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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:
February 2018

Honors and Achievements

The National Communication Association Student Club (NCASC) was selected as the 2018 Bloomsburg University Student Organization of the Year for their outstanding work in the areas of leadership, programming, and service. The club is Co-Advised by Dr. Shavonne Shorter and Dr. Paula Hopeck.

Dr. Shavonne Shorter was elected as the Central Regional Director of the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education at the annual conference in Harrisburg.

Dr. Shavonne Shorter received the Central Region Award for selfless devotion and outstanding service to the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education at the annual conference in Harrisburg.

Publications
Long, Z., Buzzanell, P., & Kuang, K. (2018). Chinese Post80s generational resilience: Implications of Chengyu as guides for constituting harmonious careers. International Journal of Business Communication. doi: 10.1177/2329488417747598

Workshops

Dr.s Erin Brummett and Kai Kuang co-presented a TALE Seminar on February 22nd entitled, How to Effectively Develop Inclusive Classroom Environments: Strategies from Evidence-Based Teaching. This session tailored strategies learned from their attendance at the 2017 Lilly Conference to faculty at BU to explore how faculty can facilitate inclusive classroom environments for themselves and their students. A specific focus was given to Culturally Responsive Teaching strategies faculty can use to assist their students in improving their interpersonal and intercultural interactions on the BU campus.

Scholarly Activities

Drs. Eric Miller and Kara Shultz traveled to Dayton, Ohio from February 19-21 to complete the first of four training sessions at the Kettering Foundation. Committed to improving the quality of public discourse and deliberation, Kettering hosts a series of research exchanges every year. These attract participants from universities, non-profits, local governments, and other institutions to study and practice the art of productive discussion. In time, Drs. Miller and Shultz hope to use this training to develop public deliberation projects both within the Department of Communication Studies and the Bloomsburg community.

Dr. Eric Miller published a pair of interviews. His conversation with political scientist Andrew R. Lewis appeared at Religion Dispatches on February 9, and his conversation with historian Alec Ryrie appeared at Religion & Politics on February 20.

Dr. Shavonne Shorter presented at the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education conference in Harrisburg on the Frederick Douglass Institute Collaborative of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

The Husky Student Leadership Summit (HSLS)

The Husky Student Leadership Summit (HSLS) took place on Saturday February 24, 2018 at Kehr Union, and included participation from Communication Studies faculty and students. Drs. Kai Kuang and Elizabeth Petre served on the HSLS planning committee, registered attendees at the event, and promoted the HSLS to the campus community. Communication Studies majors Courtney Enderline, Jolene Drum, Nicole Donlick, and Jennifer Galer presented their session entitled "Water Cooler Talk and Locker Room Talk: An Ally's Guide to Getting into MINT Condition" at the event. This presentation was developed in Dr. Petre's Leadership and Team Building class during the Fall 2017 semester, and featured interactive activities to help students learn how to recognize and respond to problematic and seemingly mundane talk. The HSLS ended with a closing networking event led by Dr. Petre that was supported by the Bloomsburg University Husky PAWS (Peer Awareness with Students).