THECOMMUNICATOR

WHAT’S INSIDE

FACULTY PROFILES

2ND ANNUAL PUBLIC SPEAKING

COMPETITION

COMMUNICATION BY THE NUMBERS

MARTIN HORNAWARD WINNER

University of ConnecticutCollege of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of Communication337 Mansfield Rd. Unit #1259

Storrs, CT 06269

the communication societyBROUGHT TO YOU BY

SUPPORTED BY THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

[ The Communication Society is an undergraduate student led organization.Throughworkshops,fieldtrips,fundraising,alumninetworking,andguestspeakers,TheCommunicationSocietyofferseducational and extra-curricular opportunities to students interested in

theCommunicationfield. ]Dear Readers, Asthe2015Springsemestercomestoaclose,itshasbeenayearofgreataccomplishmentfortheUConnCommunicationSociety.Amongstthemultitudesofguestspeakers,profes-sionalworkshops,andnetworkingfieldtrips,IcouldnotbemoreproudoftheSociety’smem-bers.Thankyoutothosewhohavediligentlydedicatedyourselvestothisyear’sopportunitiesand good luck to our graduating seniors! Keep in touch! Withthereleaseofthe3rdeditionofTheCommunicator,IwouldliketoremindthereaderofthepurposeofthedocumentandthereasonTheCommunicationSocietytakessuchprideinits annual production. Through this newsletter, we strive to create a document that connects undergraduatestudents,graduatestudents,departmentalfacultyandstaff,aswellasalumni.The Communication Society acknowledges the invaluable resources available to us here atUConn.Weappreciatethenetworkoffaculty,staffandalumnithatfosteroursuccess.Therefore,wepresenttoyouacollectionoffacultyprofiles,academicachievements,alumnifeatures,andstudent-runproductions.Enjoy, Brooke Hirsheimer ‘16Brooke.Hirsheimer@uconn.eduCommunication Society President

A message from the 2014-2015 Communication Society President, Brooke Hirsheimer:

contents2015facultyprofilesmeetournewstaffandfaculty

then & now

communication by the numbers

letters & awards

uconn’ssecondannualpublic speaking competition

a visit with uconn graduate greg economou

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UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUTCOMMUNICATION SOCIETY

ISSUE 3/SPRING 2015

an overview of faculty achievements from the 2014-2015 academic year

communication on campusan overview of technologies and the struggles they have

created for uconn students over the years

messages from faculty in the Communication Department and awards granted this year

[ ]

[ ]

[ ] EDITORIAL BOARD

MEG O’KEEFE ‘16DESIGN EDITOR

BROOKE HIRSHEIMER ‘16CONTENT EDITOR

NEWSLETTER WRITERSALEX BACHARACH ‘15

ALEXANDRIA O’NEILL ‘15BROOKE HIRSHEIMER ‘16

CARA MCATEER ‘16EMILIA WIELOGORSKI ‘18

GRACE GAGNON ‘18

2014-15 COMMUNICATION SOCIETY OFFICERS

BROOKE HIRSHEIMERPRESIDENT

ALEX BACHARACHVICE PRESIDENT

JENELLE BARTONETREASURER

CARA MCATEERSECRETARY

SHANNON WOODPR CHAIR

KELLY MUSEEVENT COORDINATOR

the communication society

ADVISOR RORY MCGLOIN

COMMUNICATION SOCIETY FACULTY ADVISOR

Dear Readers, Welcometothethirdannualeditionof“TheCommunicator.”IthasbeenanotherbusyyearfortheCommunicationdepartmentandinsidethisyear’seditionyouwillgetachancetoreadthestoriesfromthispastyearastoldbyourownCommunicationSocietystudents!AstheadvisortoCommunicationSocietyforalmostfouryears,Ihavetosaythatthiswasbyfarourmostsuccessful.Throughouttheyearmyroleasaprofessorallowsmetohaveavarietyofinteractionswithourstudents,yet,IoftencherishtheinteractionsIhavewiththemembersoftheCommunicationSocietythemost.Thisyearsmembershipwasboth unique and diverse, however, they had an important commonality, a desire to learn bydoing!IwouldliketothankthemembersoftheCommunicationSocietyfortheireffortsthroughouttheyear;theirinfluencehasbeenfeltacrossthecampus,asyouwillreadinthisyear’snewsletter.Asanotheracademicyearcomestoaclose,Iamremindedofhowimportantitisforourstudentstogainvaluableexperiencesoutsideoftheclassroomastheypreparefortheirfutures.Iwouldliketoinviteallofouralumnireaderstostayintouchwithusandwewouldbe happy to welcome you back on campus anytime! We hope that we can continue to grow our alumni relations and we are always looking to share your success stories with our current students. AfteralongwinterhereinStorrs,thewarmerdaysofsummerarequicklyapproaching.Iwishallofourreaderstheverybest.Ihopeyouallhaveafunandsafesummerandwelookforwardtoseeingyoubackoncampusinthefall!GO HUSKIES! Rory McGloin, Ph.D ‘11 rory.mcgloin@uconn.edu Communication Society Faculty Advisor1

IwouldliketosayaspecialthankyoutotheCommunicationSocietyandtheirfacultyadvisor,RoryMcGloinfortheirworkthisyear,particularlythepublicspeakingcompetitionandthiswonderfulnewsletter.ThishasbeenanotheryearofgreatchangeforusintheCommunicationDepartment.Wenowhave two advisors dedicated to advising our Communication students, and continue to enhance ouradvisingandcurriculumforundergraduates.Thisyearwewillhave228studentsgraduatewith a degree in Communication, and an estimated 100 students will participate in our internship programwithplacementsincludingCTPublicBroadcastingnetwork,ESPN,NBCCT,Traveler’sGolfChampionship,IMGandHearstCorporation.Wehavealsocompletelyupdatedourwebsiteand our Facebook page, so please be sure to connect with us and stay in touch.Wearegratefulforthealumni,whohelpsupportus.Wehopeyouwillconsiderprovidingsupport,whichmaybeusedforundergraduatescholarships,graduatefellowships,andforspecial activities such as the next public speaking competition, seminars, and educational opportunitiesforstudents.Aspecialcongratulationstotheclassof2015.Wearesoproudofyouandknowyouwilldogreat things. Kristine Nowak, PhD Kristine.Nowak@uconn.edu Department Head Department of Communication

A Letter from the Communication Department Head

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Martin Horn Scholarhip WinnerQ&A with Erin Craw

Q: How has being involved with the Golden Key Society and Sigma Alpha Lambda shaped your experience here at UConn?

A: Being involved in these honor societies has allowed me to connect with students who value education as much as I do. Additionally, being a memberoftheseorganizationshasmaintainedthatsense personal competition in me. Being amemberoftheseorganizationsisaconstantremindertopushmyselffartherandstudylonger,becauseitdoespayoffintheend.

Q: What has been your proud-est moment as a student at UConn thus far?

Q: What career goals do you hope to accomplish down the road?

COMMUNICATION AWARDS GRANTED 2014-2015

~Erica Morowski~~Lisa Maresca ~~Marya Fratoni~

Honorable Mention Intern of the Year

Outstanding Senior Woman Academic

Achievement

A:Ithinkthemillion-dollarquestion,asafinalse-mestersenior,iswhatwillyourfirstrealjobbe?Asacollegegraduatewithpassionforcommunication,myoverallgoalistofindajobwhereIcanbothapplymyskillsetfromtheUConnbutcontinuetotruly learn about the industry at the same time. I know I have a lot more to learn and I am absolutely ready to do so!

A:My proudest moment at UConn was entering my research paper to the NCA this semester. Working with Doctoral student Joshua Fishlock on my research paper aboutgenderstereotypinginadvertisementswasoneofthehighlightsofmycareeratUConn.Havingmyworkgobeyondtheuniversity,andeventhedepartmentjustfeltlikeanaccomplishmentinitself.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Q: What advice can you give to students pursuing Communication?

A:Mybestadviceforstudentspursuingadegreeincommunication is to not waste a single second, always practiceyourcraft.Whetheryouareinterestedinthetheoreticalaspectsofcommunicationorthemoreappliedsideofthemajor,usetheskillsthatyouaretaughtinyourcoursework in the real world during actual interactions. I am a true believer that passion gets you through studying forexamsandmakinganendlessamountofflashcardsjusttomemorizeafewtheories.Ifyoulovewhatyouarestudying the work somehow, stops being work.

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award

~Kyle Hull~

ARTICLE BY GRACE GAGNONGRACE.GAGNON@UCONN.EDU3

SinceIhavebeenatUConnIhaveservedanumberofroles.Overall,IfeelasthoughIhavebenefittedfromadiversearrayofexperiences.Ihaveinstructedstudentsfromthebasics,allthewaytothecompetenciesthattheUniversityrequires.Teachingawidearrayofcoursesistaxingasagraduatestudent,butIamthankfulfortheopportunityandthattheCommunicationfacultyhavefaithinmyabilities. Teaching is a skill that takes time to develop and in that respect, I have been veryfortunate.Myadvicetofuturegraduateteachersissimple:Teachingisoneofthemostdifficultandrewardingexperiencesyouwilleverencounter.Itisaskillthattakesalifetimetodevelop,yetyourstudentswillexpectexcellencewhetheritisyourfirstdayoryourlast.Beingateacherrequiresyoutobe an expert, a translator, an advisor, a motivator, an advocate, an honest critic, and moreoftenthannot,afriend.Youmightask,“howcanIpossiblybeallofthose?!”Well,myansweralwayshasbeenandalwayswillbe,caring.Ifyoucareforthewell-beingofyourstudents,youwillstrivetobeanexpert,youwillfindwaystomakethemostcomplexideasseemintuitive,youwilladvisethemtothebestofyourabil-ities,youwillgotogreatlengthstomotivatethem,youwilladvocateforthemintheirtimesofstruggle,youwilluncovertheirflawsandpointthemtoapathofimprove-ment,andfinally,youwillbethepersontheycanalwaysrelyonforafriendlychat.Ifyougenuinelycare,Iassureyou,allofthesethingswilltakecareofthemselves.Teachingisnotajob,itisaprivilege.Themoreprivilegedyoufeeltobethere,themorebothyouandyourstudentswillsucceed.So,ifyouareconsideringventuringdown this path, I encourage you to do so. It might not be the easiest path, but the goodonesusuallyaren’t.

Wise Words from Outstanding Graduate Teacher Kyle Hull

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newstaff...

As an Academic Advisor, Ballard advises undergraduate Communication majors, Communication minors, and pre‐Communicationstudents.HerpositionalsoincludesmeetingwithstudentsinterestedintheCommunicationprogram.ItisBallard’sdutytobeawareofacademicpolicyandprocedures,course informationandCommunicationrequirements. Workingwithstudents,facultymembers,otherofficesat UConn and regional campuses keeps Ballard on her toes and gives her the opportunity to meet new people.

Kathryn became an advisor in COMM in August 2014 and has beenworkingatUConnforalmostfiveyears.D’AntonioreceivedherBachelorinArtsfromEasternConnecticutStateUniversity.ShewentontoearnherMasterofArtsinWomen’s,GenderandSexualitystudiesfromSouthernConnecticutStateUniversity. Along with being an Academic Advisor at UConn, Kathryn also teaches a class at Eastern Connecticut State University. D’Antonio’sfavoriteaspectofhergraduateassistantshipwasworking with students to plan out their course and career goals. WorkingasanadvisorandateacherallowsKathryntofulfillthebestofbothworlds. TherehavebeenmanyproudmomentsofD’Antonio’scareer,butthemostmemorablemomentthusfarhasbeengettingaphonecallfromaformerstudent’sgrandmother.TheformerstudentrecentlyobtainedanewjobopportunityandthegrandmothercalledtothankKathryn.D’AntoniohadreceivedanE-Mailfromherformerstudentaboutthejob,butgettinganactual phone call was a unique experience.

Kathryn D’Antonio

ShelbyBallardjoinedtheDepartmentofCommunicationinMay2014.BallardearnedherBachelorofArtsinCommunicationandMasterofArtsinHigherEducationAdministrationfromtheUniversityofLouisville.BallardisnowpursuinganEd.D.inEducationalLeadershipfromtheUniversityofHartford.Afterearningthisdegree,Shelbyaspirestobecomeafacultymember in education leadership or a dean. Ballard always knew she wanted to work in Higher Education. Being an Academic Advi-sor allowshertofulfillbothherinterestsofworkinginauniversitysettingandwithstudents.

Shelby Ballard

“The best way to find out what you want as a career is to do as many internships possible.”

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DuringhertimeatURI,CugnowastheStudentDirectorofthe internship program. She loved working with other students and discovered that she enjoyed working on a college campus. As Program Assistant, Tessa mainly works with Graduate Studentsandundergraduateswhoarepartofthestudentstaff.Herjobentailshandlingdocumentsforstudents,gettingtheirtravelreimbursementsandprintingpapersforthem. Cugno enjoys working at UConn because she works with great people and is proud to be a Husky. Since she was recently a studentherself,Cugno’sfavoritepartofherjobistalkingwithstudents and hearing about their own college experiences.

TessaCugnojoinedtheDepartmentofCommunicationasProgramAssistantin October2014.SheisarecentgraduatefromtheUniversityofRhodeIslandwheresheearnedherBachelorofArtsinCommunicationStudies.

Tessa Cugno

ProfessorLachlanhaspublishedhisresearchinnumerousjournals.Healsoincludesresearchintheclassroom.Heoftenhashisstudentstakethespecificsfromthestudiesheconductsandspeculatesabouthowfindingsmightvaryduetowhatmaybenewsworthyatthetime. ThissemesterProfessorLachlanisteachingthePsychologicalEffectsofMassMediaandaGraduateSeminarforCrisisandRiskCommunication.HedecidedtocometoUConnbecauseourCommunicationdepartmentisstrongandsuccessfulinresearch,graduateprogramsandundergraduate programs.

ProfessorKennethLachlanbeganhisjourneyinthefieldofCom-munication at Wake Forest University. He intended to pursue journalism,butrealizedthathewasfascinatedbythewaysinwhichpeopleprocessandrespondtomediatedinformation.Afterearninga Bachelor in Communication and Sociology, his next step was grad school. He studied Mass Communication at Bowling Green and earned hisPhDfromMichiganState. Lachlanstartedhiscareerasamainlinemediaeffectsresearcherinwhichhelookedatattitudinalandbehavioralchangesthatresultfromexposure to media. His research took place in many locations, but one thatstoodoutwasinHoustonTexas.InHouston,LachlangatheredresearchfromvictimswholosttheirhomesinHurricaneKatrina.

Kenneth Lachlan&faculty

ARTICLE BY GRACE GAGNONGRACE.GAGNON@UCONN.EDU 6

Anne Oledorf-HirschandcolleagueshavelaunchedafewnewprojectsintheHuman-ComputerInteractionlab.Oneoftheseisonmobilehealthappsandsupportreceivedforsharingdietandfitnessactivitieswithsocial networks.Theotherinvestigatesthetechnologychoicesindividualsmakeindisclosingpersonalinformation.RecentlysomeofherresearchontheeffectsofsharingnewsstoriesonFacebookwaspublishedonlineinComputersinHumanBehavior.Ms.Oledorf-Hirschalsoconductedafollow-upstudywithothercolleaguesonthecredibilityofnewsonTwitter,whichwillbesubmittedforpublicationsoon.Arthur VanLearhasbeeneditingabookforSagePublicationsentitledResearchingCommunicationInteractionBehavior:AsourcebookofmethodsandmeasureswithDanielCanary.Inadditiontobeingtheleadeditor,hehaswrittentwochaptersforthebook,oneonmethodsofdataanalysis,andoneabouthisRelationalLinkingSystem,asystemforcodingrelationalinteraction.Healsowroteachapterontime-seriesanalysesfortheEncyclopediaofInterper-sonalCommunication.Healsocontinuestodoresearchoncommunicationinadditiontorecoveryandotheraspectsofrelational communication.

David Atkinauthoredarticlesin2014addressingmediainfluencesonperceptionsofentrepreneurship(JOCMR),theevolutionofpoliticaldiscussionnetworksin“ThirdPlaces”(NewspaperResearchJournal)andtheeffectofhumorappealsonattitudestowardsmarginalizedgroups(InternationalJournalofInterculturalCommunication).Healsocoauthoredarticleswithdoctoraladviseesaddressinguseofcircumventiontoolstobypassonlinecensorship(NewMedia&Society),antecedentsofphoto-messaging(ComputersinHumanBehavior[CIHB}),andpersonalityinfluencesonusesofsocialmedia(CIHB)aswellastraditionalmedia(AJOC).HeisworkingonagrantprojecttoassessonlinesupportmodalitiesforBuprenorphineusers.

Amanda Denes has been continuing to conduct research on the links between physiology and communication, particularlyinthecontextofpostsexcommunication.Onestudyfromthislineofworkwasrecentlypublishedin CommunicationMonographs.Thestudyexplorestheeffectsoforgasmandalcoholonpillowtalkandwaspickedupbyover60mediaoutlets,includingMen’sHealth,theNewYorkDailyNews,HuffingtonPost,andDiscoveryNews.ShealsopublishedastudyinvestigatingLGBQindividuals’experiencescomingouttotheirparents,andtwostudieswithcolleaguesatUConnexploringjealousreactionstotouchingincross-sexfriendships.Lastspring,shereceivedaRainbowCenterFacultyAwardforsupportingsexualandgenderdiversityintheclassroom.Shelovesteachingcoursesaboutsexualityandgender,soreceivingthishonorwasahighlightforher!

Kristine L. Nowak continued her service this year as department head while continuing to and do research about how theperceptionofonlineimagesandavatarsinfluenceidentificationandself-conceptaswellaspersonandmessageperception.Sheisalsoworkingonsomeprojectstoexaminetheeffectofmultitaskingandconstantconnectivityonlearning,gradepointaverage,andrelationshipdevelopment.Dr.NowakisteachingCommunication1300IntroductiontoMassMedia,whichallowsheranopportunitytogettoknowmanyoftheprogram’snewestmajorsandteachaboutmedialiteracy.Dr.Nowakhadthreearticlesabouttheinfluenceofonlineimagesonpersonperceptionpublishedin2014,andhadfourconferencepresentationsatinternationalconferences,oneofwhichfocusedonmultitaskingandacademicperformanceandwasgivenatoppaperaward.Sheisfinishingupaprojectonhowsexisminfluencesperceptionsofmessagesandisworkingonprojectstestingperceptionsofobesity,racism,andglobalclimatechange.Sheislookingforwardtoreportingresultsfromthoseprojectssoon.

facultyprofiles

Carolyn Linpublishedfivepeer-reviewedjournalarticles,addressingtheeffectsofsocialmediaoninterpersonalrela-tionshipsandfoodsafetyaswellasadolescentsubstanceabuseandcollegestudents’alcoholpreventionstrategies.Shepublishedtwobookchaptersdiscussingtheinfluenceofsocialmediaonentertainmentandtheglobaldigital divide. Having placed two journal articles and three book chapters in press, she presented eight competitively selectedconferencepapers.Shegaveaconferencekeynotespeechandtwoseminarsoverseasonsocialmovements,healthinformaticsandaudienceanalyticsinthedigitalenvironment.Furthermore,shereceivedfundingfortwoprojectsfromtheNationalScienceFoundation.

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Ken Lachlan joinedUCONNinJanuary2015,havingpreviouslyservedasFoundingChairoftheCommunicationDepartmentattheUniversityofMassachusettsBoston.AtUMBheoversawadepartmentwhichgrewfrom0toover300undergraduatemajorsoverthecourseoftheyear.Healsopublishednumerousarticlesandchaptersontheeffectsofcrisisandriskcommunication,andservedontheeditorialboardsofCommunicationStudies,CommunicationQuarterly, Communication Studies, and Media Psychology.

Mark Hamilton publishedanarticleonimagefeaturesthatactivatearchetypesandanotherarticleonrelativeageinschoolonpopularity.Healsopublishedachapterontheimpactoftypesofstressonmentalhealth,verbalaggression,andassault.HepublishedthreeadditionalchaptersintheEncyclopediaofHealthCommunicationandtheEncyclo-pediaofInterpersonalCommunication.Dr.HamiltonpresentedtwopapersattheNationalCommunicationAssociationconferenceinChicago,twopapersattheInternationalCommunicationAssociationconferenceinSeattle,andtwopapersattheInternationalConferenceonLanguageandSocialPsychologyinHonolulu.

Saraswathi Bellur publishedresearchthatwaspresentedintheTopPaperPaneloftheHumanCommunicationandTechnologyDivisionoftheNationalCommunicationAssociationconferenceinChicagoinNovember2014.Thepaper,co-authoredwithDr.KristineNowakandKyleHull,dealtwiththeeffectofin-classmultitaskingonstudents’academicperformance.ShealsohadtheopportunitytocollaboratewithDr.Nowak,Dr.HamiltonandKyleHullonapaperthatexplorestheroleofvirtualembodimentsonviewerevaluationofonlinemessages.ThispaperhasbeenacceptedforpresentationattheInternationalCommunicationAssociationconferenceinPuertoRico,inMay2015.Theylookforwardto pursuing these collaborations and work on additional projects in the upcoming year!

Rory McGloin publishedarticlesinmultiplejournalsthispastyearincluding;JournalofCommunication,MediaPsychology, and Societies. Dr. McGloin also presented two research papers this year at the annual National CommunicationConferenceinChicago,ILthispastfallandanotherthreepapersattheannualInternational CommunicationConferenceinSanJuan,PuertoRicothisspring.Roryiscurrentlyworkingonmultipleresearchprojectsincludingastudythatexaminestheuseoftechnologyintheclassroomandanotherprojectthatisexamininghowsportsfansreactandcommentonhighprofilenewsstories.Inadditiontothis,Roryisworkingwithgraduatestudentstobeginanewlineofresearchthatwillexaminetheimpactoftechnologyonindividuals’exercisemotivationsandoutcomes.RorycontinuestoservehisdepartmentastheDirectorofUndergraduateStudiesandwaselectedthispastfalltoserveanother3-yearterminthisposition.RoryalsocontinuestoserveastheadvisortotheCommunicationSocietyandtheyareworkingtogethertohostUConn’ssecondannualpublicspeakingcompetitionthisApril.

Ross Buck is using his latest book, Emotion; A Biosocial Synthesis, in his Motivation and Emotion courses. Additionally,Dr.BuckwillattendedtheSocietyforAffectiveScienceconferenceinOakland,CA;andtheInternationalSocietyforResearchonEmotionsconferenceinGeneva,Switzerland.AttheUniversityofConnecticutDr.BuckservesastheCommunicationDepartment’sResearchPracticumCoordinatorandrunsTheEmotionCommunicationResearchLaboratory.

Stephen Stifano transitionedfromapositionattheUniversityofRhodeIslandthispastfall,andhassinceworkedtocontinuehisresearchinemotionalcommunicationinnarrativemedia,winninghisthirdTopPaperAwardfromtheNationalCommunicationAssociationinNovember.Additionally,Stevepresentedinapanelontheuseofhigh-speedpresentationsintheclassroomaspartofhisinterestininstructionaldesign.Heiscurrentlysupervisingthedepartment’sintroductoryCOMM1000courseandhasworkedhardtoincorporatemodernissuesofmediaandtechnologyintothecurriculum. This spring, Steve created a podcast titled COMMPENDIUM where he sits down with scholars and practitionersanddiscusseswhatattractedthemtothefieldofcommunication.Hiscurrentresearchisfocusedontheroleofemotionaleducationnarrativesinimprovingriskybehaviors,andheiscurrentlyselectinganoutletfordigitaldistributionofhisthirdfeaturefilm,Belief.

Michael Miller recentlycompletedtwobookchapterswithDr.RossBuck,“MeasuringResponsestoNonverbalSocialSignals:ResearchonAffectReceivingAbility”and“UniversalityofEmotions”.Inaddition,Michaelhasseveralprojectsunderwayfocusedonhowphysicaltouchisusedglobally,thenatureandoriginsoffriendship,andhowemotionsarecommunicated in organizations between supervisors and subordinates.

PROFILES BY ALEXANDRIA O’NEILLALEXANDRIA.O’NEILL@UCONN.EDU

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communicationon campus

Bea Angueira...is a senior at UConn and a passionate member of UCTV. She chose to major in communication because the broadness of the major appealed to her and decided to focus on UCTV during her sophomore year. Her classes and professors have taught her how to apply what she learns in the classroom to real situations at work such. For example, mass communication marketing, advertising, public relations, and interpersonal skills have helped Bea grow as a leader. She has learned many skills from hands -on experience at UConn that will help Bea in the future. This is yet another excellent opportunity UConn has to offer for students to expand and ap-ply their communication skills and acquire valuable experience.

is Assistant Director of Communications for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UConn. Diaz has a plethora of responsibilities including managing the website, social media, design work, and compiling a newsletter regarding stories about alumni, research, and current students. When asked about advice for current students, Diaz suggested to focus on what you like to do but not to constrict yourself in terms of industry. If a student leaves their options open, they can work virtually anywhere because all jobs and industries require basic communication skills to thrive in them.

Brianna Diaz...

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on campus

Diamond Hernandez...is a second semester senior at UConn and a Communication and Italian double major. As a tour guide at UConn, Hernan-dez appreciates the importance of public speaking skills. In Comm 1100 (Public Speaking), she learned about effective speaking strategies such as not using filler words to make her seem more credible to prospective students and parents who are considering UConn. Her public relations class taught her to stay on top of new trends and ideas and use facts and information that would appeal to prospective students as part of her tours.

Trevor Morrison...is a senior at UConn and currently the music director for WHUS radio. According to Trevor, the most important communication skills he utilizes at his job are small-group communication skills by communicating with the DJs to ensure quality control on the airwaves. Trevor’s advice to Communication students is to join media organizations on campus such as WHUS, the Daily Campus, Nutmeg Yearbook, UCTV, etc. because not only do they look good on resumes, but the experience could also open many doors. Because of his work at the radio he was able to work for a record promotion company in Manhattan over the summer. Trevor also hopes to get an internship at NPR in Washington D.C. after he graduates, a promising prospect because of the connections he was able to make while working at WHUS at UConn.

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ARTICLE BY EMILIA WIELGORSKIEMILIA.WIELGORSKI@UCONN.EDU

thenHiking across campus to watch the DallasCowboysdefeattheMiamiDolphinsonyourfriend’scolored

television.

1972:

Yellingtoaco-workeroverthenoiseofIBM’s360computer

machine as it printed data onto green bar paper.

1960:

Thehorrorofbendingafloppydiskas you dig through your backpack

tofindapencil.

1982:

Whystudyforanexamwhenyoucanprocrastinatewiththefirstper-sonshootergame,Wolfenstein3D?

1993:

Scrounging up loose change at a payphone just to tell a roommate you

willbelatefordinner.

1995:

NoneofyourfriendsareonlineAIMso you chat up SmarterChild, the

intelligent robot that will always respond.

2004:

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& now

Class of 1983:

“MyinternshipincommunicationswasataHartfordradiostationwritingnews.Iusedtotakethefeedfromthenationalnewsandtype it and tape in on reel to reels. I typed up the story on some veryoldsystemthatprintedverylargeforthenewsanchortoreadit.RightbeforeansweringthisIthoughtaboutmyexperiencewithamobileappstartupacoupleofyearsagoandhowwecreatedsomegeolocationabilityforsafetyalertsandadvertising.ThatisaverydifferentworldthenwhenIwasUCONN”–Beth Linderstorm

Alumni Corner

Beforeyouturnonyourstudyjams,ApplewantsyoutodownloadthelatestversionofiTunes.Youusedyourupdateonanewdeviceonlytofindouttheupgradedversioncomesoutthefol-lowing week.Youspiltcoffeeonyourlaptopwhilewritinganessay?Haveyoutriedturningitoffandturningitbackonagain?

The University closes campus via campus wide text message alert system. The student body celebratesviaYikYakposts.

Safeassignistheequivalentofhavingeveryprofessorintheworldcheckoveryourpaperforplagiarism. At least you turned in your paper at 11:59pm on the dot!

YourfingersgonumbasyoutrackthePurpleLineonyoursmartphonein18degreeweather.

ARTICLE BY BROOKE HIRSHEIMERBROOKE.HIRSHEIMER@UCONN.EDU

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communication by the numbers

Alabama: 1 California: 4Florida: 3Massachusetts: 5

Illinois: 1 Maryland: 1

North Carolina: 1New Hampshire: 3

New Jersey: 11 New York: 22Ohio: 1 Pennsylvania: 3Rhode Island: 3 South Carolina: 1 Texas: 1

Virginia: 2 Washington: 1Wisconsin: 1

Puerto Rico: 2

Singapore: 1

Denmark:1

China:1

states and countries represented in the major

COMM MAJORS: 577458 in state

116 out of state3 international

COMM MINORS: 58Most common minors at UConn are

sociology, HDFS. and business

PRE-COMM STUDENTS: 230167 in state

61 out of state2 international

49 students double major with communication

71 students with communications majors are UConn athletes

INFO GATHERED BY ALEX BACHARACHALEXANDRA.BACHARACH@UCONN.EDU

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Denmark:1

China:1

A London Experienceby Cara McAteer

Notonlydidthisprogramallowmetoapplymyselfacademicallyinaforeigncountry,butalso,IwasplacedinaPublicRelationsfirmwhereIcouldhonemycommunicationskillsina professionalenvironment.WhileinLondon,IworkedMondaysthroughThursdays,9amto5pmatDustPR,afashionpublicrelationsfirminLondon.Additionally,IcompletedthreeCommuni-cation courses including Public Relations in the UK, Brand Management, and Advertising. Itwasinfactchallengingtobalanceaninternship,acourseload,andweekendtripstofiveoth-er European countries. However, with these challenges, I was able to grow as an independent individual,aworldlierstudent,aninternationaltraveler,andasaPublicRelationsprofessional.ForotherCommunicationmajorslikemyselfhereatUConn,IhighlyrecommendtheStudyAbroad Internship experience. While such programs may be more intensive than strictly academicprograms,nothingcomparestoexploringtheprofessionalCommunicationfieldasitpertains to a diverse, international context.

InJanuary2015,myplanedepartedfromBostonandIembarkedonaonceinalifetimeprofessionaldevelopmentopportunity.Asanundergraduate Communication major at UConn, I knew I wanted to both study abroad and maintain a Public Relations internship by the time I grad-uated.Afterexploringmanystudyabroadopportunities,IcommittedtoaSpringSemesterInternshipAbroadprograminLondon.

Onadailybasis,Communicationmajorslikemyselfsitinclassroomstomemorizetheoriesandstudy trends in human interactions. It is a unique and invaluable opportunity when individuals like GregEconomoutakethetimetoofferstudentsaglimpseintotheprofessionalworld. GregisaformerUConnbasketballplayerandplayedduringJimCalhoun’sfirstyearofcoaching.Hehassincetakenhiscompetitivenatureanddriveforexcellencefromthebasketballcourtsandchanneledittowardshiscareerambitions.Greghasworkedforanumberoforganizations including the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats, Madison Square Garden, and presently DickClarkProductionsinLosAngeles.HehasbeenaspeakeratMIT’sSloanSportsAnalyticsConferenceandtheFieldsofGreenRoundtablediscussion.

DuringhisvisittocampusinFebruary,GregEconomoujoinedabouttwelvestudentsfromtheCommunicationSocietyandCLASStudentLeadershipBoardtodiscusscareer networking.Histwokeypiecesofadvicetostudentsweretobeurgentandtohavecourage.Inlightofnetworking,Economoustated,“Youknowwhomyouneedtoknow.”Inotherwords,Gregencouragedstudentstoidentifythepeoplewhocanmosteffectivelyguideyouinyourfieldofinterest.ForstudentsbreakingintoCommunication-basedcorporations,itiscrucialforthemto make their presence, work ethic, and skill set known to those who can potentially mentor them.ntortheirprofessionaldevelopment. ARTICLE BY BROOKE HIRSHEIMER

BROOKE.HIRSHEIMER@UCONN.EDU

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Greg Economou Talks Competition in the Work Force

CARA.MCATEER@UCONN.EDU

UConn’s Second Annual Public Speaking Competition

SponsoredBytheUConnDepartmentofCommunicationHosted By The UConn Communication Society

At7:00pmonApril13th,2015,overfourhundredstudents,facultyandstafffiledintotheStudentUnionTheatretowatchfivecontestantsshowcasetheirPublicSpeakingskillsonthebigstage.HostedbyProfessorRoryMcGloinandreporterforUConnAthletics,ErikaWachter,UConn’sSecondAnnualPublicSpeakingcompetitionwentoffwithoutahitch.Thisyear,thecompetition’sthemerevolvedaroundtheroleoftechnologyineducation.TheCommunicationSocietywashonoredtofeaturetwojudgeswhoseareasofresearchinvolvecomputer-basedassessmentofstudentstrengths.ViceProvostforAcademicAffairs,Dr.SallyM.ReisandAssistantViceProvostforExcellenceinTeachingandTraining,Dr.PeterDiplock,providedexpertfeedbacktothecontestants.Additionally,thejudge’spanelwasproudtohaveMartinHorn,avaluedalumniofUConn’sCommunicationDepartmentandthefounderoftheMartin Horn scholarship. Despitethebackstagejittersandroaroftheaudience,contestantsZacharyGershman,Jessica Kirchner,JacquelineNappo,StevenReillyandElizabethTurneranalyzedtheroleoftechnologythrough three speaking rounds. Throughout the night they each delivered a prepared speech, aresponsetoajudge’squestion,andanimpromptuspeech.Attheendofthenight,Jessi-caKirchnerwascrownedUConn’sSecondAnnualPublicSpeakingchampionwithElizabethTurnerastherunnerup.Jessicaarguedthattechnologyisnoreplacementforface-to-facehuman interaction.

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The public speaking competition has had an incredibly positive impact on me personally here at UConn. Going through the process of preparing for the competition gave me the opportunity to hone my own abilities. Given that the art of public speaking is such a critical skill both in an academic setting and the professional world, I was incredibly grateful of the opportunity to really find

my own as a public speaker.

TheUConnCommunicationSocietytakesprideinprovidingaplatformthatshowcasesUConn’scampus’leadingpublicspeakingtalents.Afterasuccessful2014competition,TheUConnCommunicationSocietycommittedtocreateyetanotheropportunityforfivemorecontestants.AstoldbyUConn’sFirstAnnualPublicSpeakingCompetitionwinner,IanMaxwell,

UConn’sAnnualPublicSpeakingCompetitionsareawin-winforallinvolved.TheCommu-nication Society gained leadership experience organizing a second annual competition, the audience engaged with public speaking exemplars, and the contestants received constructive criticismfromthreeprofessionalsinthefield.Withthisinmind,theCommunicationSocietyplans to keep this tradition alive in upcoming years.

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ROOARTICLE BY BROOKE HIRSHEIMERBROOKE.HIRSHEIMER@UCONN.EDU

FACULTY PROFILES

DESIGN AND LAYOUT BY MEG O’KEEFEMEGAN.O’KEEFE@UCONN.EDU

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Finishedthenewsletterandwantmore?Check out our social media pages!

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What We’ve Been Up To

-Hosted the second Communi-cation Society-sponsored Public

Speaking Competition

-Designedthe“UCOMM”logo

-Roundtable discussion with UConn grad Greg Economou

-Tutorials:LinkedInandPhotoshopbyProfessorStevenStifano

-GuestspeechbyProfessorAnneOledorf-Hirsch

Wednesday, September 9th,2015–2pm-7pm

onFairfieldWay

-Field trip to Adams and Knight Marketing Agency