CSU LONG BEACH Communication Studies · CSU LONG BEACH 2 Department of Communication Studies The...

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C S U L O N G B E A C H Department of Communication Studies Newsletter 1 Communication Studies Beach Forensics Beach Forensics continues to succeed! The Forensic team found success at every tournament attended. While the whole team is amazing, we had a spectacular finish at nationals. Jasmine Mcleod won Prose interpretation - amazing because there were over 240 entries in the event, the largest at the national Forensic Association Nationals! Check us out @ Beachforensics.com! http://www.beachforensics.com Major accomplishments for 2010-2011! National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence 32nd. place in the “year long” rankings: Jessie Fasut/Jesus Caro National Parliamentary Debate Association National Tournament Double Octo-Finalist: Jessie Fasut/Jesus Caro American Forensic League Natl. Tournament 16th overall sweepstakes 4th place After Dinner Speaking – Jaime Gomez Simi-Finalist Prog. Oral Interpretation- Jessica Soo Quarter-Finalist Prose Interpretation- Gina Krotee National Forensic Association Natl. Tournament 3rd in president 1 division Sweepstakes 1st Prose Interpretation- Jasmine Mcleod 3rd Persuasive Speaking – Jessica Soo Simi-finalist After Dinner Speaking - Jimmy Gomez Simi-finalist Persuasive Speaking – Jackie Mark Simi-finalist Persuasive Speaking- Sophia Alberti See the Message from the Chair. Check in with Dr. Amy Bippus to find out the latest and greatest in Communication Studies at the Beach! Page 6 Meet a few alumni. Meet Mr. Ryan Stack, a local business owner, Mr. Mark Galliher, a marketing executive in New York, and Dr. John Caputo, an academic in Washington! Page 3 Meet Dr. Utley. Dr. Ebony A. Utley has been a familiar face in the department for quite some time, but you may not be familiar with her research! See her story and learn about her forthcoming books. Page 4 Newsletter Spring 2011 While the Acting Director of Forensics, Bill Neesen, will keep the team moving forward, we say “farewell” to the Assistant Director, Brandon Anderson. Brandon is off to pursue a doctoral degree and he will be missed in the Department. Good luck to you Brandon as you make your way! Find out what our students are doing. Read updates on student-faculty projects and learn about how some of our graduates are faring post- Communication Studies. Pages 4-5 Meet a current student who balances school, work, and professional dance. Heather is graduating this year, and you can read her story here. Page 5

Transcript of CSU LONG BEACH Communication Studies · CSU LONG BEACH 2 Department of Communication Studies The...

C S U L O N G B E A C H

Department of Communication Studies Newsletter 1

Communication Studies

Beach Forensics

Beach Forensics continues to succeed!

The Forensic team found success at every tournament attended. While the whole team is amazing, we had a spectacular finish at nationals. Jasmine Mcleod won Prose interpretation - amazing because there were over 240 entries in the event, the largest at the national Forensic Association Nationals!

Check us out @ Beachforensics.com!

http://www.beachforensics.com

Major accomplishments for 2010-2011!

National Parliamentary Tournament of

Excellence

• 32nd. place in the “year long” rankings: Jessie Fasut/Jesus Caro

National Parliamentary Debate Association

National Tournament

• Double Octo-Finalist: Jessie Fasut/Jesus Caro

American Forensic League Natl. Tournament

• 16th overall sweepstakes

• 4th place After Dinner Speaking – Jaime Gomez

• Simi-Finalist Prog. Oral Interpretation- Jessica Soo

• Quarter-Finalist Prose Interpretation- Gina Krotee

National Forensic Association Natl. Tournament

• 3rd in president 1 division Sweepstakes

• 1st Prose Interpretation- Jasmine Mcleod

• 3rd Persuasive Speaking – Jessica Soo

• Simi-finalist After Dinner Speaking - Jimmy Gomez

• Simi-finalist Persuasive Speaking – Jackie Mark

• Simi-finalist Persuasive Speaking- Sophia Alberti

See the Message from the Chair.Check in with Dr. Amy Bippus to find out the latest and greatest in Communication Studies at the Beach!Page 6

Meet a few alumni.Meet Mr. Ryan Stack, a local business owner, Mr. Mark Galliher, a marketing executive in New York, and Dr. John Caputo, an academic in Washington! Page 3

Meet Dr. Utley.Dr. Ebony A. Utley has been a familiar face in the department for quite some time, but you may not be familiar with her research! See her story and learn about her forthcoming books. Page 4

Newsletter Spring 2011

While the Acting Director of Forensics, Bill Neesen, will keep the team moving forward, we say

“farewell” to the Assistant Director, Brandon Anderson.

Brandon is off to pursue a doctoral degree and he will be missed in the

Department.

Good luck to you Brandon as you make your way!

Find out what our students are doing. Read updates on student-faculty projects and learn about how some of our graduates are faring post-Communication Studies. Pages 4-5

Meet a current student who balances school, work, and professional dance.Heather is graduating this year, and you can read her story here. Page 5

C S U L O N G B E A C H

2 Department of Communication Studies

The Hauth Center moves into a second decade stronger than everThe last two years have been particularly important to the growth and stability of the Hauth Center for Communication Skills. Last year we formalized our first $50,000 endowment for scholarships to be awarded to upper-division undergraduate or graduate students with a Communication Studies major or minor. These endowed scholarships are named after one of our benefactors: The Audrey Nichol Hauth Endowed Scholarship. The first recipient of this scholarship was Ashley E. Tom who worked in the Center with the Technical Director during the Fall, 2010 term. The second scholarship will be awarded this Spring 2011, and the recipient will work at the Center this coming Fall. This year we formalized an additional unnamed endowment of $175,000 which will add substantially to the operations of the Center. Together these endowments further ensure the existence of the Center in perpetuity and will add to the services offered to the University and the community.

For more information, see: http://www.csulb.edu/centers/hauth/

Students Helping Students! The Communication Studies Tutoring Center is concluding its third successful yearLocated in the COMM department (AS 351), the Tutoring Center is staffed by 6 exceptional COMM students who offer assistance to COMM majors and minors with writing, organizing, and researching their papers, studying for exams, practicing for presentations, and much much more.

The Center for First Amendment Studies continues its workDue to a generous grant, the Center for First Amendment Studies is hosting a national scholarly monograph contest for graduate students in honor of Richard Clarke, the author of Against All Enemies.  The prize money of $35,000 will be awarded in September after all the submitted monographs have been judged by panels of professors assembled by the Center.

In April, Dr. Craig Smith, the Director of the Center, was the guest of the Ford Foundation in Washington, D.C. at a national summit on academic freedom.  Dr. Smith was one of only 24 nationally known scholars and lawyers invited to the two day event. 

The Center’s new book, A First Amendment Profile of the Supreme Court will be released by John Cabot University Press in June.  In July, the book will be celebrated at the Communication Institute in Rome where authors Craig Smith, Kevin Johnson, and Jennifer Asenas will appear at various forums hosted by the Center and John Cabot University to explore international freedom of expression. 

For more information, see: www.firstamendmentstudies.org

InterACT performs

The interACT Troupe has had an exciting spring semester, with campus performances, shows for L.A. County, and invited presentations on the east coast and Texas.  Some of our troupe members experienced snow for the first time when we visited Connecticut, and our Texas cast was able to sample authentic ‘tex-mex’ and enjoy the food truck movement in Austin.  In May, interACT performed for a campus-wide event on LGBTIQ issues and bullying.  Three of our seniors (Stacy, Shadee and Kelly A.) have been accepted into competitive graduate programs, and graduating senior Sonia Esquibel is heading off to Panama for two years to serve in the Peace Corps.  We are really proud of Sonia’s older sister and former troupe member Elena Esquibel, who is now officially ‘Dr. Esquibel’ after successfully defending her dissertation at Southern Illinois University.

See the InterACT website for more information about the program, performances, and ongoing research projects:

http://www.csulb.edu/

colleges/cla/departments/communicationstudies/interact/

Please support our projects . . . https://cf.papubs.csulb.edu/giving/index.cfm?fund=SPC

Donors can name a special project or scholarship that they would like to create, or they can support the general fund for the Department. These general-fund donations support academic travel, student research, special classroom events or field trips, invited guest lectures, or needed equipment to support our programs. Your charitable contribution will be accepted with gratitude, and will be put to good use!

You can also find continual announcements about Communications Studies Centers, events and programs on facebook. Please choose to “like” us!

The InterACT Cast that performed in NY spent some time in Central Park! See from left to right, Kelly J. (the Managing Director of Interact), Kelly A., Shadee, and Jordan.

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Department of Communication Studies Newsletter 3

Meet our Featured Alumni!

Mr. Ryan Stack(B.A. Communication Studies, 2001)

From elementary through high school, I was a ‘C’ average student, and in my early college years, I did not take my studies very seriously. When taking my general ED, however, I realized that I most enjoyed the communication studies courses that I took. They were interesting, filled with fun classmates and extremely dynamic professors. Plus, I realized that everyday

conversations and communication competence were important parts of being a professional. I started college in 1997 with a miserable 2.0 GPA and was able to complete my Communication studies major with a 3.5 in the year 2001! Once I earned my B.A. degree in Communication Studies, I felt prepared for professional life, but I knew I wanted to continue with my education. I was very much inspired by my communication studies professors: Roger VanHook, Jim Ostach, Betty Martin, John Lervold, Pat Kearney, Craig Smith, Tim Plax, Nancy Briggs, Catherine Brooks, Karen Rasmussen, Scott & Terri Allen & others. I was deeply inspired by the passion and devotion for their work and teachings. So, in part because I had experienced good teaching, I decided to pursue a teaching profession.

With my degree in Communication Studies, I was accepted into a masters degree program at CSUDH, in Educational Counseling. In this program, I continued to learn how to be a good student. I was also inspired to succeed by those around me - friends, family, classmates and professors helped push me from a below average student to obtaining a masters degree in 2003 with a 3.85 GPA. While pursuing my master’s degree I volunteered in an internship at Long Beach City College with an academic advisor named Donna LeDuff. I observed how she helped students to follow the path that they personally identified and wanted to follow, and I knew that I wanted to have a similar kind of impact in people’s lives. Though I had hoped to gain employment as an Academic Advisor on a college campus, jobs in this area have continued to decline. So, after a brief time teaching English in Rio De Janeiro , Brazil, and after gaining experience in sales as an advertising consultant, an unusual opportunity appeared.

When faced with a chance to purchase and run a program to train drivers, I thought, “Do I want to own and run a driving school?” Though initially it seemed an opportunity far afield from my training in Communication and in Education, it actually made sense to me. I’d learned some things about training, negotiation, and persuasion as a Communication Studies major, and since, I had gained a bit of experience in business and sales. With my degree in Educational Counseling, I knew that I could educate students how to drive while counseling their parents through this challenging event. My wife and I have owned Behind the Wheel Driving School for over 2 years and we are happily employing 7 individuals while helping teenagers to drive safely. We actually have plans in place for expanding!

Certainly my path was unplanned, but I have enjoyed the way. I spend a lot of time surfing, snowboarding, hiking, traveling and competing in marathons and triathlons, and I am happy. Having this opportunity to reflect on my years at CSULB in Communication Studies has helped me to see how influential those years in the classroom were. Beyond the course topics, I gained a kind of confidence that continues to be relevant in my life today. From my beginnings as a mediocre student, through two college degrees, to my life as a professional now, I have benefited by remaining flexible and open to new opportunities. I feel very lucky to have been surrounded by caring family members, friends, mentors, and faculty members as I grew into adulthood. Now, as I try to ‘give back’ by guiding student drivers, and as I submit this brief narrative, I want to extend my gratitude to those who’ve supported me. Thanks! 

Mr. Mark Galliher(B.A. Speech Communication, 1993)

I earned my B.A. in Speech Communication in 1993 then my MBA from Johns Hopkins in 1998.  What I remember most from college were the lessons in personal discipline and organization. My professors at Long Beach, in particular, were great at teaching me how to think critically and how to best organize my thoughts

coherently and succinctly.  They also taught me the importance of interpersonal communication which, I would argue, matters the most in contemporary business settings. Companies don’t hire companies; people hire people. So, those interpersonal relationships and connections with others in the hallway or during the interviewing process are critical for success. I also recall the faculty in Communication Studies at Long Beach facilitating a lot of group work in my courses - I have found my ability to work with others collaboratively in work teams to be vital for completing creative projects.

The majority of my professional career has been in New York City where the work environment is cutthroat and quick paced.  I have worked at small boutique agencies and large global companies where interpersonal, team building and prioritization skills are necessary.  I am currently a director at the leading national company for client-side marketers where I interact daily with top CMOs from Fortune 1000 companies.  On any given day I’m interacting with other senior marketers from P&G and Colgate-Palmolive, to Goldman Sachs, Zappos and CibaVision.  My work is both challenging and highly rewarding, it demands being organized. Today with all the access to data via the Internet and the urge stay connected in our social society, the most difficult challenge I face is maintaining a kind of focus and filtering non-essential information. The amount of available information that can actually help me do my job is staggering, so I have to set priorities. Though life on the East coast keeps me running, I have fond memories of my experiences in the West.

Dr. John Caputo(B.A.Speech Communication, 1969;

M.A. Speech Communication, 1971)

I received my B.A. (1969), M.A. (1971) in Speech Communication from Long Beach.  I received a second M.A. and my PhD. from Claremont in 1976. I taught at a number of universities and started the Communication Department at CSU San Bernardino.  I have been at Gonzaga University since 1990 where I am a Professor of Communication and the Walter Ong, S.J. Scholar in our Master’s Program in Communication and Leadership Studies. My areas of expertise include media and social values, communication theory, intercultural and interpersonal communication.  I am the author of four books, a lecturer and consultant and have been a guest on many radio and television programs.  I have been honored as a Visiting Scholar In-Residence at the University of Kent at Canterbury, England, the Gonzaga-in-Florence Program.  I also direct the International Summer Media Program in Cagli, Italy.  I have received a number of teaching awards over the years and this past November the Master’s degree program I started in 2004 won the Most Innovative Master’s Program Award at NCA.  Everything about my time at Long Beach influenced my career.  In spite of its massive size, I always felt a part of Long Beach State and especially our Department.  This is where I met my wife Joann, and where I had some great teachers whose shoulders I have stood on over the years. I did not start at Long Beach thinking I wanted to earn a PhD and become a teacher and scholar.  My early ambitions were to be a high school teacher and coach.  My Long Beach teachers like Ellis Hays, Karl Anatol, Richard Cain, Jerry Mandel and others inspired me to do more.  Believe me, I  never thought I could get a Master’s Degree, lets alone a PhD.  Currently I direct our Northwest Alliance for Responsible Media (nwresponsiblemedia.org), have a new book chapter coming out on Alfred Korzybski and I am preparing my summer cultural immersion class for Italy. Join me! <coml.gonzaga.edu>

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4 Department of Communication Studies

Spotlight on a Faculty Member

If Dr. Utley has been slow to answer emails this semester, it’s because she’s been hard at work. Sometimes the sun will rise and set without her noticing. When she’s not teaching, she’s at her desk sometimes eight to nine hours a day typing away. Occasionally she breaks for food, but mostly only pauses to sleep and nurse the permanent cramp in her mouse arm. It takes a lot of dedication to put a new spin on a very old topic. Dr. Utley’s forthcoming book Rap and Religion: Understanding the Gangsta’s God will be published by Praeger this winter.

“Writing this book has been a daunting task,” Utley notes, but she is eager to follow in the footsteps of the department’s other avid book writer, Dr. Craig Smith. “Writing anything is a challenge, but nonfiction about popular culture is especially difficult because the landscape changes so fast. I thought I was almost finished and then Kanye West released “Monster,” Jay-Z dropped Decoded and won three more Grammy’s, and Lil B decided to title his debut album I’m Gay. My students keep me current, but I will be glad when I can simply enjoy rap music again and don’t have to write about it.”

Rap and Religion analyzes over 100 songs from over three decades of rap music. Dr. Utley sources lyrics, videos, interviews, award acceptance speeches, magazine and website content, and liner notes to explain how and why rappers talk about God. She reveals how a God-sanctioned gangsta identity empowers young people facing declining economic opportunities. The book will be the first single authored study of rap and religion. “Additionally, its unique because I’ve worked really hard to incorporate female rappers, and I’ve worked really hard to focus on folks other than the obviously spiritual ones like Tupac, Nas, or Lauryn Hill.” Dr. Utley tackles a sensitive and controversial topic: the juxtaposition—and seeming hypocrisy of—God talk within hip hop.

“It’s really cool because if you search for me under Amazon.com a description of the book comes up. I’ve written for Religion Dispatches and Ms. Magazine. I’ve published opinion pieces in newspapers, book chapters, and articles in journals, but a book is the final frontier. For so long it’s felt so big, but it’s actually going to happen. I’m really excited.” Dr. Utley thanked her 499 students over the past semesters who have diligently coded hip hop magazines and lyrics. “I’d also like to thank Carrie Patterson and Sacha Braddock. Without those two research assistants, the book would not be happening.”

When asked what was next, Dr. Utley smiled and said, “This summer I swore I’d never write another book, and this fall I signed a contract with Cognella to edit Power and Pleasure in Popular Culture. I guess I can’t help myself.” Look for both of Dr. Utley’s books this winter and follow her progress on theutleyexperience.com.

Dr. Ebony A. UtleyCommunication Studiestheutleyexperience.com

*Utley, Ebony A. Rap and Religion: Understanding the Gangsta’s God. Westport, Praeger 2012.

*Utley, Ebony A. Pop Culture: An Anthology. San Diego: Cognella Academic Publishing, 2012.

The Multicultural Center continues to affirm equality

The Multicultural Center (MCC) is a welcoming place with a diverse Resource Library for our students, faculty and staff. Library resources include hundreds of films, documentaries, books, magazines, and cultural art. The Multicultural Center’s website www.csulb.edu/mcc offers information about the MCC, its Director, Assistant Director, and its programs. Specifically, by visiting the MCC website, one can find information on the S.T.A.R. (Students Talk About Race) program for students, faculty and staff. Also available are listings of MCC library resources, related web links, MCC’s picture gallery, and other general information. The Director of the Center, Dr. James Sauceda moderated an Interfaith Dialogue (Islam, Judaism, Christianity) in April, was a keynote speaker at the “Multicultural Festival,” and was also a keynote speaker for “Hermanos Unidos,” an event involving more than 250 students. The Multicultural Center is an official “SAFE ZONE” on campus for LGBT students, and the Center is especially thrilled to announce its 20th year on campus in 2012.

The mission of the Multicultural Center, which is to promote "a university which respects and affirms the equal human worth of every individual and

of all distinctive groups of people."

C S U L O N G B E A C H

Department of Communication Studies Newsletter 5

Introducing Heather Hischar(Communication Studies Major, Professional Dancer, and Laker Girl)

I am graduating this May with a B.A. in Communication Studies and a minor in Journalism, and I have been dancing since I was four years old. In order to work my way up into the professional dance world, I competed at a studio through high school, was on my high school dance team (Ayala High School), was a part of the CSULB dance team my freshman and sophomore year, and now am fortunate enough to be a part of the Laker Girl dance team, which was a long-term dream come true.

These past two years as a Laker Girl has been an amazing experience, but also quite a balancing act. I manage my school work around my work schedule, which has resulted in studying note cards for a test or reading scholarly articles for a research paper in the locker room at Staples Center.  The Communication Studies professors have influenced me for the better; they are so supportive that it gives me drive and direction in my life. This department has helped me stay motivated and focused on my studies, and through the many course-related projects has helped me to reflect on my experiences as a student of communication.

I am planning to attend graduate school in fall 2012, I am interested in studying communication processes in more depth. I am just completing my degree this month, so I don’t know about a formalized career path just yet. But, I am having a great time!

The Hope and Freedom Film Festival Returns

Dr. Johnson brings us the second annual Hope and Freedom Film Festival on May 21, 2011 at the Art Theater (2025 E. 4th St., Long Beach). Admission is FREE. The event features exciting films that focus on such topics as hip hop, sexuality, and our troops’ conditions in war. Q & A sessions will follow nearly every film with Directors, cast, and crew. Please go to the festival’s website to view trailers for each of the featured films and to view the festival’s mission (www.thehfff.org). After the event, festival goers will cross the street to 4th St. and Vine to enjoy FREE live music from many performers including Orange County Music Award Winner Parker Macy Blues, who recently performed with BB King. So, if you like music, film, and you want to experience that rush of emotion that comes with exposure to creative works, join Dr. Johnson and his student team!  Although your attendance will help to make this film festival an ongoing reality for Long Beach, we are seeking monetary donations that will be used to sponsor this great event. To make a donation please go to: www.thehfff.org and click on the “Donate” Button. Even a couple bucks would be appreciated.

Congratulations on your graduation Heather!

*Dr. Abrams and her students wrote “Proactive Performance: A Context for Intergroup Contact” that has been accepted for publication in the Howard Journal of Communications! Congratulations to the following authors: Jessica R Abrams, Kellie Shaw, Benny LeMaster, Roger Willis, Stephanie Hoffman, Duval Bodden, and Melanie Whitney

*With the guidance of Dr. Asenas, our students presented at the Bay Area Undergraduate Communication Research Conference on April 16th at San Jose State University! The paper was co-authored: Weick, Rachel N. and Chris Armas. “An Analysis of Incongruities Amongst Alejandro’s Eccentric Army.” Kudos!

A Sample of Student-Faculty Projects

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S T U D I E S

6 Department of Communication Studies Newsletter

A Big Thank you to our Donors! With appreciation, we would like to express our gratitude to the following donors who have contributed to our

Department during this 2010-2011 academic year:

Department StaffWendy Lucas — Administrative Coordinator

Nancy Comito — Administrative Services AssistantAnn Kinsey — Administrative Support Coordinator

Newsletter Ideas or Questions?Please contact Dr. Catherine Brooks in the Dept. of Communication

Studies with newsletter-related comments or inquiries at: [email protected]

A Message from the Chair Dear Communication Studies Alums -

It has been an exciting year for the communication studies department. Though we have had to manage with unprecedented budget challenges, our department has continued its impressive record of achievements. Perhaps most notable are our department’s ongoing efforts to reach out to the community, showing how our faculty and students can entertain, engage, and enrich the world around us.

Our interACT performance troupe has created a show that involves the audience on issues of homophobia and bullying. Given the recent string of bullying and hate crime incidents across the country and our own campus, this is a timely and important experience for both the performers and our students. The interACT troupe applies scholarship toward civic engagement and practical problem solving of social issues.

Dr. Kevin Johnson is gearing up as Director of the 2nd Annual Hope and Freedom Film Festival, to be held May 21st, 2011 at the Art Theatre in Long Beach. This event is aimed at bringing to the Long Beach community the work of artists who use cinema to explore issues of freedom from oppression and discrimination. Joining forces with the NAACP and CSULB students, Dr. Johnson received very positive reviews for last year’s inaugural festival, and we see this as growing into a must-see annual event.

Our Beach Forensics team has finished up the year in grand style with multiple top 3 finishes at the National Forensic Association National Tournament in April. Our department also hosted the Rotary International District Speech Contest for high school students in April. Director of Forensics Bill Neesen and I welcomed the contestants, their families, and members of Rotary and Toastmasters to the Beach and talked to them about the benefits of pursuing their interests in public speaking for their academic career and beyond.

Numerous faculty members also include service learning in their classes. Dr. Valerie McKay’s COMM 307 classes have continued their work assessing the effectiveness of the communication within Bolsa Grande High School students’ Gray Whale Education and Preservation Foundation. Dr. Lynda McCroskey’s COMM 420 classes have planned and implemented a project focused on educating their communities about recycling, and have turned those recycled goods into cash for student scholarships.

In short, we are reaching out to the community and you, our alumni, to build partnerships that strengthen our department, benefit our students, and keep you involved in our future. Please continue to alert us to internships and job opportunities for our students. Donate to our scholarship funds, or sponsor an event. Befriend our department on Facebook. Help us to continue to grow and serve our students.

All the best, Amy M. Bippu!

A-Mark Financial Corporation

Audiences Unlimited, Inc.

Dr. Justin P. Boren

California Foundation for Gifted Educ.

Dr. Sharon Downey-Sever

Fox, Inc.

Dr. Luster E. Hauth and Mrs. Audrey N. Hauth

Dr. Charles L. Johnson

Ms. Rita J. Lamkin

Long Beach Community Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. De Wayne Mortenson

Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Fdn

Dr. Timothy G. Plax and Dr. Pat Kearney

Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Specchio

Former Graduate Student News:Justin P. Boren (M.A., 2005), completed his dissertation entitled ““The Impact of an Enacted Social Support Training Intervention onWorklife Interaction, Stress, and Burnout in Working Adults,” and with his PhD, he’s begun a tenure-track position at Santa Clara University.

Britt Christensen (B.A., 2009) grew up in Ogden, Utah. He earned a M.A. of Mass Communication degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication at LSU in May 2011, and this fall, he will enter the Manship School’s doctoral program that focuses on studies of media and public affairs. His M.A. thesis is titled, “The American Empire: A Content and Textual Analysis of the Media Coverage of the 2009 U.S. and Columbia Military Base Agreement,” and he will continue to study U.S. foreign policy coverage during his doctoral studies.

Elena Esquibel (B.A., 2004; M.A., 2007) completed her dissertation entitled “Performing Race, Performing History:  Oral Histories of Sundown Towns in Southern Illinois.”

Benny LeMaster (M.A., 2011) has been accepted to the PhD program at University of Southern Illinois at Carbondale. In addition, his manuscript “Queer Imag(in)ing: Liminality as Resistance in Lindqvist’s Let the Right One In” has just been published in the journal Communication and Critical / Cultural Studies Volume 8, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 103 - 123.

Mike Middleton (M.A., 2006) who is currently the Director of Forensics at the University of Utah, passed his dissertation defense. With his Ph.D completed, he has been hired into a tenure-track position that begins this fall at the University of Utah.

Ashlie J. Siefkes (B.A., 2007, and M.A., 2009) served as a T.A. and a G.A., as well as Chair of the Graduate Communication Association (GCA) during her graduate program. Upon graduation from “The Beach,” Ashlie took teaching positions at Concordia University and Coastline Community College, both in Southern California. She is excited to be teaching both upper and lower division classes, as well as serving as advisor for a campus newspaper.