SCHOOL WELCOMES SEVERAL NEW FACES

Matt Cikovic

Matt Cikovic joins the School as a Teaching Assistant Professor, Visual and Multimedia Journalism and Charnley Projects. He focuses on the instruction of media production techniques and helping new creatives find their voice. His dissertation examined the complex relationship between fan filmmakers and media intellectual property owners in the digital age, an outgrowth of the silly fan films he and friends made as kids on a busted VHS camera, which led him to a career in media. He earned his Ph.D. from Penn State University where he was published twice for work examining the collective memory around an integral moment of public broadcasting history and for work which examined the early marketing of “The Apprentice.” In addition to his academic career, he has been a videographer since 2004 shooting content for businesses, colleges, musicians, actors, manufacturers, weddings, funerals, and everything in between.

Eric Kramer

After 33 years at the University of Oklahoma, Eric Kramer retired as Presidential Professor of Communication (now Emeritus) to follow his partner, Professor Elaine Hsieh, Ph.D., to the University of Minnesota. He takes on a joint-appointment contract position as a Teaching Professor in International Communication and Media. His areas of research are communication theory, intercultural communication, international communication, communication and technology, mass communication, and environmental communication.

Stacie Mariette

Stacie Mariette joins the School as a Teaching Specialist in Strategic Communication. She brings more than 20 years of work experience across multiple industries into her classrooms. An alum of the Hubbard School’s M.A. in Strategic Communication program, she previously taught at several Minnesota State colleges. Mariette’s expertise is in employee communications: leadership, strategy, creation, delivery and measurement. She has led work on campaigns for large organizations such as Best Buy, Target, UnitedHealth Group, Ameriprise, Abbott and the YMCA.

Jill Spiekerman Bonham

Jill Spiekerman Bonham, APR, MA, joins the School as a Teaching Assistant Professor in Public Relations. She comes to the University from her position as the national sales solutions manager for the Purina dairy feed division of Land O’Lakes. She’s worked for three advertising and public relations agencies, leading public relations and strategic planning for a mix of agricultural and consumer clients. She was the director of public relations for the Maytag, Hoover, Jenn-Air, Amana and Jade appliance brands, which are now owned by Whirlpool Corporation. She’s taught at Iowa State University, Mankato State, and St. Mary’s University. She also served on the board for Minnesota PRSA.

Carolina Velloso

Carolina Velloso joins the School as a President’s Postdoctoral Fellow in Race, Journalism, Media and Democracy. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. She researches at the intersection of gender, race and identity in journalism, with particular interests in the professional experiences of women and minority journalists and the representation of women and minorities in news media. Her scholarship has been published in several leading journals and has won numerous awards from AEJMC, including top paper awards from the History, Critical/Cultural Studies, and Minorities and Communication Divisions; the History Division’s Diversity in Journalism History Research Award; and the Media Ethics Division’s Professional Relevance Award.

THE SCHOOL ALSO WELCOMED FOUR new staff members, including COLLEEN BAKER as Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction, CARLY EICHHORST as Chief of Staff, SIERRA HOUGH as Undergraduate Student Services Coordinator, and AFTON NORTHRUP as Executive Office and Administrative Specialist.