News

Internships Lead to White House

On a whim, Jessica Green (Communication '12) researched White House Internships during her final semester at NC State. Now, just months after graduation, she finds herself working in the Office of Correspondence for the First Lady.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=5939&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=internships-lead-to-white-house

Wolfpack Speaks draws large crowd

The sixth annual Wolfpack Speaks public speaking competition was held Tuesday, April 9 at Burns Auditorium/Kamphoefner Hall to a packed house. Five competitors presented a social values persuasion speech in the Pecha Kucha format (20 slides; 20 seconds per slide).

Peter Borden, junior in business, took first prize of $300. Glen Edwards, senior in political science with a concentration in international affairs, garnered second prize of $200. Nickolas Gresock, junior in communication placed third with a prize of $100. Grayson Furlough, junior in communication, and Robert Brackner, senior in communication, placed fourth and fifth, respectively and received $50 each.

Members of the COM 301 Advanced Presentational Skills class, taught by Sherry O'Neal, voted for the five student competitors.

Wolfpack Speaks speaker prizes were sponsored by David Young and the reception was sponsored by Pearson Higher Education.

Andy Binder working in research in communications to better understand how scientists and engineers can converse with the public

Communication and the hard sciences are on two opposite ends of the educational spectrum. However, according to Andrew Binder, an assistant professor in communication, the combination of the two can be vital for both fields.

http://www.technicianonline.com/features/article_15751f2a-92a6-11e2-9fe2-001a4bcf6878.html

Organizational Communication in the News

Joann Keyton (North Carolina State University) suggests some key “Takeaways” on the story about Yahoo eliminating telecommuting beginning in June.

No Worries for New Teachers

New teachers fret a lot. They worry whether their students will like them, walk over them, question their credibility or worse—learn nothing worthwhile. In her 12 years directing teaching assistant development in the Department of Communication, Professor Deanna Dannels has coached hundreds of new teachers and hears these very concerns.

Alum helps produce winning Super Bowl commercial

On Super Bowl Sunday, more than 108 million Americans crowded around their televisions. Some were in it solely for the game, and others were interested in the commercials. Chris Crutchfield (Communication '06) was one watching the commercials closely. He had worked on a commercial for a Doritos-sponsored contest. But no one knew whether the commercial would be one of the top two contest entries and earn airtime. The commercial Crutchfield produced did air during the Super Bowl. Although he and his team didn't win any monetary awards, their efforts continue to win them recognition.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=5340&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alum-helps-produce-winning-super-bowl-commercial

Following sports -- through a viewfinder

When Communication alum Tim Tew watches sports, he has a different vantage point than most fans. He watches games through an inch-and-a-half viewfinder. Tew is a freelance cameraman. He is a regular on ESPN’s crew for Monday Night Football games in the NFL and has been on the sidelines for several Super Bowls. But his favorite assignments may still be ACC basketball games.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=5260&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=following-sports-through-a-viewfinder

The Secrets of Public Speaking

Public speaking is an everyday act of forming a thought, then quickly organizing and delivering that thought in a powerful, engaging way. So says Elizabeth Nelson, the new Communication 110 director in the Department of Communication. So why do we often dread speaking publicly at work, even when it's understood speaking well leads to promotion, defuses problems and reduces stress? Learn the secrets of public speaking.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=5245&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-secrets-of-public-speaking

Sitting Pretty with Simply Sitting

CHASS alumna Ginny Hager (Communication '08) started babysitting when she was 13. She has continued to hear from parents who struggle to find trustworthy, dependable sitters. So this entrepreneur created Simply Sitting, a service that connects families to the best babysitters in their area.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=5031&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alumna-sits-simply-as-owner-of-her-company

Alum Blogs About Placemaking

Kristin Jeffers makes a place for urban planning, or "placemaking," in her blog, The Black Urbanist. Started in 2010, Jeffers' blog was simply an outlet for her to communicate her passion for city planning and development to potential employers. The blog later turned into a guide for her current career and influences what notions to put into action.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=4853&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alum-blogs-about-placemaking

Across the Great (Disciplinary) Divide: Tips on Science Communication

Andrew Binder is an assistant professor in communication who specializes in science communication and how citizens perceive science issues. In this guest post, Binder shares some insights on what researchers stand to gain from sharing their findings with those outside their fields.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=5024&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=across-the-great-disciplinary-divide-tips-on-science-communication

Lauding Larson

Bob Larson, a Department of Communication lecturer for the past 14 years, was honored at a reception held to applaud his teaching excellence and to publicly announce the creation of the Bob Larson Communication Award. The award was funded by a local communication business that has employed many of Larson's former students and is meant to reward outstanding students who are focused on a career in public relations.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=4966&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lauding-larson

November Student of the Month - Kelly Darden

Sophomore Kelly Darden is the CHASS student of the month. The Communication major's advice to incoming students? Take risks, network, and create yourself.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=4794&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=november-student-of-the-month-kelly-darden

Pints of Science at Tir Na Nog

From Dr. Andrew Binder, Deptartment of Communication:

On behalf of myself and Gabe Zilnik, thanks to everyone who made our latest Pints of Science event a success. Early next week I’ll have a video of Dr. John Godwin’s talk on the science of fear on my YouTube channel for those who may have missed out. The next event will be Tuesday November 27th with Dr. John Millhauser on “Talkin’ Turkey: What Archaeology Reveals About the Global Roots of the Thanksgiving Meal.” As always, starting at 7:00pm at Tir Na Nog in downtown Raleigh.

 

Meanwhile, you can check out the first Pints of Science event, featuring Dr. Rob Dunn discussing (among other things) how fungus is controlling our lives:https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KhW_dEw78L0. And keep up to date with future events by liking us on Faceboook (http://www.facebook.com/PintsofScience) or adding us to a circle in Google+ (https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/103154885489924545382/103154885489924545382/posts). Hope to see you next time!

Hope is Not Lost, It's Wearable

For pediatric cancer patients, hope is not lost. Student entrepreneur Jessica Ekstrom has founded Headbands of Hope to help fund cancer research and spread hope to all girls. For every headband purchased, one is given to a girl with cancer and $1 is donated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation to fund life-saving childhood cancer research.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=4291&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hope-is-not-lost-its-wearable

CHASS Alumnus Has a Heart for the Underdogs

Jon Powell never considered going to law school until his NC State communication professor, Dr. Ed Funkhouser, mentioned that one of his other communication students was taking that route. Today, Powell directs Campbell Law School's Juvenile Justice Project.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=4236&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chass-alumnus-has-a-heart-for-the-underdogs

Helping Water Reclamation Projects Account For ‘Yuck Factor’

NC State communication researcher Andrew Binder focuses on public attitudes toward science. Binder is leading a national survey on water reclamation that will include questions aimed at determining how consumers communicate with each other about the risks and benefits of reclaimed water, and what steps might be taken to incorporate public input into a water utility’s decision to augment water supplies using reclamation.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=3846&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=helping-water-reclamation-projects-account-for-%25e2%2580%2598yuck-factor%25e2%2580%2599

Dissertation on Visual Thinking Earns Recognition

All too often, doctoral candidates toil in obscurity over their dissertations. But CHASS alum Kelly Martin has earned high recognition for hers. NC State University nominated “Thinking Visually: A Guide to Research Methodologies and Contexts” for the nation’s most prestigious honor for doctoral dissertations, the Council of Graduate Schools /UMI Distinguished Dissertation Award in Social Sciences.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=3816&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dissertation-on-visual-thinking-earns-recognition

Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes: What the Public Thinks

Researchers from NC State University have conducted the first nationally representative survey in the United States to gauge public opinion on the use of genetic manipulations to drive down mosquito populations and related diseases. While public support varies, depending on how the mosquitoes are characterized, a plurality opposes the effort when potential risks are explained.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=3674&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=genetically-engineered-mosquitoes-what-the-public-thinks

CHASS Welcomes New Tenure-Track Faculty

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences welcomes 18 new tenure-track faculty to its ranks. Their research interests range from forensic psychology to the religions of East Asia. Meet these stellar scholars, researchers, and teachers.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=3580&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chass-welcomes-new-tenure-track-faculty-3

50 Days, 50 Meals

Two NC State students are traveling the world this summer. Austin Simmons and Andrew Vanover have organized their adventure around food: through "50 Days, 50 Meals," they want to share a meal with a different stranger every day, and in so doing, "hear their stories, hear their perspectives on various topics, and learn from different cultures."

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=3468&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=50-days-50-meals

Meet Researcher Adriana de Souza e Silva

Associate Professor of Communication Adriana de Souza e Silva is the subject of a video created by students in COM 437 - Advanced Digital Video, in the Department of Communication. de Souza e Silva researches how people use location-based technologies--like cell phones that know where you are--and how the use of such technology affects our experiences of spaces, especially urban spaces. She is also exploring how low-income communities, particularly those in the developing world, appropriate technologies.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=2938&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=meet-researcher-adriana-de-souza-e-silva

Meet Industrial Organizational Psychologist Lori Foster Thompson

Professor of Psychology Lori Foster Thompson is the subject of a video created by students in COM 437 - Advanced Digital Video, in the Department of Communication. Foster Thompson studies and teaches industrial and organizational psychology, that is, the psychology of the workplace. Most recently, she has been researching how technology is affecting our experience of work. She is also passionate about how industrial psychology can make the world a better place.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=2913&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=meet-industrial-organizational-psychologist-lori-foster-thompson

Meet Historian Blair Kelley

Associate Professor of History Blair L. M. Kelley is the subject of a video created by students in COM 437 - Advanced Digital Video, in the Department of Communication. The video highlights Kelley's research and her passion for teaching. Kelley's research has focused on the social movements that undergirded change for African Americans. Among the courses she teaches are oral history and the civil rights movement. This semester she co-taught "The South in Black and White" with Duke University historian Tim Tyson. Students enrolled from campuses throughout the Triangle to explore the history of race in the South.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=2924&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=meet-historian-blair-kelley

Interns connect classroom to careers

An article in the Technician highlights two CHASS students who are participating in the State Government Internship Program. Susan Camilleri, a graduate student in public administration, is interning with the Department of Administration, where she's assisting the legislative liaison with tracking bills. Cody Munson, a sophoomore in communication, is working with the Division of Governance Office within the Department of Transportation. The two students are among 56 students chosen from across the state for the prestigious internship program that helps students connect classroom material to potential careers.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=3194&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=interns-connect-classroom-to-careers

Study Highlights How Twitter is Used to Share Information After a Disaster

Assistant Professor of Communication Andrew Binder has published a study showing how people used Twitter following Japan's 2011 nuclear disaster and highlighting challenges for using the social media tool to share information. Binder's study indicates that social media haven’t changed what we communicate so much as how quickly we can disseminate it.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=3149&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-highlights-how-twitter-is-used-to-share-information-after-a-disaster

Durham Bulls Serve as Inspiration for Alum's Novel

James Bailey (Communication ’93) grew up in Seattle loving baseball. When his mom moved to North Carolina in 1990, Bailey followed and landed a job with the Durham Bulls. His passion for minor league baseball -- and his love of the Bulls -- inspired him to write his first novel, The Greatest Show on Dirt.  “There’s something about the minor leagues [...]

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=2772&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=durham-bulls-serve-as-inspiration-for-alums-novel

COM Week 2012

NC State has numerous traditions and events, and next week welcomes an old favorite with new and exciting features. Join us for COM Week 2012 from March 26 – 30, featuring workshops, lectures, networking events, and panel discussions.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=2502&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=com-week-2012

Local and Mobile

Local and Mobile, an international conference being held at NC State University, brings researchers from a range of disciplines together to discuss how mobile technologies--from smart phones to GPS devices--are changing our thinking about our own identities, our sense of privacy, our notions of place and space, our civic and political participation, our policy making, and our everyday consumption. Adriana de Souza e Silva, associate professor in NC State's Department of Communication, is chairing the conference.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=2418&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=local-and-mobile

Project Aims To Improve HIV/AIDS Prevention Materials For African-American Women

African-American women make up a disproportionate number of HIV/AIDS cases in the United States. Researchers from NC State University--including faculty from the Department of Communication--are trying to change that, leading a National Science Foundation project aimed at developing HIV/AIDS prevention materials that resonate with African-American female college students.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=2249&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=project-aims-to-improve-hivaids-prevention-materials-for-african-american-women

Graduating Prepared to Succeed

Morgan Donnelly (Communication and Political Science '10) says the willingness of NC State professors to mentor students helps strengthen character traits that job recruiters find attractive. Her experience confirms a 2010 Wall Street Journal survey that rated NC State among the top spots for job recruiters looking to hire the best trained and prepared graduates entering the job market.

http://news.chass.ncsu.edu/?p=2068&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=graduating-prepared-to-succeed

CHASS welcomes new tenure-track faculty

A warm welcome to these new tenure-track faculty members who are joining NC State's College of Humanities and Social Sciences. ... Read More

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Perceived Media Bias Can Lead To Political Action

Politicians should be careful when they rail against mainstream news media. A study from NC State's Department of Communication shows that perceived bias of media outlets can lead to increased political engagement – but only on specific issues. When there is a general perception of bias in the news media, it actually results in increased apathy among citizens.  ... Read More

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Hope, Unscripted

A documentary by Will Lamb (Communication, '11), featuring members of the Wolfpack family rallying together in support of NC State's GLBT students, faculty, staff and alumni, has drawn international attention while helping to shed light on change and acceptance ... Read More

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Amazing Alumni Series Presents Cash Cab Writer

CHASS alumnus Greg Volk '03, a writer for the popular Discovery Channel show Cash Cab, will take part in the NC State Libraries' Amazing Alumni series later this month. Volk has won two Emmys for his work on Cash Cab, which gives people cash for correctly answering trivia questions during taxi rides around New York City. The [...]

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Researchers Find Cancer News May Contribute To Confusion About Cancer

Researchers at NC State's Dept. of Communication show that most online news stories about cancer contain language that likely contributes to public uncertainty about the disease – a significant finding, given that at least one-third of Americans seek health information online.  [...]

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A Chat With Zach Galifianakis

Former NC State student Zach Galifianakis fondly recalls his days as a Communication major -- and particularly faculty member Jim Alchediak -- before embarking for the Big Apple and a well-received comedy and acting career.

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The More We Talk, The Less We Might Agree: Study Shows Discussion Can Hurt Consensus-Building On Science/Technology

When it comes to public issues pertaining to science and technology, “talking it out” doesn’t seem to work. A new study from NC State University Department of Communication's Andrew Binder shows that the more people discuss the risks and benefits associated with scientific endeavors, the more entrenched they become in their viewpoint – and the less likely they are to see the merits of other points of view.  [...]

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Fall CHASS Alumni Enewsletter

The CHASS Fall Enewsletter is available. Catch up with our alumni, students, and faculty, and see what's new.

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CHASS Welcomes Seven New Tenure-Track Faculty Members

 CHASS welcomes seven new tenure-track faculty members to the college.

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No Laughing Matter

Laughter can play key roles in group communication and group dynamics – even when there’s nothing funny going on. That’s according to new research conducted by Professor of Communication Joann Keyton that examined the role of laughter in jury deliberations during a capital murder case.

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Head of His Class

Meet Bob Larson, lecturer in the Department of Communication, successful entrepreneur, renowned public-relations guru and notoriously meticulous editor. PR student intern Candace Jones profiles Larson on NC State's home page.

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Competitors show enthusiasm in public-speaking competition

Darius Parker named first place winner at "Wolfpack Speaks" To read the article in the Technician Online, click the link below.

http://www.technicianonline.com/features/competitors-show-passion-in-public-speaking-competition-1.2146018