On top of all that, I deployed to Iraq. You’re communicating with people who might only know a little bit of English and I only knew a little bit of Arabic, and communicating that way. That really helped in a job like this, in communications dealing with all kinds of people.” The same could be said for his experiences in jobs after getting out of the Marines. “It’s interesting how doing all of these different jobs has helped me a lot more than just paying the bills,” said Over. “I was dealing with the public with a lot of those positions. You really learn how to treat people -— waiting tables especially. If people aren’t happy, they’ll let you know about it. I really learned some things doing that. I was getting a whole other education outside of the classroom that’s really paying dividends now.” Over had always known he would end up coming to Penn State, being the closest university to home. As an added bonus, his military experience and the GI Bill of Rights helped pay for his education. Though he has been a print journalism major since arriving on campus, it was his time in the Marines that really helped him realize he had a gift for storytelling. “That’s whenever I noticed that when I would tell stories to my friends of mine that they would listen to me and they liked it,” said Over. “That’s when I really started thinking about it. I was like, ‘Yeah, that would seem like a pretty good job for me to do.’” After two years at Penn State Altoona, Over came to the University Park campus and began as a candidate for The Daily Collegian in fall 2013. He initially covered the city beat. He had always seen himself covering news rather than sports or features. He covered local government for the student paper in the spring of 2014 before completing an internship with the Altoona Mirror in the summer and getting his first taste of crime and courts.
From his Marine training in Camp Lejeune (above) and deployment, to auto detailing and waiting tables, Over believes his life experiences have prepared him well as a journalist.
The hands-on experiences he has After learning the ropes at the received since starting at Penn State Collegian and taking classes at Penn have been State, a fullinvaluable. time reporting “He really position at the stood out as Centre Daily someone who Times opened understood what in late Septema story was, how ber. Despite the to report the fact that he was story and was taking 14 credits not afraid to and had only talk to people been reporting and was not for a little more afraid to put the than a year, Over reporting hours saw an opporin and then just tunity to get his — Clayton Over a very solid, name out there solid writer. and put his Well organized, resume in front very clear,” said interim head of the of people. department of journalism Russ Eshle“Sure enough, I got hired,” said man, who had Over in three classes. Over. “I started like three weeks after “He’s a success story, there’s no doubt I applied.” about that.” A typical day for Over includes a visit Now, the 28-year-old senior is set to to the courthouse in Bellefonte, a State graduate with high distinction, while College Police briefing at 2:30 p.m., working full time. phone calls, writing and making time “This is a good place to be just for his one class — a political science course to complete his minor that meets coming out of school, or before I even got out,” said Over. “Moving forward, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Over credits The Daily Collegian and ideally I’d like to stay with a newspaper. I’ll just have to see where the road his classes at Penn State for providing takes me.” the necessary base and skill set. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
“You really learn how to treat people — waiting tables especially. If people aren’t happy, they’ll let you know about it. I really learned some things.”
37
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS
Six standouts serve as spring student marshals By Joel Wee (’16) Six standout students represented the College of Communications as student marshals during spring commencement exercises in May at the Bryce Jordan Center. One student served as the overall marshal and the other five represented each of the majors—advertising/public relations, film-video, journalism, media studies and telecommunications. Students selected were: Melissa Conrad, Rachel Casciano, Marisa Bippus, Michael Appleman, Jinny Lee and Samantha Zimmer. Conrad, who graduated with a degree in advertising/public relations, earned a 4.0 GPA in her time on campus. “It’s an wonderful honor. I never expected to be selected as college marshal,” said Conrad. Conrad, a Hamburg, New Jersey native, has a strong passion for sports. She completed a sports journalism certificate through the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State and she hopes to pursue a career in sports communications and public relations. As a student, she completed internships with Adidas Basketball North America and Under Armour. She served as a consulting director for Happy Valley Communications, a student-run public relations firm, and she was also director of finance in the Public Relations Student Society of America, a College Ambassador for Ford Motor Company and worked as a communications assistant for Penn State Athletic Communications. “There are unbelievable opportunities here,” Conrad said. “It’s unlike any school I’ve seen in the country.” Conrad accepted a year-long apprenticeship with Reebok at the company’s headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts, after graduation. Casciano was the marshal for
advertising/public relations. The Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, native spent three years on the varsity cross country team at Penn State. This year, together with a friend, she raised Melissa Conrad $17,800 for the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON) and danced in the event. In her time at Penn State, she completed internships with Nike and Elite Sportswear. She also completed an internship in the Michael athletic communicaAppleman tions office and was a member of Kappa Tau Alpha and the Penn State Athletic Director’s Leadership Institute. She received the “True Grit” Award for student-athletes who overcome serious obstacles or injuries and continue to excel in school and sports. As a freshman, she was diagnosed with cancer. She limited her course load a bit, but remained in school. She stepped away, briefly, from her competitive career but returned to form and contributed to the varsity team. She is also an Evan Pugh Scholar, an award given to juniors and seniors in the top 0.5 percent of their respective classes. “It was a great way to close this chapter of my life. My time here was a great roller coaster ride,” said Casciano. Casciano started a job with Nike a few days after commencement. Film-video majors were led by Bippus, a native of Harrison City, Pennsylvania. Bippus completed a double major, complementing her film-video degree with bachelor’s in marketing. She completed internships at
THE COMMUNICATOR
38
Rachel Casciano
Marisa Bippus
Jinny Lee
Samantha Zimmer
Trium Entertainment in California and with Centre County’s Government and Education Access Television Network (C-NET). Bippus was involved in numerous productions as a student, working on a commercial for TurnKey Tailgates, a short-film titled “THUG” and a feature-film titled “Stones We Throw.” She also directed and produced her own shortfilm, titled “Scarcity,” and worked as a production assistant, director, producer and camera operator with a variety of productions. Appleman, the marshal for journalism, said his four years at Penn State helped him discover and prepare for what he wants to do professionally as he gained experience in both the print and broadcast emphases of the journalism program. A member of Schreyer Honors College, Appleman, from Duncansville, Pennsylvania, gained valuable experience in the field with the student-produced “Centre County Report” newscast and by completing internships for the Napa Valley Film Festival, B94.5, Eagle 97.8 and WTAJ-TV. He was also a writer and
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS social media manager for The Daily Collegian. “One of the biggest takeaways from my education here is the friends I’ve made. I will miss the professors here, who are exceptional,” said Appleman, who worked at the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment, housed in the College of Communications, under the direction of Robert Richards, the John and Ann Curley Professor of First Amendment Studies. Appleman plans to pursue a career in broadcast journalism or television production in New York or Los Angeles. Media studies was represented by Lee, who is from Seoul, Republic of Korea. Lee completed internships with the Seoul Broadcasting System and worked as an English guide and interpreter at the UAE-Korea Economic Partnership Forum. Additionally, she taught English in Paju, Republic of Korea. She transferred to Penn State after originally attending the University of Minnesota. Zimmer, marshal for telecommunications, also majored in comparative literature. The Honesdale, Pennsylvania, native is a Schreyer Honors College member. While in school, she worked at the Law Office of Mark R. Zimmer and the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing. She was also involved in Disciplemakers Christian Fellowship, Student Support Services and served as the Penn State Dance Marathon chair for the Student United Way. Zimmer has been offered admission to several different law schools. Her passion for law started at home. Her father is an attorney, and she worked in his law office when she was in high school. At Penn State, Zimmer took many communications classes that relate to mass communications law and telecommunications regulatio ns. l
Film major earns award, pitches show A film major earned the graduated in May. “I finished 2014-15 Scott Weiss Scholarthis pilot and I am proud of ship, an annual merit-based it so I hope to get it some award granted to eligible attention.” students who completed the To apply for the scholT. Howard Foundation’s arship, LeGendre had to Internship Program. write two essays about her Gabrielle LeGendre, from internship experience and East Stroudsburg, Pennsylva- Gabrielle detail her plans for the nia, was a production intern LeGendre scholarship money. With at TV Land, a cable and satellite the award, LeGendre was able to pay television channel owned by Viacom, the entrance fees for her screenplay at last year. Her responsibilities included various competitions and festivals. In creating on-air promotions for netaddition to those submissions, LeGenwork programs, including the popular dre registered her script with the U.S. sitcom “Hot in Cleveland.” Copyright Office. Upon completion of her internship, The sitcom LeGendre wrote focuses LeGendre was eligible to apply for the on a freshman adjusting to college Scott Weiss Scholarship. life. The central characters face issues “I wanted the scholarship because I related to diversity, family, friendwanted to be a distinguished alumna ships and relationships. LeGendre of the program. I also wanted the was drawn to Penn State because she money to support my screenplays,” wanted the hustle and bustle of a large said LeGendre, who wrote a pilot for a campus. She also knew she wanted to TV sitcom last summer and has since be a film student. submitted it to multiple competitions “I’m sad I’ll be leaving Penn State. and festivals. The professors have been wonderful “I enjoy writing a lot, and when and the program has really prepared I have ideas for a script I have to me well to go into the working world,” write it down,” said LeGendre, who she said. l
Ph.D. student earns University-wide award Akshaya Sreenivasan, a areas. Her research on how doctoral candidate in mass social media and access to the communications in the College Internet helps young adults of Communications, was find jobs and other opportuawarded the LaMarr Kopp nities won an Arthur W. Page International Achievement Center grant in 2014. Award for graduate students Sreenivasan, who recently from Penn State. worked in Nigeria — where Akshaya The award recognizes more than 70 percent of the Sreenivasan graduate students who have children failed both math and contributed significantly to the advanceEnglish — believes education is the key ment of the international mission of the to prosperity for these children. University. It is named in honor of the “I work in post-conflict states to help late deputy vice president for internachildren and young adults empower tional programs. themselves using information and comSreenivasan focuses her research munication technologies,” said Sreenion post-conflict countries and works to vasan, a native of India who applies her improve opportunities for children and life experiences to her research. l young adults in those impoverished
THE COMMUNICATOR
39
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS
AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPH A Penn State student mugs for the camera behind a University police officer during student demonstrations celebrating the end of NCAA sanctions against Penn State related to the Sandusky scandal. The photo by Akash Ghai was named the winner for Breaking News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students in the regional Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Competition. Separately, Ghai’s multimedia work finished 13th nationally in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program.
Individual efforts propel Top 10 in Hearst Program The College of Communications extended its streak of Top 10 overall finishes in the William R. Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program thanks to another strong year of student efforts in Lee Akash the annual program often Cary Ghai referred to as “the Pulitzers of college journalism.” The program is conducted under the auspices of the accredited schools of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication and is fully funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. The program awards more than $500,000 in awards and grants to the country’s nationally Leah accredited programs and their students. Polakoff Overall intercollegiate standings are based on results compiled during monthly competitions that compose the program. Those competitions focus on five writing categories (features, enterprise reporting, sports writing, personality/profile writing and breaking news writing) as well as competitions for broadcasting, multimedia, multimedia team and photojournalism. Penn State finished eighth overall, based on seventh-place finishes in writing and multimedia, a 12thplace finish in broadcast and a 14th-place performance in photojournalism. Penn State students with individual Top 10 finishes were: Lee Cary, sixth, enterprise reporting; Carley Mossbrook, seventh, personality profile; and Kelsey
THE COMMUNICATOR
STANDINGS
Carley Mossbrook
Kelsey Tamborrino
Final standings in the combined writing, photojournalism, broadcast and multimedia portions of the 55th annual William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program. 1. North Carolina..................... 880 2. Western Kentucky............... 611 3. Arizona State....................... 573 4. Nebraska............................. 499 5. Indiana................................ 494 6. Missouri.............................. 410 7. Syracuse............................. 366 8. PENN STATE................. 337 9. Montana.............................. 333 10. Northwestern.................... 325 11. Kent State......................... 269 12. Oregon.............................. 204 13. Florida............................... 197 14. Ohio University................. 186 15. Iowa.................................. 158 16. Southern Cal..................... 155 17. San Francisco State.......... 146 18. Michigan State.................. 139 19. Elon................................... 135 20 (tie). North Texas............... 121 20 (tie). Oklahoma State......... 121
Tamborrino, ninth, enterprise reporting. Additionally, Akash Ghai finished 13th in multimedia news and Leah Polakoff finished 13th in multimedia enterprise. The Hearst Program competition draws more than 1,100 student entries each year. It is open to students from the country’s 108 nationally accredited undergraduate programs. 40
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS
AAF lauds two students among ‘Most Promising’ Two advertising majors were selected among 50 students nationally to participate in the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Most Promising Multicultural Students Program, which included a trip to New York City and a chance to meet and network with industry leaders. Jackie Lozano, from Tampa, Florida, and Aizya McGee, from San Antonio, maintained a strong Penn State tradition in the program because advertising/public relations students from the University regularly get selected as finalists in the highly competitive program. This year, the AAF capped the number of winners at two per school, and Penn State was one of the four schools that hit that ceiling. Still, Lozano and McGee, who graduated in May, were surprised by their selections. “It was a surprise because I was waiting and waiting for a response, but nothing happened,” McGee said. “Then I got this email
Jackie Lozano (left) and Aizya McGee
and it said I was accepted, I won. It really was a happy surprise.” As part of the program, McGee and Lozano traveled to New York City to participate in a myriad career-related events such as a professional development workshop, a career expo and visits to advertising agencies. On their last day in the city, all of the finalists were treated to a Broadway production. Lozano, who worked in New York City in 2014, was excited to return and meet some friends during the visit as well. Along with being strong students, McGee and Lozano were involved in
a variety of extracurricular activities. McGee was a member of the competition team for the National Student Advertising Competition, a committee member for the Student Program Association and a public relations chair for State in the Real, a website dedicated to disseminating information about the music scene in State College. Lozano was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, a member of the AdClub and part of the Order of Omega, a society that recognizes fraternity men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership in inter-fraternity activities. The American Advertising Federation, the nation’s oldest national advertising trade association, and the only association representing all facets of the advertising industry, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and acts as the “Unifying Voice for Advertising.” The AAF annually coordinates several student programs. l
Nittany Group crafts top-three finish in district event A group of advertising The winner from each of students placed third in a rethe 15 districts advanced to cent advertising competition the national competition at sponsored by the American the AAF National ConferAdvertising Federation. ence in June. St. John’s took The district-level portion first in the District Two of the National Student competition. Advertising Competition The Penn State team, took place in New York City named the Nittany Group with Penn State competing and organized like a realagainst 15 schools from world advertising agency, Delaware, Maryland, New comprised more than 30 Jersey, New York and Washmembers, including 18 class ington, D.C. members. Co-chairs for the For the event, students Penn State’s presenters at the AAF competition included group were Janelle Klueber developed a wholly integrated (from left): Ethan Kisan, Janelle Klueber, Pat Hagan (back), and Emily Ullmann. At the Rebecca Bryden and Rachel Casciano. communications campaign event, the presenters were Refor Pizza Hut. They were becca Bryden, Rachel Casciano, Pat Hagan, Ethan Kisan given a real-world situation with a goal to increase online/ and Janelle Klueber. digital orders for Pizza Hut and to enhance the overall Students started working on the project in the fall 2014 digital/mobile ordering experience. semester by researching the client. In the spring 2015 At the event, students pitched their campaigns to a pansemester, they met regularly to develop all aspects of the el of judges consisting of advertising professionals and to a Pizza Hut marketing executive. campaign. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
41
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS
Ryan Breton, president of the Campus Weather Service, appreciates the opportunity provided by the collaboration between the Department of Journalism and its “Centre County Report,” and the Department of Meteorology.
Collaboration benefits students, offers opportunity It’s still a solid hour before sunrise, boht 2014 and 2013, has used student during the 2014-15 academic year to with sub-zero wind chills, but nothing weather anchors for several years. The include daily forecasts that can be slows Ryan Breton on his way to work half-hour TV newscast appears on found online (CentreCountyReport. in Walker Building on the west side of Campus Cable at the University Park com) and on CCR’s social media the University Park campus. channels. campus and reaches more than three Breton makes his way to the build“We believe that expanding the dozen counties in Pennsylvania and ing’s sixth floor — home of the Joel forecasts to daily updates gives New York state on WPSU-TV. N. Myers Weather Center — more meteorology students and starts reviewing weather real-world experience and exinformation from a variety posure. At the same time, it of sources. He’s on deadprovides ‘Centre County Reline, working with industry port’ with local content from standard computer software the nation’s best meteorology to produce on-screen graphics school,” said Steve Kraycik, and maps, getting ready to director of student television compile a daily video forecast and online operations for to be used by the “Centre the College of CommunicaCounty Report.” tions. He worked closely with Breton, a senior from Marisa Ferger, a meteoroloAtkinson, New Hampshire, gist with a strong resume of serves as president of the TV experience who producCampus Weather Service. es Penn State’s respected “It’s great that we’re making it He’s one of a group of World” while also happen. We get experience on air “Weather meteorology students who serving as an instructor and produce forecasts for stuand the broadcasts get someone mentor for students. dent-driven news broadcasts. “There is no substitute who has a forecast based in It’s a partnership between the for experience, for putting Department of Journalism together forecasts and science.” and Department of Meteorol— Ryan Breton presenting them on air. Not ogy that provides hands-on, all of our students want to, real-life experience for all or will, end up on air, but involved. the partnership with ‘Centre County “Centre County Report,” the Report’ — with its online and weekly After success of the weekly foreweekly student newscast that was TV components — provides valuable casts, the partnership between the honored as the nation’s best by the experience for students pursuing academic departments was expanded Broadcast Education Association in that path,” Ferger said. “We’re happy
THE COMMUNICATOR
42
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS to partner with the Department of Journalism, and happy to have the opportunities the partnership presents.” For Breton and other students, the daily online forecast provides an all-encompassing one-person challenge. It begins with research and graphic production in a small office and then a walk down a flight of stairs to the building’s fifth floor where students produce and record the two- to three-minute forecast on their own. Finished pieces are submitted to “Centre County Report” for online use no later than 10 a.m. Monday through Friday during the semester. Breton appreciates the multifaceted challenges of weather communication, from putting together a correct forecast to presenting it in a manner that resonates with end users — in this case viewers online or on TV. “In some ways the communication can be more difficult,” he said. “If you have an accurate forecast but don’t convey the impact correctly, it almost doesn’t matter. This collaboration is great, because it helps us get experience. It’s great that we’re making it happen. We get experience on air and the broadcasts get someone who has a forecast based in science, rather than just reading the weather.” In addition, Breton said Campus Weather Service, with its commitment to serving clients and preparing students, fills an important role by allowing students to hone their skills at any point during their academic career at Penn State. The collaboration between departments has only enhanced that approach. At its inception about a dozen students took turns producing online forecasts or getting their turn on the TV show. That group had grown to more than 20 students at the start of the spring semester. “People realize it’s a great opportunity, and want to make the most of it,” Breton said. l
Student council informs, unites On a blustery evening last fall, more enjoys working closely with the student than 400 students turned out to sign council. the College of Communications honor “I value my relationship with the code during a special event in Carnegie students and I feel that whatever Building. they’re doing now is going to give them The event was planned and hosted the tools to be successful upon gradby the College of Communications uation,” said Fuss. “Plus, their work student council, which serves as an benefits so many students right now.” intermediary voice between adminisDuring her weekly meetings with trators and students in the College of the council, Fuss helps build connecCommunications. One of the aims of tions with faculty members and plan the student council is to be a uniting on-campus events. The council also force for all communications students. helps Fuss with campus recruiting Hosting and planning the events. Fuss usually has a honor code signing event was student council member one of many items on the sit in during meetings with to-do list for the group. Other prospective students to allow items on the group’s list for prospective students to hear future semesters include a first-hand experiences of town-hall style meeting for current students. students and administrators, “Steph is always cheering a lunch with faculty members us on. She gives us opportuniand a day trip to Washington, Stephanie Fuss ties to meet with faculty, and D.C. she’s always there to listen and advise Along with hosting events to unite us,” said Zach Slater. the student body, the student council Council member Ryan Belz, a conducts Penn State Dance Marathon senior majoring in broadcast jour(THON) fundraisers, and student nalism, represented the College of council members serve as tour guides Communications in the University around campus, at Innovation Park Park Undergraduate Association and and at The Daily Collegian for prospecserved as the student council’s liaison tive students. with that University-wide group during In addition, council members created a peer mentors program designed to the 2014-15 academic year. “I don’t like voting without knowhelp first-year students adjust to life at ing what the general student body Penn State. feels. The council serves as a voice for Student council member Chrysten the students so in turn the council and Colacicco, a senior majoring in public I deliberate so I can look at every side relations, coordinates the mentoring of an argument before I vote in the program. Colacicco revived the program with the help of academic adviser UPUA,” said Belz. As with the rest of the student Stephanie Fuss and other council council, Belz works for the betterment members. of student life at Penn State. “I enjoy “There was a program before but it being on the council beyond words wasn’t active. Stephanie came up with because it allows me to advocate on bethe idea to revive the program. I love half of my fellow students,” said Belz. the peer mentors program. In a huge Slater, who completed his third school like this, the program breaks semester as council president this past down size and distance and fosters spring, is proud to be part of student connection among students,” said council. “It’s fun, it’s family, it’s this Colacicco. stress-free happy place I have,” he said Fuss, an adviser and recruiter in . l the College of Communications,
THE COMMUNICATOR
43
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS
Professor Patrick Parsons with Davis Award recipients (from left) Jennifer Hoewe, Molly Daley, Stevie Berberick, Marielena Balouris and Donghee Lee.
Davis Awards honor five for ethics, integrity, service Five students from the Penn State College of Communications were recognized for their commitment to an ethical approach, integrity and service as the 2014-15 academic year came to a close. The Don Davis Program in Ethical Leadership recognizes communications students who distinguish themselves in the classroom, in activities around campus and in the community. Faculty members nominate students who have displayed an aboveand-beyond commitment to “doing the right thing,” and who deserved to be recognized as ethical leaders or role models.This year’s honorees were: Marielena Balouris, Stevie Berberick, Molly Daley, Jennifer Hoewe and Donghee Lee. Balouris, a broadcast journalism major, was nominated for her unrelenting commitment to helping others inside and outside the Penn State community. She carried a full course load, participated in several extracurricular activities and, when she had
time, met with prospective students and their families. She also sat on the College of Communications Alumni Society Board as a student representative and participated in the College’s dean search last year. Balouris served as an executive director for the weekly “Centre County Report” newscast and was a driving force in the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON) webcast, which was rebranded this past year as 46 LIVE. Balouris, a senior who started working for WTAJ-TV in Altoona even before commencement in May, will spend two months this summer in Greece as a camp counselor with the Ionian Village, which aims to enrich the lives of participants by bringing campers and staff into close contact with their Orthodox faith and Hellenic heritage. Berberick, a doctoral student, was nominated for her strong advocacy against campus sexual assault and her advocacy for the ethical treatment of every person. Berberick raised awareness about the extent of the problem
THE COMMUNICATOR
44
of sexual assault through columns in Voices of Central PA. Separately, to foster a productive scholarly community among her peers, Berberick started a weekly graduate student meeting where students come together to write and share their writings. Her essays focus on feminist topics such as how visibly tattooed women are perceived. She is co-authoring an essay on internship labor. Daley, a media studies major, strongly believes in paying it forward. She learned about generosity, perseverance and tenacity from her older sister and mother when growing up. She also started working as a teenager to help her mother pay the family’s bills, and Daley has worked throughout her career at Penn State to pay for her education. In the process, she earned promotions at work and remained committed, despite her busy schedule, to raising money for THON. She’s also an active member in the student philanthropy group on campus.
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS Hoewe, a doctoral degree candidate, was nominated for her commitment to ethics and integrity through her research and teaching. Hoewe focuses her research on media stereotyping. Her additional scholarship examined the stereotyping of Arabs and their assumed connection to terrorism and how journalism can reduce the likelihood of prejudice. Hoewe was elected as president of the Graduate Students in Communication group on campus. She served as the sole instructor for a mass lecture course, COMM 118 Introduction to Media Effects. In the course, Hoewe focused on the importance of critical analysis of media content and the ways it may create, heighten, reduce or sustain social harms such as prejudices and stereotypes. Lee, who is finishing her master’s and her bachelor’s at the same time, has served as communications manager for EcoCAR, a competition featuring collaborators from the College of Engineering and the College of Communications as they strive to make a stock vehicle model more eco-friendly. Lee has worked to promote sustainability in the community. She has also completed internships with Warner Bros. Entertainment and has written for The Daily Collegian, Fly Magazine and Critique Magazine in the Smeal College of Business. Lee has presented at several and was among the first undergraduates to present research at the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in its 101-year history. The Don Davis Program in Ethical Leadership falls under the auspices of the Don Davis Professorship, which was created by Don Davis Jr. in honor of his father, Don Davis Sr., who established the advertising curriculum at Penn State in 1936. Davis Sr. taught most of his 37 years as a college educator at Penn State. The younger Davis, a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus, was the longtime CEO of Stanley Works who spent his life emphasizing the importance of “doing the right thing.” l
NEWS, NOTES l Four students from the College of Communications provided coverage of the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association from Pocono Raceway in June. The June 7 race highlighted a partnership between four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon’s team and the University. Students selected to work under the direction of John Affleck, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, at the race were: Jeff Jezewski, Matt Mayer, Nick Thomas and Roger Van Scyoc. Along with the working journalism students, Penn State engineering and marketing students spent the race weekend as guests of Axalta at the speedway. l Students in COMM 497C Multimedia Projects, taught by Will Yurman, a senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism, produced a public showing of their website, ourgraymatters.com, at the Palmer Museum on the University Park campus during finals week. The class site shared stories of growing older in central Pennsylvania. l Ten days after commencement from Penn State, John McGonigal was scheduled to start a post-graduate internship with MLB.com covering the Pittsburgh Pirates. McGonigal earned a spot in the
highly competitive summer internship program based on writing samples and an interview. He became the 23rd Penn State student selected to participate in the internship program in the past eight years. l Two students representing ComRadio — senior Mike Wargon and junior Ryan Stevens — extended a College of Communications streak at the NFL Draft this year. ComRadio students have been broadcasting the entire three-day draft for seven years in a row. This year’s event was the first since 1964 to be conducted in Chicago. ComRadio was the only collegiate broadcast entity to be inside draft headquarters for the entire event. Along with the two students on site, numerous others helped compile a draft book that included 450 player profiles of athletes who could be selected. The group also conducted interviews and produced several episodes of “The NFL Draft Show,” as well as audio and video “Road to the NFL Draft” shows. l Senior Tatum Coffey, a journalism major from Toms River, New Jersey, was one of just five undergratuate students at the University to be honored with an Oswald Award. The John W. Oswald Award, established in 1983, annually recognizes graduating seniors who have provided outstanding leadership in at least one of several areas of activity at the University.
Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon visited campus to promote his team’s partnership with Penn State and the June 7 race at Pocono Raceway, covered by students in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism.
THE COMMUNICATOR
45
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NEWS
Capturing Commencement
M
embers of the Class of 2015 completed their Penn State careers May 9 at the Bryce Jordan Center with student marshal Melissa Conrad and faculty marshal John Affleck leading the procession into the arena for commencement exercises. Among the 727 graduates was Niccia Griffin-McKinney (below left), who found her name in the program, and once the ceremony began alumna Jayne Jamison (’78 Adv) of O, The Oprah Magazine, provided the commencement address that was as creative and compelling as some of the hats fashioned by members of the graduating class. Also, the parents of senior Kevin White, who died in an accident 10 days before commencement, accepted his diploma during the exercises.
(Photo by Jeanine Wells)
(Photo by Trey Miller)
(Photo by Steve Manuel)
THE COMMUNICATOR
46
SUMMER 2015
(Photo by Jeanine Wells)
STUDENT NEWS
(Photo by Steve Manuel)
(Photo by Steve Manuel)
THE COMMUNICATOR
(Photo by John Beale)
47
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI CLOSEUP Josh Moyer covers the Big Ten Conference, and Penn State, for ESPN. After an aortic dissection in January, a costly and life-changing event, he returned to work in March. (Photo by Jeanine Wells)
A Recipe to Stay Alive Josh Moyer’s health scare alters his approach and outlook
N
By Trey Miller (’12)
o more cheeseburgers, no more cigars, no more drinking: a recipe to stay alive. It was around 2 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 9, when Lisa Moyer’s phone rang. She heard it ring, but by the time she got to it, she had missed the call and there was a voicemail. It was from her son, Josh. “Toots, I’m in the hospital,” said Josh, who calls his mother ‘Toots’ and his father ‘Holmes.’ “I was having some pain so I thought I should get checked out. Give grandma a call and hope to see you soon.”
Lisa panicked for a while, frantically dialing her son’s phone until finally a doctor answered at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College. “Your son is in serious condition,” the doctor told Lisa. “He needs to be life-flighted to a hospital that can perform a procedure for his heart.” She later told Lisa that she had to hang up, as she was trying to sedate Josh and wasn’t sure if he’d make the ride to the next hospital. Lisa and her husband, who reside in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, jumped in their car and headed to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, antici-
THE COMMUNICATOR
48
pating Josh’s arrival there. The drive, which is normally around an hour, took two hours because a snowstorm slowed travel. About an hour and a half earlier at 12:30 a.m., Josh Moyer was relaxing on his black Ikea couch watching the final episode of a show on Netflix. Moyer leaned back and, just like that, knew his life had changed forever. “Instantly, as soon as it happened, which let me tell you is a pretty sobering feeling when it feels like your heart ripped in half or a bolt of lightning struck it,” said Moyer. “As soon as that happened I started sweating. I
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI CLOSEUP could feel my blood pressure pick up. up and saw his chest, it turned out his A costly insurance gap My heart was racing. I didn’t know aortic valve didn’t need replaced as As if the medical hardships and what had happened but I knew it the doctors initially anticipated from being on pills for the rest of his life wasn’t good.” the scans. are not enough, the hospital bills he Moyer, who hadn’t been to a hospi“It went from extending my life, to accumulated during his sickness are tal or a doctor in what he estimated to I should lead a long and healthy life,” astronomical. As a contract employee, be 10 years, didn’t want to go. All he said Moyer. “For the rest of my life, Moyer didn’t have health insurance wanted to do was go to sleep. He deI’ll be on medication. For me, low through ESPN. cided to give himself an hour, hoping sodium diet. No more cheeseburgers, He signed up for coverage in he just pulled a muscle or his blood no more cigars, no more drinking. December, but his plan didn’t kick in pressure was high, before he would go There’s a lot I can’t do, but it certainuntil Feb. 1. to the hospital. In that time, he took ly beats being six feet under.” On top of that, he was told he a cold shower, as cold as he possibly Despite the condition being more would have received financial assiscould, but was still sweating. tance from the hospital if the “That’s when I knew someincident had happened in “No more cheeseburgers, no thing was wrong,” said Moyer. December, but a new policy Despite the pain, Moyer more cigars, no more drinking. that started on Jan. 1 preventdrove himself to the hospital ed that. There’s a lot that I can’t do, but in the snow. After a short The Jan. 9 date of his wait, he underwent an initial it certainly beats being six feet attack fell in the four-week exam. The nurse attempted window that was the worst under.” to take his blood pressure, — Josh Moyer possible time for a health but to no avail. After nearly problem for him. 15 attempts, it finally regis“It doesn’t matter if your common to men in their 60s and tered at close to 300 over 220. bill is $50 million, you’re still on the 70s, Moyer was told the combination “The blood pressure only measures hook,” said Moyer. “That’s probably, of being born with a large aorta and up to 300,” said Moyer. “That’s honestly, the worst part of all of this. high blood pressure probably led to apparently a number that most of On paper, I owe close to 300 grand. the incident. those nurses will never see any higher I’m a journalist. We don’t make that. Right now, while he still has pain, in their careers. I was told there was a I can put the surgery behind me, I the biggest obstacle is fatigue. Somegood chance I probably should have can look ahead to the future, but with times, he just needs to nap, but he stroked out.” something like this, it’s hard to look hopes that will get better with time. Moyer doesn’t remember much ahead when you’re just dragged down “I might never be 100 percent after that and woke up three or four by the past.” again. They said as much. But I can days later a little more than an hour According the U.S. Census Bureau, get pretty darn close,” said Moyer. away from State College with a scar a 2013 health insurance report “I’m dieting, exercising, doing all the on his chest. showed that 23.5 percent of adults things I should have done before this. The 30-year-old Penn State footbetween the ages of 26 and 34 are I like to think I set the bar so low ball beat writer for ESPN and 2008 uninsured, and 38.3 percent of the before that I can be even better. College of Communications journation’s uninsured population under “Certainly, now it’s still difficult, nalism alumnus had suffered an the age of 65 is between the ages of 19 but I feel like I was given a second aortic dissection, which is when the and 34. chance and like anyone, I certainly aorta, the main artery that distributes hope to make the most of it.” oxygenated blood through the body, Some friendly support Already, he is back on the job and tears. Moyer’s tore six centimeters, As word of his situation spread, “light-years” ahead of where he was in which usually means death for about Moyer’s friends collaborated and mid-February. 40 percent of people, and, according collectively decided they wanted to do “I thank the good Lord every day to MedicineNet.com, the death rate something for him. A online donais up to 80 percent of patients. Still, that he’s still with us and it’s not his tion page was created to help raise when treated surgically, the 10-year time,” said Lisa. “It’s close to the funds. survival rate is greater than 60 perheart. I almost lost my son. “Honestly, I look at the contribucent. “I will worry every day for the rest tors and everything and I recognize Doctors usually tell patients that a of my life because you just don’t almost every name and almost all of successful surgery will likely extend know. As a mother, you don’t ever them are people I’ve worked with in their lives five to 10 years. Moyer was stop worrying. You just pray every this profession,” said Moyer. “Obvilucky. When the doctors opened him day.”
THE COMMUNICATOR
49
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI CLOSEUP ously, no one is particularly wealthy but after it had a sportswriter opening ed confidence in his writing abilities. when you take on a life of journalFollowing Columbia, he spent five and didn’t extend him an interview, ism, but hell if we’re not tight-knit. months with The Citizen’s Voice in he moved on to a startup website that I thought my mom summed it up Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Then, his covered Penn State football. succinctly, ‘I didn’t know you had so Penn State connections came through Knowing the startup wasn’t going many friends.’ and all of his hard work finally landed to last (it went out of business about “People do care. Your friends don’t him his dream job. six months after he got there), he apforget you. You mean something to ESPN already had two college plied to Columbia’s Graduate School them, they mean just as much to you. football writers, Jared Shanker and of Journalism. Moyer left the startup It’s incredibly humbling. It’s a shame Matt Fortuna, who were 2011 Penn website and attended Columbia, you need something like this to kind State graduates. When ESPN decided knowing it would be expensive. of see that a little better, but that’s to start the Penn State site, it what happened in this case.” asked Shanker and Fortuna One of those friends, Josh “He’s one heck of a character. He who might be good for the Langenbacher, made sure has this incredible knack for being job. They both recommended some of Moyer’s close friends Moyer. ESPN contacted him, and acquaintances were kept able to ream you out, but also he aced the interview, and up-to-date and in the loop making you want to run through the job was his. when he was in the hospital. “I’m definitely eternally He had an email chain of 30 a wall for him. Anyone who has grateful to (Jared and Matt),” or 40 people, and he would spent any amount of time around said Moyer. “I think I owe text Moyer’s mom on a daily them both beers for life. him knows he has a personality basis for updates. “I think if you’re a sportsLangenbacher, a 2009 writer, I think if you’re in this that nobody could forget. He’s Penn State journalism grad, industry, ESPN is a dream works as a copy editor for the something else.” job for everyone. Where else Altoona Mirror. He met Moyer — Josh Langenbacher (’09 Journ) can you get this kind of expowhen he was on staff at The sure? If you write something Daily Collegian when he was “Ultimately, it came down to, ‘If good, it’s something that’s going to be a junior, and the two clicked almost this is what you want to do the rest well-read. That’s not something you instantly, with Langenbacher citing of your life, you need to find out if have at a lot of publications. This is Moyer’s no-nonsense attitude as a you’re good enough,’” said Moyer. where I really wanted to work.” factor. “At the time, I wasn’t writing. I felt While Moyer’s focus is on Penn “He’s one heck of a character,” said this was kind of my last chance. It was State, he covers all of the Big Ten Langenbacher. “He has this incredikind of an all-or-nothing move. If I Conference. This past season, he also ble knack for being able to ream you could go to Columbia and I failed, I’d covered games at Syracuse, Florida out, but also making you want to run be OK with that. I couldn’t take not State, Baylor, West Virginia, Ohio through a wall for him. Anyone who trying.” State and Navy because ESPN likes has spent any amount of time around He made the most of his adventure its writers to be knowledgeable across him knows he has a personality that at the New York City school, finishing college football, not just a specific nobody could forget. He’s something in the top 10 percent of his class. The conference. Every day is different, else.” native of a small coalmining town, and his schedule and what he writes Moyer had a newfound love of the city depends on what is going on in the because he always had something to news. An ‘all-or-nothing move’ He attends Penn State football pracMoyer had his first day back at work do. He was one of the only ones in his graduating class from a small town. tices and press conferences as often at ESPN on March 9, two months “We literally had a princess, a literal as he can, and TV, podcast and radio after the incident. The 30-year-old, princess, in my graduating class, and appearances are done on an as-needed who started working for “the worldbasis. But the fact that no day is ever wide leader” in July 2012, is approach- I’m the son of a scrapyard worker from a small town no one has heard the same is the reason Moyer loves ing three years with the company. It of in Pennsylvania,” said Moyer. “I the gig. wasn’t an easy path there, though. “I’ve been on ‘Outside The Lines’ Following his graduation from Penn thought the dynamic was pretty interand everything,” said Moyer. “It’s not esting there.” State in 2008, the job market wasn’t about being on TV, it’s about being Moyer graduated from Columbia great, and Moyer spent time without a with a reassurance that he had chosen on something where your work gets job. He ended up with a job as a copy noticed, where you can talk about editor for the York (Pa.) Daily Record, the right career path and a rejuvenat
THE COMMUNICATOR
50
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI CLOSEUP people or maybe it sounds silly, but at the heart of writing it’s about people. “You can share people’s stories; you can put all of this work into it and then share it to a national audience. I think that’s special. That’s why I like working for ESPN. It’s not the prestige or the social honor. It’s the fact that you’re able to bring the story to so many people.”
A journalist from the beginning
Moyer talks with Penn State receiver Matt Zanellato during media day at Beaver Stadium in 2013.
Moyer was born and raised in Pottsville, with a family that included his father, mother and younger brother Kevin, who currently resides in North Carolina as a member of the Air Force. Moyer’s mother remembers him writing stories from the time he was in elementary school, and he loved to draw by the age of 2. He also had a personality of his own. “It’s hard to sum it up in words,” said Lisa. “He has a big heart, but you’d never know it. He’s very sarcastic. He’s comical. He will always have the last word. He’s like a chameleon; he changes his colors when he needs to.” He always had a passion for sports and found his way to ESPN more than a decade prior to actually working for it. When he was 15 years old, he appeared on ESPN because he had started a website about the Pottsville Maroons, a former NFL team in his hometown. “I remember my one friend telling me, ‘You know you’ve already hit your high. You’re never going to have this again happen in your life,’” said Moy
er. “I remember him telling me that 15 years ago because I was like, ‘No, this is going to be the first of many. I’m going to get back there.’” On top of his early fame, he started working for the Pottsville Republican, a local paper, when he was 16 and continued writing for it through high school and even into college. But, while journalism was always there, it wasn’t his first choice, according to Lisa. Originally, Moyer applied to Wheaton College in Illinois, a Christian liberal arts college, and was hoping to become a pastor. After being denied admittance, he met with his pastor. Moyer spoke with him and came to the conclusion it would be beneficial to get his bachelor’s degree in journalism, and then get his master’s in theology after getting his four-year degree. “That’s when he applied to Penn State,” said Lisa. “Even at that point, he was going into journalism with hopes of being a pastor. Once he got into Penn State, the whole pastor thing was over.”
THE COMMUNICATOR
51
Moyer visited a friend at Penn State prior to attending and picked up a copy of The Daily Collegian, finding it better than his local paper. That helped lead him to Penn State, where he believes he was the most prepared person to go to a Collegian interview, showing up with around 50 news articles he had printed out. “I was pretty hell-bent on making that newspaper,” said Moyer. He ended up covering football as a junior and senior and became one of three sports editors on a sports staff of about 50 people. He was also Penn State’s first Murray Scholar in 2007, receiving a $5,000 scholarship in a national essay competition that included representatives from 29 universities. “I worked for my local paper before that, but the Collegian is where I certainly cut my teeth,” said Moyer. “It’s where I learned most of the foundation that I took with me the rest of my life. I owe a lot to that network, and I certainly owe a lot to my time at the Collegian.” l
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI NEWS Dean Marie Hardin (third from right) celebrates with award winners selected by the Alumni Society Board. Honorees were: (from left) Bill Jaffe, Joanne Calabria, Fran Fisher, Blake Berson and Michel Haigh. (Photo by Jeanine Wells)
Awards honor five for contributions, excellence
F
our Penn State alumni and one faculty member were honored with awards recognizing their accomplishments and contributions during an annual event coordinated by the College of Communications Alumni Society Board. Those honored were Blake Berson (Emerging Professional), Joanne Calabria (Outstanding Alumni), Bill Jaffe (Alumni Achievement), Fran Fisher (Douglas A. Anderson Communications Contributor) and Michel Haigh (Excellence in Teaching). Honorees received their awards before family members, fellow alumni and friends during a dinner at the Nittany Lion Inn. Each of the honorees emerged from a nomination process driven by fellow communications alumni and students. Members of the Alumni Society Board selected the winners. Here’s a bit about each of the winners:
Blake Berson
Berson, a producer for CBS Sports Network, earned the Emerging Professional Award. A 2005 Penn State graduate, he has already combined his communications and sports talents to work for Penn State, the NFL, ESPN and CBS. Berson has spent the bulk of his professional career as a producer with CBS Sports Network. He shoots, writes and edits, both short- and longform features for CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports. He’s won several awards, including those from National Headliner, Cine Golden Eagle, CVG College Sports Media and the New York Festival. Most recently he was a 2014 National Headliner grand award winner for “Auburn Miracle: Prayer at Jordan Hare.” He has shot and produced “Final Four Confidential,” “Academy Football: Navy,” the “One2One” interview program and all-access features for
THE COMMUNICATOR
52
CBS/Turner programming for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. At ESPN, Berson helped produce features for “Ringside,” “Reel Classics,” “All-time Greatest” and “Sports Century.” And as an intern at NFL Films, he produced more than a dozen pieces, including extensive work on “NFL Playbook.” Berson honed his craft at Penn State. An early member of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, he graduated with distinction—in the classroom and along the sidelines. He was a videographer for the women’s soccer team, produced video for Penn State Athletics’ official website, www.GoPSUSports.com, and had a hand in the development of the “In The Game” TV magazine course in the College. Berson also uses his impressive, well-honed skills for charity. He has done extensive volunteer work for the New York City charity (nycTIES) that
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI NEWS pairs young professionals with charitable causes. He is the group’s head of media production.
Joanne Calabria
Calabria, vice president of public affairs for CBS Television group and a 1974 Penn State graduate, earned the Outstanding Alumni Award. Public affairs have been the heart and soul of Calabria’s 40-plus years in communications. Ranging from her current job with CBS to involvement with breast cancer awareness or winning Emmy Awards, Calabria is a national leader in the public affairs industry. Calabria has worked at KWY-TV in Philadelphia since 1981. Now, as vice president of public affairs for the CBS Television group, she is responsible for developing group-wide public affairs initiatives for 29 television stations across the country. She also heads the communications department for the CBS TV group in Philadelphia, and consults for the company’s five Philadelphia radio stations. Calabria has built a powerful voice within the stations to spotlight emerging social issues from domestic violence and AIDS to Alzheimer’s disease and autism. These campaigns raised awareness and millions of dollars to support efforts aimed at solving these problems. Calabria has gone above and beyond her job description as a founding media sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure, transforming the event into one of Philadelphia’s largest races. She also created Lights for the Cure, which is a program that lights the Philadelphia skyline pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This campaign has grown to more than 100 buildings in three states. Calabria served on the board of directors of the Philadelphia affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure from 2007-13, holding the position of board president for four of those years. For her work, Calabria has received numerous honors, including a Philadelphia Emmy Award for the public
service campaign For Kid’s Sake. This program considered and created ways to better understand and utilize children, including building the city’s first working TV studio for children. In 2001, she received the prestigious Hall of Fame Award from the Philadelphia Public Relations Association.
Bill Jaffe
Jaffe, an award-winning University volunteer who graduated in 1960, earned the Alumni Achievement Award. Jaffe is a volunteer of all trades—and a master of every single one as he touches constituencies across Penn State. He is a past president of the College of Communications Alumni Society Board, a founding board member of the College of Liberal Arts Alumni Society and past president of the Lion’s Paw Alumni Association. In 2000, the Alumni Association named him its Volunteer of the Year. He is a 1996 Alumni Fellow and 2013 Distinguished Alumni award winner. He was a recipient of the Lion’s Paw medal in 2007. Jaffe’s impact on Penn State began in 1956, when he arrived on campus as a freshman from Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. He was managing editor of The Collegian, president of Sigma Delta Chi and a member of Lion’s Paw and Skull & Bones. He later served as an officer of each organization’s alumni group. Jaffe is past chairman and co-founder of the Dollars for Scholars Golf Tournament, a generous benefactor of many scholarships and a key founder of the College of Communications mentoring program. He developed the alumni board’s first strategic plan, has assisted with internships, has lectured in classrooms and has mentored countless students and younger alumni. Jaffe was chair of The President’s Club, and his resume includes stints, both present and past, as a board and/or committee member of the Renaissance Scholarship Fund, For the Future Campaign and the Alumni
THE COMMUNICATOR
53
Association Alumni Council. He is immediate past chairman of the All-Sports Museum Advisory Board, serves on the Nittany Lion Club Advisory Board, was president of the Mount Nittany Conservancy and is a key volunteer and donor to the Center for Performing Arts, the Palmer Museum and Penn State Hillel. After a highly successful career as a vice president with Towers Perrin, Jaffe and his wife, Honey — an Honorary Alumna in her own right — moved to State College in 1995.
Fran Fisher
Fisher, known to generations of Penn Staters as “the voice of Penn State football,” earned the Douglas A. Anderson Communications Contributor Award, which was created to honor an industry professional for his or her work in the College of Communications, Penn State and/or the Commonwealth. No one fit that bill better than Fisher, who died May 14. (See Page 61.) An original board member of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, Fisher through the years was a regular guest lecturer in many communications classrooms. And he was a mentor, role model, cheerleader and friend to dozens of Penn State broadcast students and industry alumni. He worked in a variety of roles for nearly three decades at Penn State. Most notably, as “the voice of Penn State football,” he did play-by-play broadcasts of Nittany Lion football from 1970-1983 and 1994-1999. He first joined the football broadcasts as a color commentator in 1966, before becoming a full-time employee as special projects director in the Penn State Division of Broadcasting in 1970. Upon stepping down from the broadcasting position in 1983, Fisher became an assistant athletic director and the executive director of the Nittany Lion Club. He retired from those roles in 1988 and then returned to the broadcast booth from 1994-1999. Fran headed the group that created the University’s current logo. He also
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI NEWS
Award winner Blake Berson listens to students during a mentoring session coordinated by the Alumni Society Board. The award presentation and mentoring session were conducted on consecutive days. (Photo by Jeanine Wells)
broadcast Penn State basketball from 1976-1983. Fisher’s roots with Penn State go back more than 70 years. He was a member of the Blue Band, playing the saxophone, before leaving mid-semester to join the Navy in 1942. Across Pennsylvania, citizens saw Fisher on public television with regularity for several years. He hosted the “TV Quarterbacks” weekly show featuring coach Joe Paterno. Fisher was inducted into the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1997.
Michel Haigh Haigh, an associate professor in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations, earned the Excellence in Teaching Award. Haigh brings a mix of practical and academic experience that benefits her students each day. She teaches the public relations writing, campaign
courses, research methods and freshmen seminar. Along with more than six years as a public relations writer, editor, designer and web designer, she has co-authored more than 35 conference presentations, seven of which have been recognized with a “Top Paper” award. She has published more than 25 articles in journals such as Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media and Communication Monographs, among others. Haigh is a member of the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication (AEJMC) and the Broadcast Education Association. She was an officer in the Communication Theory and Methodology division of AEJMC for five years, serving as the teaching standards chair, the Midwinter meeting research chair and program planner and the research paper competition chair. Haigh served on the national planning commit-
THE COMMUNICATOR
54
tees for the 2008 National Outreach Scholarship Conference, and the 2008 and 2009 Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop. She has been a faculty senator for the College of Communications since 2009. As a senator, Haigh chaired the retention and transfer committee, the “embedded course” task force and a task force examining duplicate minors. Haigh was recognized with the College of Communications Deans’ Excellence Award in Research in 2008 and the Deans’ Excellence Award for Service in 2010. She attended the 2011 Scripps Howard Leadership Academy, which brings select, up-and-coming mass communication professionals and scholars together to train the next generation of leaders in journalism and mass communication. Earlier this year, Haigh was named to NerdScholar’s “40 under 40” list of “professors who inspire.” l
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI NEWS
Board’s role: Craft connections, offer opportunity By Bob McKinnon (’90) What do awards, mentoring and accreditation have in common? These are three of many ways in which the Alumni Society Board is serving the College of Communications, its alumni, students and faculty. The board is comprised of 27 members — 25 alumni, two undergraduate students — representing the many majors, past and present, in the College of Communications. Among their numbers you’ll find alumni who work at The New York Times, Discovery Networks, and the Philadelphia Eagles. They have worked in government, publishing, military, media and even Bob criminal justice. McKinnon And they have worked with the White House, covered the Final Four and launched a new cable network. One board member graduated in 1950, while another graduated just five years ago. While their backgrounds are diverse, they share a commitment to do whatever is necessary to support the College, its students and alumni. It is a working board by any measure. Each member is selected to serve a three-year term, with a maximum of two concurrent terms. While they meet twice a year at University Park, they also work throughout the year on their various committee assignments. Most of the board’s work happens in the trenches, but each year there are a few higher-profile events the board sponsors. They include: z Annual Alumni Awards Dinner z A Faculty/Board Breakfast Mixer z Two Student/Board Mentoring Programs on campus, and rotating programs off-campus z Production of a video series showcasing student achievement While some activities have been
Five Ways You Can Support the Alumni Society Board 1. Have any ideas for someone who would make a good addition to the board? Nominate them (or yourself) online by
visiing comm.psu.edu/alumniboardnomination to be considered for our fall selection.
2. Interested in contributing to a class via case study, Skype chat or in person visit? Contact Director of Alumni Relations Mike Poorman (mqp7@psu.edu) for more information.
3. Want to help a student cover some of their living expenses during their internships? Donate $5, $10, $100 or
whatever amount to the Alumni Society Board Internship Fund. Contact Director of Alumni Relations Mike Poorman (mqp7@psu.edu) for more information.
4. Know any alumni or faculty members who are deserving of recognition? Nominate them for one of our five annual awards
by visiting comm.psu.edu/alumni > Alumni Awards online.
5. Have an idea to share about how alumni could better support the College? Contact Director of Alumni Relations Mike Poorman (mqp7@psu.edu) with your idea.
consistent over the years, they also change with the times. Recent examples include working closely with Dean Marie Hardin to assist in the redesign the College’s accreditation process, and the creation of a committee charged with finding ways to connect the experience of our alumni with the College, student groups and University leadership in order to both advance their individual goals and improve the reputation of the University overall. Looking ahead, the board is working with faculty to find better ways to bring alumni experience to our students in the classroom and looking to step up its efforts to raise funds to help interns cover the living costs associated with internships. Three officers — President Warren Carmichael, Vice President Rob Boulware and Secretary Alyson Joyce
THE COMMUNICATOR
55
— completed their two-year terms with the spring 2015 board meeting. Warren is the veteran of the board, having served more than a dozen years. Ten committee chairpersons, working in such areas as awards, outreach and professional liaison, provide hands-on direction and support. Beginning with the Fall 2015 meeting, Rob will serve as president, Alyson as vice president and Pam Hervey as secretary. When talking to various members you, certainly get the sense that this is a great way to stay connected to the college. But more importantly, it also offers opportunities to make new connections for the College. Whether that’s with students, faculty, other alumni or even the broader public. In some ways, that’s the perfect way to summarize what this board does. l
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI NEWS ALUMNI FELLOWS Chronological list of College of Communications alumni who have been honored as Alumni Fellows at Penn State.
Kim Kingsley of Politico shared her expertise during classroom visits while on campus for the Alumni Achievement Award ceremony and related events.
Top University awards for alumni Three College of Communications alumni were among 33 Penn Staters who received two of the University’s highest awards during the 2014-15 academic year. Marty Aronoff (’60) was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest award given by the Penn State Alumni Association. Since the award was established in 1973, only a few more than 700 alumni have been honored with the title of Alumni Fellow — designated a permanent and lifelong title by the Penn State Board of Trustees — out of more than 631,000 living alumni. Aronoff is a preeminent sports statistician, working on live broadcasts for networks such as ESPN, Fox and TNT. He logs more than 300,000 miles annually as a freelance sports statistician, traveling from his home in Washington, D.C., and supplying the numbers that are flashed on millions of television screens. Aronoff works nearly 210 games a year and his regular assignments include “Monday Night Football” and the World Series.
Kim Kingley (’02), the chief operating officer of POLITICO, and Sharifa T. Anozie (’08), a writer and owner of The Sacred Word jewelry company, earned the Alumni Achievement Award, which recogizes those who succeed in an exceptional fashion at an early age. Kingsley oversees all of POLITICO’s strategic and business operations and has expertise in editorial, marketing, business and strategy, making her one of the rare new-media thinkers with a 360-degree understanding of how to envision, build and run a journalistic enterprise. Under Kingsley’s leadership, POLITICO has been recognized by Fast Company magazine as among the most innovative and creative companies in the industry. Last year, ELLE magazine named Kingsley one of the 10 Most Powerful Women in Washington, D.C. Anozie is an editorial assistant at The Hollywood Reporter, writing for print and online and covering red carpet events and awards in Hollywood. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
56
SUMMER 2015
Donald W. Davis (1973) John Troan (1974) Charles J. Bierbauer (1980) Gerald W. Abrams (1981) Sam Vaughan (1981) Stanley B. Lathan (1982) William Ulerich (1985) David R. Jones (1987) Norman C. Miller (1987) Brian Healy (1988) Ronald S. Bonn (1989) Marvin L. Krasnansky (1989) Linda Salzberg (1989) Arthur M. Cooper (1990) Rodney L. Nordlund (1990) Annette Capone Wright (1990) Carmen J. Finestra (1991) Lawrence G. Foster (1992) Elliot S. Schreiber (1992) Jayne E. Miller (1993) Alan M. Pottasch (1993) Jane Perry Shoemaker (1994) James R. Wiggins (1994) Warren L. Maurer (1995) William A. Jaffe (1996) Robert K. Zimmerman (1996) Marian U. Coppersmith Fredman (1997) Theodore A. Serrill (1997) Elizabeth Fetter (1998) Jayne Jamison (1999) Donald Blair (2000) Robert O’Leary (2000) Donald King (2001) Richard Mallary (2001) Geri Warren-Merrick (2002) Jon Saraceno (2003) Peter Shih (2004) Eric Rabe (2005) Mary Lee Schneider (2006) Lisa Salters (2007) Jimmy Cefalo (2007) David Lipson (2008) Marc Brownstein (2009) Rob Boulware (2010) Linda Yaccarino (2011) Tom Hayden (2012) Marty Aronoff (2014)
ALUMNI NEWS
Washington Program prepares for 20th anniversary The Penn State Washington Program will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. To help commemorate the continued success of the program, the College of Communications wants to connect with past program alumni to keep everyone informed on upcoming events. The Penn State Washington Program places qualified students with internships in Washington, D.C., during the summer and fall semesters, while organizing social outings and networking events for the students during their time in the city. “For two decades now, the Washington Program has been providing students with opportunities to gain professional experience in one of the nation’s most dynamic cities,” said Bob Richards, the John and Ann Curley Professor of First Amendment Studies and director of the program. “Because D.C. is such a great place for young people to live and work, numerous program alumni have returned to Washington after graduation to start their careers and post-college lives.” Richards wants alumni who participated in semesters in D.C. as well as those other Penn State and College
of Communications alumni near the nation’s capital to join in the festivities and help celebrate the legacy of the program. Alumni play a huge role in finding interns jobs and can help students expand their professional and social networks. “We are immensely gratified by the number of program alumni in the area who continue to give of their
time and talents to help the most current group of Penn Staters going through the program. It’s part of the Penn State tradition generally, but it’s keenly present in Washington,” Richards said. The program continues to grow, with students landing internship placements in the White House, non-profits, local and national broadcast news stations, various congressional offices, and other highly competitive organizations. “With a record number of applications this year, we are eager to move the program forward and make it even more responsive to the evolving needs of graduates who aspire to return to the nation’s capital to start their careers,” Richards said. For more information on the program and the 20th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C., or to join the mailing list, email Program Coordinator Katie Sullivan (kms5424@psu.edu). Also be sure to like the Penn State Washington Program on Facebook, and follow @PSUWashington for Twitter and Instagram updates. l
Alum’s first book offers fitness advice, approach He was feeling lethargic, regularly huffing and puffing from going up a flight of stairs. Kevin Haslam (’10 Journ) had earned his journalism degree, but was 45 pounds heavier than he was when he graduated high school, weighing 190 pounds and standing just over 5-foot-7. “Finally, I was like, ‘I have to do something about this,’” said Haslam. Since then, Haslam has lost 45 pounds and four waist sizes. In April, he published a book titled “Fit Mind Fit Life: 7 Surefire Steps To Staying On Track With Your Health And Fitness Goals,” to share his secrets of success. “I can tell people about the mental toughness it takes to be able to do this,” said Haslam. “If people can learn from my
THE COMMUNICATOR
mistakes and go out there and have success, and it takes less time than it did for me, then I’m the happiest guy in the world. If I can just help one person do that, that makes it worthwhile.” The 177-page book, available at kevinhaslam. com, features seven steps to getting your mind right to be able to accomplish your fitness goals. l 57
SUMMER 2015
Kevin Haslam
ALUMNI NEWS
Set decorator’s passion, precision a key part of success By Joel Wee (’16) The wide-ranging world of television encompasses a multitude of interesting jobs, everything from the person who auditions actors to the person who selects on-screen graphics for the show-closing credits. In between, for any show, there are hundreds of people who bring the world of television to life. One of the most important in terms of creating a feel and a sense of authenticity is the set decorator, and one of the busier set decorators in the business is Matthew Sullivan (’86 Film-Video). He decorated six seasons of the popular teen drama “One Tree Hill” and five seasons of “Dawson’s Creek.” Sullivan has also worked on many feature-length films, including “Flight of the Phoenix,” starring Dennis Quaid. Sullivan’s job requires abundant intricacy. He is in charge of everything that goes into a set. All the details down to the notes on a table in a laboratory, sheets on a bed, flora and fauna in a greenhouse or the posters on a teenage girl’s bedroom wall are his responsibility. He reports to the production designer, the head of the art department. On a television set, the production designer oversees everything ranging from construction, painting and decorating. Sullivan comes in to work his magic once the construction and painting teams have built and colored the set. Couches, beds, tables, light furnishings and other miscellaneous items are all brought in by Sullivan to breathe life and character into the set. To decide what goes into a set and to be accurate, Sullivan and his staff turn to books and the Internet. “I love my job. I love the ability to create environments,” Sullivan said. “I’m passionate about making sets that help the actors and director fully immerse themselves in the world of the script so that they can do their
Among Sullivan’s handiwork were sets for “Dawson’s Creek.”
best work. It’s a collaborative effort.” If the crew is shooting on location, Sullivan is responsible for procuring everyMatthew thing the location Sullivan doesn’t have. There is no fixed routine. “One day I’ll be creating Benjamin Franklin’s laboratory, another I’ll be making a hospital room or a bank from the 1970s,” he said. Sullivan recently finished working on season two of Fox’s supernatural drama, “Sleepy Hollow.” The series is filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. He works on freelance basis, an approach practiced by many other professionals in the film and television industry. Production companies are typically set up as limited liability corporations, established solely for the production of the film or TV project. When filming and post-production are complete, the companies are dissolved, and the employees move on to the next endeavor. “There are some full-time jobs at the studios and agencies but not many in production,” said Sullivan. Unlike other freelance jobs that see people juggle multiple projects, freelancing in the television industry leaves no time for additional work.
THE COMMUNICATOR
58
“Although temporary, it really is a full-time job. My crew and I work 12hour days, five or six six days a week,” said Sullivan. Sullivan did not start his career in the film industry. After graduating in 1986, he moved to Wilmington because the industry there was just beginning to bloom there, and he wanted to be close to the action. Still, he started working at a small magazine. “I wrote movie reviews and feature articles about the film industry. Each time I interviewed an industry professional I asked for help breaking into a job. Eventually, it clicked,” said Sullivan. Along with working in the art department, Sullivan has been writing his own screenplays and has come close to having some of his ideas produced. He hopes to work with some of Penn State’s distinguished alumni and former students in the entertainment field such as Ty Burrell (’97 MFA) from ABC’s smash-hit “Modern Family,” Keegan-Michael Key (’96 MFA) from “Tomorrowland” ad FX’s “Fargo,” and prolific writer-director Steven E deSouza in the future. When he is not on set, Sullivan spends time with his daughters, Pepper Ray, 4, and Eliza James, 2. He is married to Carrie Sullivan, who, despite her husband’s credentials and extensive resume, handled the interior decoration of their home. l
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI NEWS
From on-site interviews to the show itself, ‘Children in Crisis’ produced emotional and proud moments for one alumna.
Fusion documentary produces challenges, impacts By Joel Wee (’16) Every day from Africa to Central America, there are child refugees in need of aid. Despite their plight and situation, with many of the refugees left only to hope for a better future, people beyond their country’s borders sometimes do not know about what’s happening. One College of Communications alumna, Veronica Bautista (’11 Journ) has been part of a team documenting what’s happening and potentially changing that situation. Bautista helped produce “Generation in Crisis,” a special feature documentary by Fusion, which is a multi-platform media company launched as a joint venture between ABC and Univision. Another alum, Mark Lima (’87 Telecom) serves as vice president of news for Fusion. Bautista didn’t expect to cover child refugees all over the world as part of her job. In the beginning, she pitched an interview with Barbara Bush, co-founder and president of public health-focused non-profit Global Health Corps. Bautista wanted to profile Bush, the organization and an internship program that brings American students to Rwanda to provide humanitarian relief. She even traveled to Rwanda
for her MORE ONLINE story. http://interactive.fusion.net/generation-crisis/ “In Rwancombined efforts of da, my team and I came up with the concept of refugees all over the world. anchor Alicia Menendez, executive The more people we spoke to, the producer Dax Temore the story grew and the more jera and Bautista to Veronica we wanted to learn,” said Bautista. complete. Bautista Bautista “There were two other big things in wrote the script and edited the video. the news, the Syrian-Jordanian refu“This was the first time I did gees and the child migrants coming something on this scale. The biggest into the United States from Central challenge was getting everything right. America.” We really wanted it to be perfect so we What developed as a result was could give these characters the story “Generation in Crisis.” The docuthey deserve,” said Bautista. mentary profiles young children from Through her travels, Bautista also El Salvador, Jordan and Rwanda. In learned how much work went into the profiles, the children describe making a documentary. The team had their hopes, dreams and desires. “Despite the country they’re in and local producers find children for them to profile, consultants at Fusion to adthe situation they’re in, they’re very vise them, and marketing professionhopeful,” said Bautista. “They want als who promoted the documentary. freedom, access to the Internet and a She also had her heartstrings tugged. comfortable life.” “It got emotional sometimes Fusion was supportive when Bautisbecause I would think if I was born ta and her team proposed expanding the project internationally because the in a different country, who’s to say I couldn’t be in their place,” said network catered to a young demoBautista. graphic in the United States. Bautista is now working on another “Young Americans are getting more interested in international news,” said Fusion special about young adults in Israel and how the new generation is Bautista. Producing “Generation in Crisis” going to solve the Israel-Palestinian was a six-month effort. It took the conflicts. l
THE COMMUNICATOR
59
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI NOTES 1970s Karen Carnabucci (’73 Journ) is the author of a new book, “Show and Tell Psychodrama: Skills for Therapists, Coaches, Teachers, Leaders,” published by Nusanto Publishing. She is a psychotherapist and psychodrama trainer in private practice in Racine, Wisconsin. Rod Nordland (’77 Journ), bureau chief for The New York Times in Kabul, has signed with HarperCollins to write a book titled “The Lovers” that is slated for publication this fall. The book builds on a series of stories he wrote in 2013 about a Romeo and Juliet-type tail of a young Afghan couple from different ethnic sects. Tim Herrera (’79 Journ) has published two nonfiction books to help people fine-tune their communication skills. Herrera currently serves as communications director for the Sacramento County Office of Education in Sacramento, California.
1980s Diane Salvatore (’81 Journ), senior director of content strategy and development at Consumer Reports, led a project titled “A Beautiful Death” that was nominated for a National Magazine Award in the multimedia category for an online/print/video package. Susan Houseman (’87 Journ) married Peter Gregory on July 12, 2014. They live in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
1990s Terry City (’90 Telecom) co-produced “Playing for the Mob,” which was honored with a Sports Emmy as Best Documentary Series. Meredith Topalanchik (’99 Ad/ PR) was promoted to senior vice president of the Cooper Katz & Co. in Manhattan. She lives in New York.
2000s Mike Levine (’03 Journ) was named play-by-play announcer for the
football team at Florida International University. He has been a sports broadcaster with WQAM-AM for the past seven years, working baseball, basketball and football, including the high school “Game of the Week.” He also serves as an on-air personality as well a sports update anchor, reporter and producer.
Stephanie (Orzalek) Hopkins (’08 Ad/PR) is the enrollment services specialist at Penn State Worthington Scranton.
Lauren Riley (’03 Journ) is the communications coordinator for the American Association of Cancer Research.
Katherine Lackey (’09 Journ) is deputy world editor at USA Today.
Jason Ritchkoff (’04 Ad/PR) married Amanda McKenzie on June 7, 2014. He is an advertising account director for Beam Suntory. They live in Chicago. Anne Marie Toccket (’06 Ad/PR) was named to “40 Under 40” list by Pittsburgh Magazine in October 2014. She is the owner of a nonprofit fundraising consultancy and co-founded a women’s business incubator in Cusco, Peru. Megan (Palera) Myers (‘07 Journ) was married to John on Aug. 3, 2013, in Los Alamos, California. She is the promotion manager for KLKN-TV, the ABC affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sarah (Trentacoste) Matthews (’07 Ad/PR) is the research misconduct and conflict of interest assistant at the Office for Research Protections at Penn State. In May 2014 she married fellow alum John Matthews (‘94 ERM) who is bass player/vocalist in the Penn State party band Velveeta. Alyssa Wolfe (’07 Journ) is an associate editor with Architectural Digest. Patrick Baxter (‘08 Media) started a Ph.D. program in communication at Florida State University. Peter Chalfin (‘08 Journ) is an annual giving associate in the athletics development office at the University of Michigan. Virginia Harrison (’08 Journ, ’14 MA) is manager of individual and corporate stewardship at the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program.
THE COMMUNICATOR
60
Devon Herrick (’09 Ad/PR) is a major gifts officer for the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania.
James Sparvero (’09 Journ) is a reporter and anchor at WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
2010s Chris Bickel (’10 Ad/PR) is a university relations recruiter for Dish Network. Pat Farabaugh (’10 Ph.D) is an assistant professor of communications at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. Andrew McGill (’10 Journ) is a graphics designer for the National Journal in Washington, D.C. Lauren Smith (’10 Ad/PR) is an account manager at Weiden+Kennedy. Kevin Weir (‘10 Ad/PR) is an animator and art director at Droga 5 in New York. Kevin Cirilli (’11 Journ) is a political reporter at The Hill in Washington, D.C. Andrew Clay (’11 Journ) is a reporter at WHSV-TV in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Mandy Hofmockel (’11 Media) is weekend editor at Newsday. Jared Shanker (’11 Journ) is a college sports writer at ESPN.com Erica Brecher (’12 Journ) is a reporter at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, New York. Chris Hush (’12 Journ) is a reporter at WESH-TV in Orlando, Florida. Matt Morgan (’12 Journ) is a reporter with the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post.
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI NOTES Colin Powell (‘12 Telecom) earned a Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Award nomination as Photojournalist: Outstanding Sports News Feature. He works for WHP-TV (Channel 21) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Annie Richards (’12 Journ) is an executive producer for WINK-TV in Fort Myers, Florida. Audrey Snyder (’12 Journ) is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Wenqian Zhu (’12 Journ) is a business reporter at China Daily. Jeffrey Lowe (’13 Journ) is social media editor at “Good Morning America.” Kevin Petrochko (’13 Telecom) is a production assistant at WBRE-TV (Channel 28) in Wilkes-Barre. Melanie Formentin (’14 Ph.D.) is an assistant professor at Towson University. Christina Gallagher (’14 Journ) is a student at the Dickinson School of Law. Christian Heilman (’14 Journ) is a reporter at WTAJ-TV (Channel 10) in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Aaron Heresco (’14 Ph.D.) is an assistant professor at California Lutheran University. Bryan McSorley (’14 Journ) is a videographer for WBNG-TV (Channel 12) in Binghamton, New York. Cristina Mislan (’14 Ph.D.) is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. Drew Shade (’14 Ph.D.) is an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati, Blue Ash. Jessica Tully (’14 Journ) is a student at the Dickinson School of Law. Emily Neman (’15 Telecom) was hired by QVC as an on-cal broadcast technical operator.
IN MEMORIAM
Ambassador, legend Fran Fisher Fran Fisher was the ultimate Penn Stater. He shaped the relationship of many with the University through his work as “the voice of Penn State football,” and as an athletic administrator. As supporter and volunteer for the College of Communications, he impacted multiple generations. Fisher died Thursday, May 14, 2014. He was 91. In 2014, Fisher earned the Douglas A. Anderson Communications Contributor Award, which was created to honor an industry professional for his or her work in the College of Communications, Penn State and/or the Commonwealth. No one fit that bill better than Fisher. An original board member of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, Fisher through the years was a regular guest lecturer in many communications classrooms. And he was a mentor, role model, cheerleader and friend to dozens of Penn State broadcast students and industry alumni. He worked in a variety of roles for nearly five decades at Penn State. Most notably, as “the voice of Penn State football,” he did play-by-play broadcasts of Nittany Lion football from 1970-1983 and 1994-1999. He first joined the football broadcasts as a color commentator in 1966, before becoming a full-time employee as special projects director in the Penn State Division of Broadcasting in 1970. Fisher called many of Penn State’s most memorable victories under Coach Joe Paterno, including the 1983 Sugar Bowl win over unbeaten Georgia to give the Nittany Lions their first national championship. Upon stepping down from the broadcasting position in 1983, Fisher became an assistant athletic director and the executive director of the Nittany Lion Club. He retired from those roles in 1988 and then returned to the broadcast booth from 1994-1999. Fisher headed the group that created the University’s current athletic logo. He also broad-
THE COMMUNICATOR
61
Donations in Fran Fisher’s memory can be made payable to Penn State and mailed to: Fran Fisher Athletic Scholarship, 1 Old Main, University Park, PA 16802. The scholarship funds are distributed to an outstanding Penn State studentathlete with an emphasis on College of Communications enrollment. cast Penn State basketball from 1976-1983. Born in Salem, Ohio, in 1923, Fisher’s roots with Penn State go back more than 70 years. He was a member of the Blue Band, playing the saxophone, before leaving mid-semester to join the Navy in 1942. Across Pennsylvania, citizens saw Fisher on public television with regularity for several years. He hosted the “TV Quarterbacks” weekly show featuring Paterno. Fisher was inducted into the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1997. He was an honorary member of The Penn State Football Letterman’s Club and became an Honorary Life Member of the Penn State Alumni Association in 2008.
SUMMER 2015
ALUMNI NOTES
Changes Coming Watch for a first-ever annual report from the College of Communications later this summer and a new look for The Communicator in the fall.
???
Levine’s novel set for July release The latest page-turning novel by alumnus Paul Levine (’68 Journ) hits bookstores and online outlets July 1 with a compelling combination of characters from Levine’s previous laywer-driven mysteries. “Bum Rap” (2015, Thomas & Mercer) features linebacker-turnedlawyer Jake Lassiter, the protagonist in 10 previous novels by Levine. In this novel, Lassiter combines with Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord, who drove Levine’s Solomon & Lord Series. In “Bum Rap,” Solomon faces a murder charge and Lassiter, who usually works alone, finds himself collaborating with Lord to find someone who can clear Solomon’s name. They must find that witness before the Russian mob does the same thing — with a clearly different intent. Levine has won the John D. MacDonald fiction award, has been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, Shamus and
James Thurber prizes, and has written for multiple hit TV shows. Levine, a former journalist and lawyer, lives in Miami, where “Bum Rap” is set. l
IN MEMORIAM Donald Lambert (’54 Journ, ’55 MA), professor emeritus of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, died Jan. 3, 2014. He was 82. At his Penn State class reunion in 2004, he was honored as Penn State Pioneer. He played baritone and served as Blue Band president his senior year at the University. He was on the staff of Phroth Magazine and the Penn State chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, the precursor to the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, he served in the Army from 1955 to 1957 and then worked 10 years for his hometown Erie Morning News. In 1967 began teaching at Ohio University. He was honored as SPJ’s national adviser of the year in 1988, and was an appreciated mentor and respected teacher until his retirement in 2000. He also coauthored a reporting textbook that lasted more than 25 years through six editions. He was survived by his wife (Joyce), two daughters and two grandsons.
THE COMMUNICATOR
62
Michael Shanahan (’65 Journ), an Associated Press reporter who covered the Vietnam War protest shooting deaths at Kent State University, the Watergate criminal trials, four presidential elections and much more during his career, died Nov. 22, 2014. He was 71. Along with his reporting career (15 years for the Associated Press and 11 with McClatchy Newspapers and Newhouse Newspapers), Shanahan served in the U.S. Army and later shaped aspiring journalists for a decade as a faculty member at George Washington University. He was respected for his demands in the classroom. He also directed and advised students about internships and jobs. Shanahan consistently attended and supported College of Communications activities and events in Washington, D.C. He was survived by his wife (Victoria), three daughters, a sister and four grandchildren.
SUMMER 2015
COLLEGE CALENDAR AUG 15
Summer Commencement
AUG 24
Fall Semester Classes Begin
SEPT 3
College Involvement Fair
SEPT 7
Labor Day Holiday
OCT 9-11
Homecoming Weekend
OCT 11
Brunch with Dean Hardin
(10:30 a.m., Bryce Jordan Center)
(4 p.m., HUB-Robeson Center)
(No Classes)
(10 a.m., Penn Stater Hotel)
HOW TO REACH US
Area code is (814) Addresses are University Park, PA 16802
OFFICE OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS 301 James Building.................................... 865-8801 Kevin Musick, Director of Development Joel Diamond, Associate Director of Development Mike Poorman, Director of Alumni Relations Steve Sampsell, Director of Strategic Communications Trey Miller, Strategic Communications Coordinator Janet Klinefelter, Scholarship and Stewardship Coordinator Colette Rodger, Development Assistant Tammy Falls, Administrative Assistant DEAN’S OFFICE 201 Carnegie Building............................... 863-1484 Marie Hardin, Dean Ford Risley, Interim Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Education
OCT 11
Donor Dinner
ACADEMIC SERVICES 204 Carnegie Building............................... 865-1503 Jamey Perry, Assistant Dean for Academic Services
(5 p.m., Penn Stater Hotel)
OCT 16
Parents and Families Weekend
INTERNSHIPS AND CAREER PLACEMENT 208 Carnegie Building............................... 863-4674 Bob Martin, Assistant Dean for Internships and Career Placement
NOV 7
(8 a.m., HUB-Robeson Center)
College Open House
NOV 22-28
Thanksgiving Holiday
DEC 11
Fall Semester Classes End
DEC 14-18
Fall Semester Final Exams
DEC 19
Fall Semester Commencement
JAN 11
Spring Semester Classes Begin
MAR 6-12
Spring Break
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS 208 Carnegie Building............................... 863-6081 Joseph Selden, Assistant Dean for Multicultural Affairs WEB SITE http://comm.psu.edu
Connect with the College Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram
@PSUCollegeComm
@PSUCollegeComm
http://comm.psu.edu/about/social-media
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID State College, PA Permit No. 1
The Communicator Penn State College of Communications 302 James Building University Park, PA 16802
Make the connection. Make a difference. Learn more: GiveTo.psu.edu/Lion