Department Highlights 2005

 

KENNESAW, Ga. (May 11, 2010) — Celebrating accomplishments of the Department of Communication in 2005.

 Dr. Deanna Womack, Professor

  • Continued to review manuscripts as a member of the editorial board of Communication Research Reports
  • Served as planner/coordinator/chair and respondent to a panel on adoption communication, National Communication Association annual convention, Boston, MA, Nov. 2005.
Leonard Witt, Robert D. Fowler Distinguished Chair in Communication
  • Developed a year-long project on “Journalism and the Public: Restoring the Trust,” in collaboration with the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, with $36,600 in funding from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, culminating in the conference “A Wake Up Call: Can Quality and Trust Save Journalism?” It attracted more than 100 journalists, academics and citizens who attended the program in San Antonio, Texas, Aug. 9, 2005. Final Report at: Restoringthetrust.org.
  • Hosted Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Mid-Winter conference in February 2005 at Kennesaw State University. More than 80 scholars representing more than 50 universities from across the country attended.
  • Facilitated a weeklong Public and Citizen Journalism workshop for journalists, students and citizens at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador, July 2005.
  • Delivered a public lecture at the International Center for Advanced Com munication Studies in Latin America (CIESPAL) also in Quito , July 2005.
  • Co-authored an article titled Tomorrow's Winning Journalism Formula: News for the Public and by the Public for Chasqui: The Latin America Communication Magazine (in Spanish); September 2005.
  • Professor Leonard Witt, the Robert D. Fowler Distinguished Chair in Communication, is a presenter at the Georgia Associated Press Multimedia Workshop in Augusta, Georgia, Feb. 22, 2006. His topic for this audience of newspaper editors and reporters: Sharing Nicely vs. Citizen Journalism: Know the difference and see how each has its place in getting audiences involved.
Dr. Chuck Aust, Associate Professor
  • Presented research paper: “Gratifications from watching movies that make us cry: Facilitation of grief, parasocial empathy, and evocation of pleasurable memories” Popular Culture Association annual convention, March 26, San Diego .
  • Served for two consecutive years on the dean search committee to hire a new HSS dean. The process produced three waves of applications and yielded a successful hire in January, 2006.
  • Responded to 355 advising requests, consisting of 221 from transfer students and 134 from continuing communication majors; January to December 2005.
Dr. Philip Aust, Assistant Professor
  • Aust, P. J. (2005). Communication values as indicators of organizational identity: A method for organizational assessment and its application in a case study. Communication Studies, 55 (4), 515-534.
  • Aust, P. J. (2005). Attorney eye contact and control in the courtroom: Act I. Communication Law Review, 5 (1), 80-96.
  • Community Based Learning Award. (2005, August). Recognized by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences for distinguished instruction for facilitating service-learning in Communication majors. Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA.
  • Faculty Development Funding Grant. (2005) Kennesaw State University funding for technology training. Training conducted by Kennesaw State University 's Online Learning Services. Kennesaw, GA.
Dr. Barbara Gainey, Assistant Professor
  • Presented a paper to the eighth annual International Public Relations Research Conference, University of Miami , Florida , on "Public engagement, social responsibility and ethical leadership: Building relationships for effective crisis management," in March 2005.
  • Presented a paper to the Georgia Communication Association's annual conference, on "Building effective relationships: An essential element of crisis communication," in February 2005.
  • Served as a panelist at the International Academy of Business Disciplines Conference in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , discussing "People, not profits: Crisis communication in the public sector," in April 2005.
Dr. May Gao, Assistant Professor
  • From June 3- July 13, 2005 , Dr. Gao co-lead a six-week study abroad program to China . The program attracted eight students from four different universities in the University System of Georgia. Among the eight students, there were three KSU students, and two of them were communication majors. This is the first time in history that Communication majors participated in such a study abroad program. Dr. Womack and Dr. Gao managed to secure scholarships for these two students. One of the communication majors has since graduated from KSU, and is now working for a Chinese-owned high-tech corporation in Florida . Dr. Gao is the first KSU professor that is directing this eight-year China study abroad program * The Institute for Global Initiative awarded her an Excellent Study Abroad Director Certificate.
  • On Oct. 27, 2005 , she delivered a lecture entitled " Toward cultural multiphrenia: Targeting intercultural communication competence with the Chinese," which was well accepted by KSU faculty, students and members of the community.
  • On November 19th, 2005, Dr. Gao presented a single-authored paper accepted by the Organizational Communication Division of National Communication Association (NCA) in Boston, MA, The paper was entitled "Expanding Granovetter's argument: On the strength and identity of weak ties for foreign-born Chinese jobseekers."
Nikhil Moro, Assistant Professor:
  • Published a refereed chapter, “National Security v. Civil Liberties: Newspapers and U.S.A. Patriot Act,” in the book Media in an American Crisis co-edited by Elinor Kelly Grusin and Sandra H. Utt (University Press of America, Lanham, Maryland). September 2005.
  • Received “Community Based Learning Award,” August 2005, in recognition of the varied successes recorded by my students in the classes COM 4499 Senior Thesis and COM 3310 Concepts in New Media. August 2005.
  • Moderated a panel titled “Setting an Agenda: News Blogs, Mobblogs and their Discontents,” for the Civic Journalism Division of the Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) convention in San Antonio , Texas . August 2005.
  • Presented a paper, “The First Amendment as a Frame: A Content Analysis of Top Blogs,” at the International Symposium on Online Journalism in Austin , Texas . April 2005.
Emily Holler, Instructor and Public Speaking Coordinator:
  • As the advisor for the Kennesaw Communication Association (KCA) Emily Holler put together a number of events during Fall 2005 to reflect the KCA theme of “Advancing Theory to Skill.” On September 29, guest speaker Stacy Buchanan-Wood taught a leadership seminar, and on November 3, Assistant Professor Philip Aust led a panel of speakers that featured internship supervisors from the community and communication interns from Kennesaw State .
Jan R. Phillips, Instructor of Communication and General Education Coordinator
  • Proposed and taught a learning community based on the Human Communication course called Men and Women are from Where? The Art of Communication in Relationships.
  • Developed a learning community based on the Human Communication course called Diversity in the Game of Life .
  • Participated on a panel discussion called Blazing a Path and Not Getting Burned: Developing Assurance of Learning Objectives in General Education for the American Association of Colleges and Universities Network for Academic Renewal, Atlanta Georgia, Feb. 17-19 2005.
Lea McLees, Instructor:
  • Condace Pressley, assistant program director for WSB-AM 750, spoke to McLees' Fall 2005 "Writing for Public Communication" class. She is a past president of the National Association of Black Journalists; a board member of the Radio-Television News Directors Association; and has won an Edward R. Murrow award from RTNDA.
  • Sean Selman, account executive with Edelman Worldwide's Atlanta office, allowed McLees to interview him and share his comments with her “Public Communication” class during Fall 2005. Sean is unusual in that he has been a news reporter; worked in public relations with her in her former life at Georgia Tech; and now works with a PR agency.
Jake McNeill, Instructor
  • Became faculty member of Owl Radio Committee, October 2005
  • Hosted the Creative Director of Cumulus Broadcasting and the Program Director of Cox Communications as Guest Lecturers; September & November 2005
  • Completed work on "Inside an Enthronement"(January 2005). A Documentary that examines the historic Enthroning process of the Church of England's religious leader, the Archbishop of Canterbury

  • The former China correspondent of National Public Radio, Rob Gifford, addressed campus November 17, 2005, on "China's unfinished revolution," as part of Kennesaw State's Year of China celebrations. Mr. Gifford's visit was hosted by professors Leonard Witt and May Gao of the Department of Communication, as well as by the Institute for Global Initiatives, Chinese Student Association and the Department of Visual Arts. The event, which included a luncheon and an evening reception, was underwritten by United Parcel Service of America, Inc.
  • Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication honor society, inducted 15 new members into Kennesaw State University's chapter, Alpha Theta, in November 2005. The ceremony, compered by Alpha Theta advisor Emily Holler, featured Distinguished Professor Leonard Witt as guest speaker.
  • Kennesaw Communication Association (KCA) advisor Emily Holler put together a number of events during fall 2005 to reflect the KCA theme of “Advancing Theory to Skill.” On September 29, guest speaker Stacy Buchanan-Wood taught a leadership seminar, and on November 3, Assistant Professor Philip Aust led a panel of speakers that featured internship supervisors from the community and communication interns from Kennesaw State. On a lighter side, KCA hosted a karaoke party for all KSU students and faculty on November 10.
  • Assistant Professor May Gao is to lead a six-week study abroad program to China in the summer of 2006. The program will begin in Beijing and then move to the host city of Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province where students will live and attend classes at Yangzhou University next to picturesque Slender West Lake. The program will include cultural activities such as Taiji, Chinese calligraphy and painting. The cost is $3495, and a calendar is available here.
  • Assistant Professor Nikhil Moro delivered a scholarly address on Internet regulatory efforts in China at a forum titled "China's legal system: What's happening?" as part of the Year of China programs at Kennesaw State University on October 23, 2005.
  • Assistant Professor Nikhil Moro authored a refereed chapter, “National Security v. Civil Liberties: Newspapers and U.S.A. Patriot Act” in the book Media in an American Crisis, co-edited by Elinor Kelly Grusin and Sandra H. Utt, published by University Press of America in September 2005.
  • Faculty members Chuck Aust, Leonard Witt, Philip Aust, Barbara Gainey and Nikhil Moro received the "Community Based Learning Award" of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences on August 18, 2005.
  • Assistant Professor Nikhil Moro addressed a conference titled "Illuminating Ethical Leadership: Faculty and Administrative Roles," organized by the RTM Institute for Leadership, Ethics & Character, at Atlanta, Georgia, on October 7, 2005.
  • Distinguished chair Leonard Witt organized a 100-member pre-convention conference titled Restoring the Trust: Is it Too Late? at the annual meeting of the Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication, at San Antonio, Texas, on August 9, 2005.
  • Distinguished chair Leonard Witt moderated a panel titled "What Research Assistance, Skills Training and Theoretical Underpinnings Can Academia Provide Citizen Journalists?" at the annual convention of the Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication, at San Antonio, Texas, on August 10, 2005.
  • Assistant Professor Nikhil Moro moderated a panel titled "Moblogs, News Blogs and their Discontents" at the annual convention of the Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication, at San Antonio, Texas, on August 10, 2005.
  • Assistant Professor Nikhil Moro presented a paper to the International Symposium on Online Journalism on "The First Amendment as a Frame: A Content Analysis of Top Blogs," at the University of Texas, Austin, on April 9, 2005.
  • Assistant Professor Dr. Barbara Gainey presented a paper to the eighth annual International Public Relations Research Conference, University of Miami, Florida, on "Public engagement, social responsibility and ethical leadership: Building relationships for effective crisis management," in March 2005.
  • Assistant Professor Dr. Barbara Gainey presented a paper to the Georgia Communication Association's annual conference, on "Building effective relationships: An essential element of crisis communication," in February 2005.
  • Assistant Professor Dr. Barbara Gainey was a panelist at the International Academy of Business Disciplines Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in on "People, not profits: Crisis communication in the public sector," in April 2005.

 

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