Several faculty, students, and alumni from Communication Studies Department presented and received awards at the recent Central States Communication Association (CSCA) conference recently. CSCA is the third largest communication studies association in the world. As the first vice president, Chad McBride, PhD, professor and chair of the department, was the primary program planner for the conference and transitioned into the role of president of CSCA through next year’s conference.
Faculty Highlights
Will Cooney, PhD, resident assistant professor, presented “Tracing Education’s Rhetorical Force: Reading the Paideia in the Formation of Students.”
Amanda Holman, PhD, assistant professor, and Jay Leighter, PhD, associate professor, presented on a panel “Creating a Multidisciplinary Dialogue About Community-Based Research Partnerships of Health and Medicine” at this year’s Central States Communication Association conference.
Erika Kirby, PhD, professor, co-led the Organizational and Professional Communication Interest Group for lunch and a presentation at Table Grace and presented on the “Ask Me Anything” panel where Senior Scholars in organizational communication answered questions.
McBride presented his work, ““Personal Privacy Orientations: A Look at Core and Catalyst Criteria that Shape Discourses in the Work-Spouse Relationship” with co-authors Allison R. Thorson (University of San Francisco) and Karla Mason Bergen (College of Saint Mary), which also won the Diamond Anniversary Award for Top Paper in the Organizational and Professional Communication Division.
Sheri Shuler, PhD, associate professor, presented her work “Always a Bridesmaid: An Analysis of the Tensions and Meanings Experienced in the Bridesmaid Role” along with undergraduate students Emily McKenna and Ashlee Kolbe.
Student Highlights
Two COM Seniors and one SUS senior presented their work in the Undergraduate Honors Conference of CSCA.
“The Facework Techniques Used to Parent an Adolescent with Autism” Valerie Pederson, Creighton University. Adviser: Sherianne Shuler
“Exploring the Culture of Trust in Mixed Ultimate” Cat Henning, Creighton University. Adviser: Sherianne Shuler
“’Ranchers’ as Observationalists: The Socialization of New Ranchers in the Sandhills” Michael Kototajlo, Creighton University. Adviser: James Leighter
Alumni Highlights
Communication Studies alumni and current assistant professor at Xavier University, Dr. Ashley Hinck, presented her work, “Building Civic Culture Online: Two Decades of Political Organizing in the Online Harry Potter Fan Community.”
