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What's New:

Dr Shavonne Shorter was featured on the “Get to know your campus” video series. You can watch it here.

 

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Featured
Student

Josh Lloyd
I'm a BloomU senior in the Communication Studies major with a Leadership/ Public Advocacy concentration. I'm also majoring in Spanish and minoring in Arabic and Linguistics. I chose the Communication Studies major with a Leadership/ Public Advocacy concentration to complement my language major.
Here at Bloom, I'm the Editor-in-Chief of The Voice, our campus newspaper, and a member of the Tabletop Gaming Club. My overarching goal is a career in Foreign Services or entertainment journalism.
What I value most from the Communication Studies major is the versatility of the program. Great communication skills transcend all careers and cultures. This was never more evident than when I traveled to Costa Rica in Fall 2017 for a semester abroad, using skills I'd learned from both of my majors to observe, explore and learn as much as possible.
I definitely want to thank Dr. Erin Brummett for introducing me to the major way back in Fall 2015, when I took Interpersonal Communication. I also have to thank my advisor, Dr. Kai Kuang, for guiding me every step of the way and helping me with an ambitious Honors Program research project.
In all honesty, I have to thank the entire Communication Studies department, which goes above and beyond to make sure Comm majors have the best opportunities available to them after graduation and are prepared to surmount any challenges they might face in the professional world.

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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!