What's New

Congratulations to Amanda Weaver and her debate partner Tanisha Webster (Business Administration) for winning the 4th Annual Frederick Douglass Debate Society Tournament on Thursday, April 5th, 2018 at West Chester University. We are very proud of you!

 

Congrats to The National Communication Association Student Club (NCASC)! 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.

Please see our Communication Studies Newsletters:

The BU Department of Communication Studies is officially on social media! Please like our Facebook page and our Twitter page and share with friends who may be interested!

 

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.

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:
October 2016

Publications
King, M. E., & Theiss, J. A. (2016). The communicative and physiological manifestations of relational turbulence during the empty-nest phase of marital relationships. Communication Quarterly, 64, 495-517.

Presentations
Dr. Angela La Valley and Dr. Mary E. King presented at the 2016 Liberal Arts symposium before an audience of approximately 130 students. Their presentation, titled “Navigating Relationships and Dating,” highlighted interpersonal communication processes within romantic relationships in college that can lead individuals to success in maintaining healthy, satisfying relationships. Topics such as initiating relationships, flirtation,
respectful communication, romantic exclusivity, and jealousy were discussed.

Dr. Elizabeth Petre and Dr. Jim Petre also presented during the Liberal Arts Symposium on October 14. Their presentations were titled "Taking a Rhetorical Approach to the Job Search Process" and "The Basics of Saving and Investing," respectively.

Scholarly Activity
Dr. Eric C. Miller's interview with historian Nicole Hemmer appeared at Religion Dispatches on October 31.

Professional Development
Dr. Mary E. King attended a specialized training, "Integrating Salivary Bioscience into Behavioral, Developmental, and Health Science Research," on October 12, 2016 at Cornell University, NY. The training focused on exploring the basic and latest research advancements that help investigators integrate salivary bioscience into research.

Invited Lectures
Dr. Elizabeth Petre and Dr. Jim Petre delivered the second lecture in the department’s Scholarship Symposium Series on October 11. The talk was based on their recent book chapter, titled “Teaching Communication Consulting through Client Projects: A Rhetorical Approach.”

Dr. Mary E. King delivered a lecture via Skype for the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University on October 6.  Her talk was titled “From model to theory: Contemporary interpersonal communication research applying the Relational Turbulence Model.”

Dr. Shavonne Shorter was an invited speaker at the ACT 101 faculty meet and greet on October 18.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Shavonne Shorter received the 2016 Outstanding Educator award from The Women's Center, Inc. The award honors the recipients outstanding level of commitment either by response or direct efforts within their profession/community to victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Congrats, Dr. Shorter!