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Featured
Student

Facia Nyego Sirleaf
Beginning my undergraduate career as an undeclared student was the best decision I could have ever made. It allowed me the opportunity to fall in love with Anthropology, Gender Studies, and Communication Studies. Not only has this area of study enhanced the love I have for Anthropology and gender and ethnicity, it has given me the confidence I need to thrive as a public speaker and critical thinker. Through classes such as Gender issues in Communication, I was able to develop a passion for analyzing gender as well as ethnicity in different cultural contexts, specifically African culture. After learning tools to effectively communicate in professional settings and volunteering for two semesters, I interned at The Women’s Resource Center on campus and worked as a teaching assistant in the Communication Studies department. I have also won the Undergraduate Research Scholarship and Creative Activities Grant (U.R.S.C.A.), which I used to conduct research in Fez, Morocco for my project titled I Like the Color: Race and Ethnicity in Morocco.  I have also presented research at a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) conference titled Romance Never Dies: An Ethnographic Study of Romance Novel Enthusiasts which focused on an application of literary anthropology.
I believe that Communication Studies has prepared me for graduate school as well helping me become a well-grounded scholar. Public speaking, gender issues in communication, and intercultural communication prepared me the most with being able to engage with audiences and articulate the love I have for my areas of study. With everything I have learned I plan to complete graduate studies by combining my love for Communication and African Studies to one day be able to work for the United Nations.

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Featured Student

Gabrielle Narr
I am currently a Junior at Bloomsburg University in the Communication Studies major with a concentration in Organizational Communication. I also have a minor in Human Resources. The decision to choose this major and minor was the best decision I could have made as an incoming freshman. The classes I have taken in my major and minor have set me up to be successful in any career I choose. I am now an ethical thinker, organized, have great interpersonal skills, work well in diverse groups, and thrive as a public speaker. Not only have I gained these great skills, but being a Communication Studies major has given me the courage to get involved, which led to me joining my national sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma. Throughout my time in Phi Sigma Sigma I have held three leadership positions which are, scholarship chair, sisterhood development chair, and fundraising chair. I loved fundraising when I did it and it gave me the inspiration to want to pursue a career in Event Planning. Through my connections in Phi Sigma Sigma I received the opportunity to intern over the winter of 2017 at an event planning company called Philly2Night. During my internship I was involved in the process of planning and implementing events. I also worked closely with the events production manager. My favorite event that we planned was our New Years Eve Gala at the Seaport Museum. During my time as an intern at Philly2Night I gained real life experience, personal growth, field experience, and professional skill building. Throughout my time in the Communication Studies Department there have been two professors that have really stood out and helped me strive to be my best. Dr. Shavonne Shorter and Dr. Mary King have really been a great inspiration to me. They both encouraged me to be ambitious and do something that I never thought I would be able to do— achieve a 4.0 in the Spring 2017 semester. I also served as a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Mary King's Introduction to Communication Studies course. This provided an opportunity to build leadership and teamwork skills. I am very grateful for my professors and classmates that have helped me become the best version of myself. Communication Studies has prepared me for life after graduation, even if I'm not ready to graduate.

Department News:

April 2017 Newsletter

Publications

Kuang, K., & Wilson, S. (2017). A meta-analysis of uncertainty and information management in illness contexts. Journal of Communication. doi: 10.1111/jcom.12299

La Valley, A. G., & Kline, B. (2017). Observational measurement: Face features. In M. Allen (Ed.) The SAGE Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

La Valley, A. G., & Kline, B. (2017). Observational measurement: Vocal qualities. In M. Allen (Ed.) The SAGE Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Invited Lectures

Dr. Erin Brummett gave the final lecture of the Department’s 2016-2017 Scholarship Symposium series. Her talk, titled, “‘Race Doesn’t Matter’: A Dialogic Analysis of Interracial Romantic Partners’ Stories about Racial Differences,” was delivered on April 25.

Dr. Eric C. Miller contributed to a faculty panel titled, “Fake News: A Panel Discussion” on April 3. Sponsored by the Andruss Library, this event was moderated by Michael Coffta, and also featured Drs. Michael Hickey (History), Jennifer Johnson (Psychology), John-Eric Koslosky (Mass Communications), Claire Lawrence (English), Wendy Lee (Philosophy), and Neil Strine (Political Science).

Scholarly Activity

Dr. Eric C. Miller’s interview with journalist and author Emily Esfahani Smith appeared at Religion and Politics on April 4.

Student Achievement

The College of Liberal Arts held its annual Research and Creative Projects Day on April 28, featuring many contributions from Communication Studies students. Presenters included:

Uriah Alleman
“Your Communication at Work is Key”

Sarah Bartra
“Jealousy in Romantic Relationships Associated with the Use of Social Media”

Daijah Dunmyer
“Perceptions of Friends with Benefits Relationships”

Alexandra Echavarria and Brittney Alam
“Friends with Benefits”

Molly Hill, Christopher Pugliese, and Ahkeem Shaw
“Friends with Benefits Relationships: Purposes and Functions”

Jennifer Mastrangelo, Grace Woehrle, and Alyson McLaughlin
“Communicative Responses to Infidelity Among Romantic Couples”

Molly McMillen
“Satisfaction and Commitment Across the Marital Lifespan”

Julia Peters
“Casual Sex at First Sight: An Ethnographic Study on Gendered Nonverbal Communication within the Hookup Culture”

Jessica Quesenberry and Kaci Mclimoyle
“Athlete Attachment Style and Communication in the Coach-Athlete Relationship”

Kaitlyn Rhine, Jenna Mapes, Kasey Sullivan, Amy Loftus, and Nicole Kelly
“Individual Romantic Experiences of Unplanned Pregnancy”

Katherine Schmidt
“Relational Maintenance in Long-Distance Versus Geographically Close Romantic Relationships”

Victoria Snyder
“Does Computer-Mediated Communication Make the Heart Grow Fonder? The Study of CMC and Satisfaction in Long-Distance Relationships”

Alyshia-Marie Wright, Anne Mahoney, and Austin Mowery
“Trading Space: A Look at Conflict Between Long-Distance Relationships”

The Department also held its annual Top Student Research Colloquium as part of the festivities. The event was sponsored by the Lambda Pi Eta club. Presenters included:

Rebecca Demuth, "The Effectiveness of Animated Propaganda in the Cold War: An Analysis of Harding College's Make Mine Freedom"
Sofia Slovik, "Dakota Access Pipeline"
Kayla Tiley, "A Brave New Princess"

Dr. David S. Heineman served as respondent. Congrats to all our researchers!