msu communicator 2009

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Communicator 2009 College of Communication Arts and Sciences M a k i n g a n i m p a ct : l o c al l y t o gl o b a l l y Leadership Pages 3-5 2009 Alumni Awards Pages 8-9 Career Resources Page 23

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The Communicator is published each year by the College of Communication Arts & Sciences for alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the college.

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Page 1: MSU Communicator 2009

Communicator2009College of Communication Arts and Sciences

Makin

g an im

pact: loca

lly to globally

LeadershipPages 3-5

2009 Alumni AwardsPages 8-9

Career ResourcesPage 23

Page 2: MSU Communicator 2009

INSIDE THIS COMMUNICATOR2009 Communicator

The Communicator is published each year by the College of

Communication Arts & Sciences for alumni, faculty, staff and

friends of the college.

College of Communication Arts & Sciences,

287 Communication Arts & Sciences Building,

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824

Email: [email protected]

Dean Pamela Whitten

Editor: Kirsten Khire

Contributors: Edward Cohen, Bridgette Gregory, Phyllis Kacos,

Andrea Kovac, Nicole Marble, Tom Oswald, Brittany Smith

Designer: Colleen MaxwellCovers/illustrations: Alex Smith

Photographers: Kevin Fowler/

dharma bum graphics, Christa Milster, Amanda Ross,

Jordan Sweet

Printing Manager: MSU Printing

Printing: Dobb Printing

Copyright © 2009Michigan State University

College of Communication Arts & Sciences

All rights reserved.™

College Alumni Board

Ed Cohen, President

Carla Wilson-Neil, Vice President

Lee Scott, Treasurer

Lindsay Warren, Past President

Jim Alexander

Thomas Baldwin

David Coelho

Nancy Crawley

Brian Hamrick

Jeff Lambert

Matt Martyn

Barbara Mason

Angela Massenberg

Erika Myers

Diane Neal

Jana O’Brien

Steve Schram

Ed Swiderski

3 CAS Alumni Board President

4-5 CAS Leadership

6-7 Major Gifts

8-9 The Celebration

20-21 Journalism Milestones

22-23 Amazing Internships

24-25 Student Awards

28 Upcoming Events

10-11 Alumni Stories

12-13 Children’s Central

14-15 ICT in Tanzania

16-17 Impact in Mexico

18-19 Film/Media Arts Initiative

There’s even more in our online edition:

cas.msu.edu/communicator

Page 3: MSU Communicator 2009

CAS ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT

At pretty much every turn, you’re hearing or reading about the economy and for nearly all of us, the twists of employment statistics, business downturns (especially in Michigan), and the monumental changes in the media landscape are having an effect. As president of the College of Communication Arts & Sciences Alumni Board and as someone directly involved in the radio business, I have a first-hand view.

In these uncertain times, it’s important to continue to support our students, our college and its mission. Of course, direct financial support is most appreciated, but there are other ways you can be involved with the college. For example, did you know that part of your MSU Alumni Association dues come back to the college? If you’re not an MSUAA member, consider joining now. The benefits are worthwhile and it shows your support not only for MSU, but also for our college.

You can connect to the college and with fellow alums through a number of options. Whether you choose LinkedIn, Facebook or visit the college’s website (www.cas.msu.edu), you’re part of a much bigger community of more than 40,000 alumni throughout the world. There is no need to tell you the value of networking, but you should be aware this network already exists and can help you.

Do you know a CAS alum who has made a

significant contribution in his or her field? You can nominate that person for an outstanding alumni award. For more than 30 years, the college has put a spotlight on the wonderful contributions of alums who have made a difference. As board president, I had the great pleasure of meeting this year’s winners and introducing each of them at both the commencement ceremony and the alumni awards dinner in May.

Speaking of nominations, the Alumni Board has taken on the commitment to permanently fund the Faculty Impact Award. I’m sure you remember many of the faculty that helped shape your MSU experience and your career. This award gives us the chance to let the best of the CAS faculty know how much they gave us and to do so in a very tangible way. And you can be part of the Faculty Impact award by nominating

a faculty member currently in the college who helped change your life.

The college is on the ascent. Thanks to the great work of former Dean Chuck Salmon and interim Dean Brad Greenberg, the foundation is in place for future growth under our new dean, Pamela Whitten. All of us on the board are excited and energized by Dean Whitten’s recent appointment and you’ll read more about her in this issue of the Communicator.

Be part of the college. We want your support and your involvement in whatever way works best for you. Thank you.

For more info on how to get involved, contact Andrea Kovac at [email protected].

Cohen meets a student at the college’s Speed Networking event in February. Amanda Ross/CAS

Ed Cohen, BA Telecommunication, PhD Mass Media

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 3

ThANk yOU TO INTERIM DEAN GREENBERG

University Distinguished Professor Emeritus Bradley Greenberg served as interim dean of the college during the national search for a permanent dean.

An MSU faculty member since 1964, Greenberg served as chairperson of the Department of Communication from 1978 through 1983. He also chaired the Department of Telecommunication from 1984 through 1990. He was honored with the title of University Distinguished Professor in 1990.

To contact Dr. Greenberg, email [email protected].

Interim Dean Bradley S. Greenberg hands a diploma to a new CAS graduate in May. Kevin Fowler/dharma bum graphics

Page 4: MSU Communicator 2009

hONORING DEAN SALMON’S 5 yEARS

Charles Salmon, the seventh dean in the history of the college, is in the midst of a two-year appointment in Israel, where he is teaching, cultivating new international partnerships, and launching several new research and outreach projects in the Middle East.

Prior to his departure, members of the MSU community and friends of the college turned out on Jan. 12 to bid farewell and to honor him for his five years of leadership as dean.

Merri Jo Bales, college alumni board president from 2003-2005, welcomed guests and introduced speakers MSU Trustee Faylene Owen; MSU Provost Kim Wilcox; the college’s first alumni board president Edward Deeb; veteran MSU administrator and host Jim Potchen; Director of the Health and Risk Communication Center Sandi Smith; and Interim Dean Bradley Greenberg.

Jim Spaniolo, the college’s sixth dean and current president of the University of Texas-Arlington, flew up from Texas to attend the event. Also in attendance was Ned Brandt, the person most responsible for establishing the college’s first named professorship in its (then) 40-year history. This honorary position, the Ellis N. Brandt Professorship in Public Relations, was awarded to Salmon in 1994, and was instrumental in his recruitment to MSU from Emory University.

MSU Trustee Faylene Owen wished Salmon well, saying, “Your peers respect you, your students adore you, and because your heart is in the right place, this is why they feel the way they do about you. We expect your time away from us to be very temporary, and that you must return to us.”

MSU Provost Kim Wilcox, an alum and faculty member of the college, presented “Ode to a Dean,” a poem he wrote in honor of Dean Salmon.

Potchen, a former dean from Johns Hopkins who has been an MSU department chair for more than thirty years, told Salmon, “You are one terrific dean. I know because I’ve worked for most of them.”

Ed Deeb presented Salmon with the Distinguished Service Award from the Michigan Food and Beverage Association for “outstanding and unselfish dedicated service to Michigan State University and Michigan’s young people.”

Staff members from the dean’s office debuted a surprise video tribute that they crafted in honor of Salmon and some of the highlights of the past five years.

Salmon recalled fond memories of his service as dean. “I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with the most dedicated and effective dean’s office staff on campus, to collaborate on research with some of the greatest minds in our field, and to enjoy the sense of community that characterizes our college. I am very proud of our students, alumni and

faculty for their achievements, and grateful for their support.”

Prior to becoming dean of the college, Salmon served as Director of the Mass Media PhD Program; founding Director of the MA Program in Health Communication; Senior Associate Dean; Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research; and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to teach and conduct research in Israel in 2001, which resulted in the book, Into the Fire: A Post-9/11 American in Tel Aviv.

To contact Dr. Salmon, email [email protected].

The MSU community honored former dean Charles Salmon during a special reception on Jan. 12. Here, Salmon (second from left) with former Alumni Board presidents Gary Mescher, Bill Castanier, Merri Jo Bales, and Edward Deeb. Jordan Sweet/CAS

“I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with the most dedicated and effective dean’s office staff on campus, to collaborate on research with some of the greatest minds in our field, and to enjoy the

sense of community that characterizes our college.”

4 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

Page 5: MSU Communicator 2009

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 5

Pamela Whitten, who has served MSU for more than 11 years, is the eighth permanent dean of the college.

Whitten, a longtime professor and most recently associate dean of the college, was approved by the MSU Board of Trustees on June 19. Her appointment was effective July 1.

“Pamela’s academic credentials, administrative history, and active research and teaching agenda will serve her well in her new role as dean,” said MSU Provost Kim Wilcox.

Whitten is a professor in the college’s Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, and served as associate dean for research and graduate studies for the past several years.

In her administrative role, Whitten directed the college’s Research Office and oversaw all graduate programs and opportunities in the college.

In her faculty position, Whitten is responsible for conducting technology and health-related research, as well as teaching graduate and undergraduate courses.

She began her MSU career in 1998 when she was appointed assistant professor in the Department of Telecommunication. Moving quickly up the ranks, Whitten was promoted to associate professor in 2001 and full professor in 2004. She also has served as a research fellow in the College of Human Medicine, Institute of

Health Care Studies (1998-2004), director of the Health Risk and Communication Center (2004-05) and program director of MSU’s Family Research Initiative (2006-07).

Prior to coming to MSU, Whitten was on faculty at the University of Kansas Medical Center where she launched and administered a telemedicine program for the state of Kansas.

Before joining academia, Whitten worked in the private sector as director of corporate communications for an American bank in Germany and public relations director for a metropolitan hospital.

Whitten’s research interests have focused mainly on the use of technology in health care, specifically telehealth and telemedicine. She is interested in using technology to bring health services and education to underserved populations.

Whitten earned a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University, a master’s from the University of Kentucky and doctorate from the University of Kansas.

INTRODUCING DEAN whITTEN

MESSAGE FROM DEAN whITTENI look forward to working very closely with our extensive network of loyal, dedicated alumni in my new role as

dean of the college. In my first year, I seek to facilitate evolution of the college and continue to propel the college forward. Some of my goals include:• continuing to focus the College of Communication Arts & Sciences. The college has top rankings and a high

reputation in the areas of health & risk communication, new communication technologies, and international/intercultural communication. Those areas are natural areas of focus for our college and we can build on them.

• advancing our college by finding new ways and sources for fundraising and support. MSU and many other state universities are receiving less state support than ever. We have a strong alumni base and we have a strong advancement office. We can help you as alumni and friends and we ask that you help us when you can. Our students and programs need your support.• developing our college’s resources and people. In recognition that the coming year will most likely include an increasing economic downturn, I want to ensure that our personnel maintain a sense of fun and pride in their many accomplishments. We are an amazing college, and I encourage you to pay us a visit and get back in touch very soon.

To contact Dean Whitten, email [email protected].

Page 6: MSU Communicator 2009

Faculty from the Michigan State University Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing have received a major in-kind software donation.

In April, Interactive Edge donated more than $757,000 worth of the latest version of business software called XP3 for classroom use to leverage data more effectively. A previous software donation by the company has been used in classes over the past few years with tremendous benefits, according to the department.

The upgraded software will allow students in the department to better analyze and present data in a way that is consistent with industry practices, said Linda Good, faculty member and associate chair of the department.

“Our department is very grateful for this continued support from Interactive Edge, which helps our students tremendously. With this software, we are able to prepare students to both query databases to identify answers to research

questions and then present the findings in a visually appealing and professional manner,” Good said.

Faculty member Jessica Carlo said the gift also will help students gain a competitive advantage as they approach the tight labor market upon graduation.

“XP3 is a professional industry-level, SAP-certified software used by companies such as Anheuser-Busch, Diageo, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Quaker Oats, Gatorade, and many more. Job interviewers were really impressed with former students’ use of professional-grade analytical tools,” Carlo said.

Rich Tibbals, director of technology and facilities in the college, says such gifts greatly enhance the opportunities for students – both today and in the future.

“Our college is constantly seeking to provide state-of-the-art technology solutions in the classrooms and labs, and such tools also help us to recruit future students and can even help

positively affect our rankings,” he said.“We are pleased to offer Michigan State

University XP3 Suite, our data analysis/presentation software, as it will help to prepare the future leaders in the consumer products, food and retailing industries with the best in class technology to prepare them for the opportunities ahead. Interactive Edge strives to be on the cutting edge with updates that allow for more effective use of many different data sources including our latest integration with space management and shopper insights data,” said Zel Bianco, president and CEO of Interactive Edge.

For more information about Interactive Edge, go online to www.interactiveedge.com.

For more information on making contributions, contact Cara Boeff, director of advancement, at [email protected].

Join us at 2 pm on Friday, October 16 (during MSU

Homecoming weekend) for the dedication of the Three

Mothers Patio, made possible by a gift from Richard Bush

and Patricia McGuigan, this year’s CAS Honorary

Alumni Award winners. Bush envisioned the patio as a

way to honor three mothers, scholars, and Spartans in his life: Ruth Cady Bush,

Phyllis Spring Petrullo, and June Bercin Snyder. This

special celebration will occur before the MSU Homecoming

Parade. Join us!

Fundraising Campaign suCCessFulThe Knight Center for Environmental Journalism successfully concluded its $2.2 million fundraising campaign by raising $150,000 for its endowment during the past year. “The center raised $450,000 with $150,000 in matching funds during the past three years from more than 1,600 donors. This capital campaign has been very challenging — particularly during the past six months — because of the ongoing recession,” said Knight Center Director Jim Detjen. “I sincerely thank all of our many donors whose generosity during a difficult economy has enabled us to reach our goals,” he said.

For more information on the Knight Center, go online to www.ej.msu.edu.

Software company provides major in-kind donation to department

6 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

Page 7: MSU Communicator 2009

62009 | The CommuniCaTor | 7

Tim Whaley has been in Texas for the past 26 years, but his Spartan connections have never been stronger.

Whaley (BA ’81 Advertising) is founder and CEO of EnviroGLAS, a recycled glass manufacturing company that produces customized flooring and counters made of recycled glass from many sources. EnviroGLAS products have been featured in national media and on HGTV programs such as Dream Builders, Small Space, and Red, Hot and Green. And his work recently garnered a Texas environmental awareness award.

After receiving a letter and questionnaire from Michigan State University to submit a career update, Whaley responded and the reconnection process began. In the process, he rekindled his MSU spirit.

Over the past year, Whaley has pledged a generous cash contribution to the MSU Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing, and to the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. Both gifts are very meaningful to Whaley, who is a member of the Beaumont Tower Society.

“As an advertising student at MSU, I remember the exact details of my Advertising 486 course, a client campaigns course still going strong today. Our team’s client in 1981 was Michigan Asparagus. That semester, I learned a lot about asparagus and a lot about advertising. The course was one of my most memorable while at MSU and helped me develop skills to get my first job.”

In April, Whaley participated as a client for the same course he was in 28 years ago.

“It was an amazing full circle feeling to be on the other side of the table giving students feedback about their presentations, which were amazing,” Whaley said. “We are hoping to implement fresh ideas from these presentations.”

Whaley’s commitment to the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism matches his

passion for the environment and his company’s green stance. His gift will help support student internships in environmental journalism.

“I believe it’s very important to leave your mark. As I reflect on what I learned, it happened to be here at MSU. I’m validating that in my pledges,” he said.

Whaley’s career began at Owens Corning

in commercial roofing. In 1999, after 19 years in the business, Whaley began to seek out entrepreneurial ideas to develop his own company. “A friend in the terrazzo flooring business said ‘help me out, let’s make this more artistic,’” Whaley said. They began creating samples – and trying to create a new market. Then in July 2002, he read an article in the Dallas Morning News that changed his life. A Plano, Texas company was seeking markets to use their crushed glass.

“I thought, why not use recycled glass for the flooring, instead of cutting marble out of a mountain? Why not recycle and help create a sustainable product?” he said.

Whaley worked closely with his mentor Mattia Flabiano Jr. of American Terrazzo Company to get the idea off the ground. He developed a patent in 2004, and applications of the new recycled floor began – from a city office vestibule, a sustainable school, and more recently the MSU Stadium entrance and Chemistry Building entrance.

“MSU has really stepped out about designing with sustainable materials,” Whaley says, “and I’m very proud to be part of that commitment.”

In 2007, Whaley established EnviroGLAS, and now makes products from crushed mirrors, beer bottles, aluminum shavings, stained glass, mother of pearl, and clear glass – all that otherwise might go to the landfill if not recycled by other companies. Whaley is an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council. He is also working with Kohler to develop products using recycled porcelain. Recent developments with IKEA mean his products will be more available than ever.

“It’s a gratifying experience and a win-win for the environment and the clients. We create products that are conversation pieces and truly one of a kind,” Whaley said.

For more information about EnviroGLAS, go online to www.enviroglasproducts.com.

For information on making contributions, contact Cara Boeff at [email protected].

Tim Whaley (BA ‘81 Advertising) showcases the EnviroGLAS flooring at the MSU Stadium entrance. Jordan Sweet/CAS

Entrepreneur gives back to advertising and environmental journalism

Page 8: MSU Communicator 2009

8 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

the celebration

On May 9, friends of the college gathered for The Celebration: 2009 Alumni Awards Banquet at the Kellogg Center. This year, the college honored nine outstanding individuals. Alumni Board President Ed Cohen served as emcee for the event. Here are some thoughts from their speeches.

RICHARD BUSH AND PATRICIA MCGUIGAN, Honorary Alumni Award, founders of the Organ Donations Communication Initiative, the Three Mothers Patio, and The Art of the Start course. On giving: “Giving opens up a positive, whole new way of thinking in your life and the profound feelings it brings with it – those are strong and deeply rewarding feelings about helping others and helping something that you truly love; we receive a gift, when giving.”

CHRIS HANSEN (BA ‘71 Telecommunication), Outstanding Alumni Award, correspondent for NBC News’ Dateline NBC: “I can tell you honestly that I owe a lot of my success to the education and training and experiences that I had right here at Michigan State University.”

ANDREW MACMILLAN (BA ‘99 Telecommunication), Rising Star Alumni Award, Vice President of Product Management for Oracle Enterprise Content Management: “I think the college’s new programs are enabling people to go into fields like product management and application architecture—I think those are some of the jobs that companies are looking to fill.”

MARK HOLLIS (BA ‘85 Communication), Outstanding Alumni Award, Athletics Director for Michigan State University: “I didn’t have a chance to go through commencement as an undergrad as our basketball team was playing on the road and I was a manager at the time, so yesterday was my first chance to go through commencement, and it was a very special moment for me.”

MERRI JO BALES (BA ‘77 Communication), Outstanding Alumni Award, Director of StrategyDevelopment, Communication and Integration for Consumers Energy: “When I think about this college and this university, I am always proud to say—Go Green.”

JAN LEWIN (PhD ‘94 Audiology and Speech Sciences), Outstanding Alumni Award, Associate Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery and the Director of the Section of Speech Pathology and Audiology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: “This honor really represents one of the most memorable events of my career.”

DAVID WEITzNER (BA ‘60 Advertising), Outstanding Alumni Award, active teaching professor at USC and former president, Worldwide Marketing for MCA/Universal Studios: “Throughout my career, the one thing that I have always held to, I learned here—the efficacy of the relationship between a brand and a consumer…I owe it to Michigan State.”

FRANK BOSTER, Faculty Impact Award: “Nietzsche pointed out that students repay us poorly if they remain students always. Perhaps a corollary is that they repay us well if they become peers and colleagues. If so, then my former students have repaid me very well.”

Listen to each winner at youtube.com/

msucommarts

Left to right: Frank Boster, Andrew MacMillan, Bradley Greenberg, Mark Hollis, Merri Jo Bales, Jan Lewin, Ed Cohen, and David Weitzner at The Celebration in May.Kevin Fowler/dharma bum graphics

Page 9: MSU Communicator 2009

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 9

the celebration

Above:Professor Frank

Boster in class. Boster received the 2009

Faculty Impact Award.

Right: Mark Hollis with an MSU student

athlete. Hollis received a 2009

Outstanding Alumni Award.

beLoW: 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award winner David

Weitzner with an MSU student.

LeFt: Chris Hansen talks to MSU students. Hansen received a 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award.

beLoW: 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award recipient Jan Lewin in her lab.

Merri Jo Bales, far left, with former dean Charles Salmon and alum Edward Deeb. Bales received a 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award.

Page 10: MSU Communicator 2009

10 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

Susan Packard (BA ‘77 Advertising/Honors College, MA ‘79 Advertising) was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame on Oct. 16 at a celebration held in Denver, Colo.

Packard is president of brand outreach for Scripps Networks, responsible for aligning corporate citizenship activities with the business agenda of Scripps Networks, a division of E. W. Scripps. Her work maximizes the value of the lifestyle brands to the parent company, clients and to the consumer. The brands include HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network, Fine Living TV Network and Great American Country (GAC).

Susan was cofounder of HGTV and served in many leadership roles, including chief operating officer. She also served as president of Scripps Networks New Ventures, where she oversaw the development and launch of DIY Network

and Fine Living. Prior to her current post, she was president of worldwide distribution for the Scripps cable brands.

Susan began her cable career at HBO then moved to NBC to help found CNBC. She brought her extensive experience to HGTV. Under Packard’s helm as chief operating officer, HGTV became one of the fastest growing cable networks in television history. Today HGTV is available in more than 95 million U.S. homes and distributed in 170 countries and territories. Susan helped to build Scripps Networks to a market value of over $6 billion.

Susan has been recognized by industry peers, colleagues and employees as an innovator, pioneer, role model and mentor. She received the Woman of the Year award by Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) and was profiled in Modern Visionaries, a book

chronicling the contributions of women to the cable and telecommunications industry. Contemporary Economics, a high school textbook, profiled her as an entrepreneur in the field of media specialization. Cablevision magazine cited her as one of “12 Most Powerful Women in Cable,” and CableWorld magazine honored her among “The Most Influential Women in Cable.” Most recently, she was the recipient of the 2007 YWCA Tribute to Women Award in the business and government category. In 2004 she became the first woman elected to serve on the board of directors of Churchill Downs, Inc. (the Kentucky Derby).

Susan was named an Oustanding Alumni Award winner of the college in 2003.

To view pictures from the event, visit www.cablehalloffame.com.

alumna inducted into the Cable hall of Fame

Commencement 2009: Honoring our newest alumsOn May 8, the college added another 1,200

graduates to the 41,679 alumni from the college over the past 54 years.

Almost 1,100 undergraduates and more than 100 graduate students became part of the college alumni family at commencement ceremonies that day.

Interim Dean Bradley Greenberg welcomed attendees to the undergraduate convocation. The featured speaker at the undergraduate ceremony was Hollywood executive and alum David Weitzner, who has almost 50 years of experience and leadership in the entertainment industry. Weitzner also received the college’s 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award at commencement. Ashley Rittenhouse, a communication senior, sang The Star Spangled Banner and MSU Shadows accompanied by the MSU Wind Symphony. Sandra Szymanski, a communication senior, spoke on behalf of her student class. Students Stephanie Barth, an advertising senior, and Christine Sheffler, a communicative sciences and disorders senior, were recognized for their 2009 Board of Trustees Awards. College Alumni Board President Ed Cohen introduced the 2009 Alumni Award recipients and the winner of the 2009 Faculty Impact Award, Professor Frank Boster of the Department of Communication.

At the MSU advanced degrees ceremony, the featured speaker was Dan Rather, former anchor of CBS News. Rather spent the afternoon with students in the college, and he personally congratulated master’s and Ph.D. students at the advanced degrees ceremony.

Commencement ceremonies are online at www.wmsu.org.

ABOVE: The College of Communication Arts & Sciences commencement on May 8. Amanda Ross/CAS

LEFT: Dan Rather met journalism students during a visit to CAS before speaking at the advanced degrees ceremony. Amanda Ross/CAS

After going

to the NCAA

Final Four,

MSU men’s

basketball

player

Goran Suton

graduates

with a degree

in retailing.

Kevin Fowler/

dharma bum

graphics

Page 11: MSU Communicator 2009

Telecasters’ 20th anniversary a successful productionBy BriTTany SmiTh

Network. Drive. Patience. These are three things that will help anyone trying to break into the media industry, according to six panelists at a recent college event.

On Oct. 11, more than 80 Michigan State University alumni and current students attended MSU Telecasters: Alumni Bash & The ShoW 20th Anniversary at the Communication Arts & Sciences Building.

The event kicked off with a panel, which consisted of Hollywood director Greg Harrison (BA ̀ 92 Telecommunication), freelance producer/production company owner Richard S. Hansen (BA ̀ 95 Telecommunication and English), Conan O’Brien Show writer Aaron Bleyaert (BA ̀ 01 Telecommunication), CEO/Technology Architect Kevin Daymont (BA ̀ 88 Telecommunication, MA ̀ 91 Telecommunication), reporter/anchor for WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit Christy McDonald (BA`94 James Madison College) and actor Jeff Witzke (BA ̀ 92 Communication).

Following the discussion was a luncheon, studio tour, and networking session. The event concluded with a discussion on the set of The ShoW. “This industry is hard, but easy,” said Bleyaert to current students. “Nothing is beneath you, so do even the smallest task. Keep that fire alive because it will take years to get to the place where you can do what you’re doing right now (in the Telecasters).”

The panel talked about their own experiences making it in the industry and advice for future anchors, television producers and writers. “This is not like a banker where you work 9 to 5. When you first start out, expect to work weekends and holidays. You have to work your way up,” said McDonald. “But it’s worth it because you’re a touchstone to those in your community. You get to start fresh every day.”

The event connected alumni and students involved with MSU Telecasters. The organization was created in the early 1950s

as a stepping stone for student producers and crew interested in careers in television. Students gain hands-on experience by creating, producing, writing and starring in their own productions. Today, Telecasters produces three shows, including The ShoW that was created in 1988 by Harrison and Scott Grayson (BA ‘90 Telecommunication). Taking the ordinary happenings of college dorm life and transforming it to the small-screen, The ShoW is the nation’s longest-running college sitcom.

“I’m blown away that it’s still going strong,” said Grayson. “It took a lot of time, but doing this show convinced me that this was something I

wanted to do as a career. I had a passion for it.”Aside from The ShoW, as executive producer

and senior David Cooper explained, the entire organization is a strong foundation for students. “Not many people can say they produce their own shows,” says Cooper. “I wanted to do this since middle school. Telecasters definitely gives you the experience.”

As a result of the reunion’s success, MSUAA granted MSU Telecasters a charter. The group is now an officially-recognized Alumni Interest Group. To join, go to telecasters.msu.edu/alumni.

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 11

top: The ShoW reunion included memories from alumni, networking session, and a celebration reception. Jack Tarantino/CAS

LeFt (LeFt to Right): Bob Albers (advisor), Pam Saunders (alumna), Ryan Alloway (executive producer), Stella Cash (Alumni Association), Maureen Enright (alumna) and David Cooper (executive producer) with the official MSU Telecasters Alumni Group charter in May. Kevin Fowler/dharma bum graphics

“I wanted to do this since middle school. Telecasters definitely gives you the experience.”

—David Cooper

Page 12: MSU Communicator 2009

MSU and Michigan Children’s Trust Fund come together to fight child abuseBy Tom oSwald

Michigan State University and the Michigan Children’s Trust Fund have formed a partnership to determine just how much power the media have over children.

The Michigan Children’s Trust Fund is working with MSU Children’s Central, a research collaborative in the Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing. They are studying marketing messages and free Internet games aimed at children.

The ultimate goal of the three-year project, said department chairperson Richard Cole, is to better understand the power of the media on children and to turn this information into new methods of protecting children.

“This affiliation provides hundreds of MSU students and faculty members with an opportunity to become actively involved in research, outreach and educational efforts aimed at reducing child abuse and neglect in Michigan and supporting the ethical treatment of its children,” Cole said. “It gives the department faculty and students a clear mission and new energy for developing and using powerful promotional skills to make a real difference in our state.”

As part of the collaboration, the Michigan Children’s Trust Fund is providing a three-year grant worth $370,000 which will allow faculty to continue to conduct research and pursue additional funding on a variety of issues related to the prevention of child abuse.

MSU research interests include the short- and long-term effects of media and marketing on children. Other areas include the identification of effective advertising and other communication efforts to prevent child abuse; the promotion of fundraising and volunteering activity to support local and statewide efforts to prevent child abuse; and Internet safety and security for children.

Children’s Trust Fund interim director

Paul Shaheen said preventing child abuse, in all forms, “requires a greater and broader attention to advocating for positive treatment of all children in the state. While we can’t let our guard down on the need to prevent what we normally think of as child abuse, it is time we expand our thinking to include the more subtle form of abuses that may be occurring.

“TV programs, advertising, and free online and rental video games that may be harming our children are important areas to investigate, and we are fortunate to have a relationship with scholars at MSU who are so willing and able to help us in this effort.”

The Children’s Trust Fund is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. The fund’s board is housed within the Michigan Department of Human Services. Since 1982, the fund has raised more than $60 million and has provided support to more than 6 million Michigan children and their families.

The MSU Children’s Central research collaborative is composed of faculty members from the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, under the direction of advertising professor Nora Rifon.

“Children are the most vulnerable

targets for marketing messages,” Rifon said. “It’s time we aggressively pursue research and programming that respects our families and that demands the ethical treatment of children by our society.”

The collaborative also will provide funding for as many as 25 faculty “innovation awards” over a three-year period. These grants will stimulate child-abuse prevention-related pilot studies of MSU faculty members in more than 20 departments across the campus.

Professor Emeritus Bradley Greenberg, longtime media effects researcher, and two faculty members of the Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing – Nora Rifon and Elizabeth Taylor Quilliam – also will serve as co-chairs of an international conference on child abuse prevention and the ethical treatment of children in East Lansing in November 2009. The Journal of the American Academy of Advertising has appointed Rifon to serve as co-editor of a special issue of the journal dedicated to exploring issues relating to potential harm of media and marketing on children.

For more info, go online to childrenscentral.msu.edu.

“It’s time we aggressively pursue research and programming that respects our families and that demands the ethical treatment of children by our society.”

12 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

A student presents promotional campaign ideas to the Michigan Children’s Trust Fund. Jordan Sweet/CAS

—Nora Rifon

Page 13: MSU Communicator 2009

By niCole marBle

Forty undergraduate students in Michigan State University’s Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing have accepted volunteer internships working in non-profit agencies as a result of efforts stimulated by the department’s relationship with Michigan’s Children’s Trust Fund (MCTF).

The students, mostly undergraduates, are getting a unique opportunity to build their resumes with on-the-job communications projects designed to prevent child abuse and support other important community efforts, said Richard Cole, professor and department chair.

The project to place student interns in non-profit agencies is an outgrowth of the unique relationship between MSU and MCTF, the foundation that serves as the state’s child abuse-prevention agency.

Three MSU communication-related classes developed student-directed projects aimed at the prevention of child abuse during the most recent MSU semester.

Classes in social marketing, promotions and sponsorships, and integrated campaigning rely on clients, normally small to mid-sized businesses, to provide real-world marketing communication experiences.

At the conclusion of the spring semester classes, Nicole Marble, an APRR project manager and graduate student, inventoried students in these and other classes about their interest in spending part of their summer vacation helping the Children’s Trust Fund and its local affiliates around the state get the word out on child abuse. “More than 100 students stepped up,” said Marble.

Due to the overwhelming response, the MSU department and MCTF jointly approached Michigan Non-Profit Association (MNA), a statewide coalition of more than 1,100 Michigan-based non-profit organizations. Cole, a former volunteer board chair of MNA, describes non-profit agencies as a perfect place for students to gain real-world marketing communication experience, and in some cases, “these volunteer assignments turn into full time jobs for young graduates,” he said.

Students volunteer as summer interns at Michigan non-profits

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 13

Among the summer internships:• MCTF’s offices (Lansing)• CTF affiliates around the state • Detroit Historical Society (Detroit)• Michigan Federation for Children and Families (Lansing)• Grand Rapids Symphony (Grand Rapids)• Brighton National Addiction Foundation (Brighton)• American Diabetes Association (Detroit) • JARC (Farmington Hills) • Gateway Counseling Center (Madison Heights) • The Baldwin Center (Pontiac)• Lewton Elementary School (Lansing)• American Red Cross (Lansing)

Page 14: MSU Communicator 2009

By BriTTany SmiTh

At Michigan State University, computers and the Internet are fixtures in everyday life for students. Students even have the Internet on their phones. So imagine a world without computers or the luxury of the Internet. Sounds unfathomable right?

Yet, for a small, rural town in northern Tanzania, that is not a far-fetched dream. That’s reality. And for the past year, MSU has been attempting to bring this town into the world of technology. With everything going online, including newspapers, classes and even paying bills, it has become a necessity to have at least basic computer skills.

The Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Corps is a multidisciplinary group that has been working on a project in Tanzania. ICT Corps is a collaboration of the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media with the College of Engineering. Their first project: installing computers at Baraka, a primary school outside Arusha, Tanzania.

For MSU faculty and students involved, the harsh environment is a challenge, but changing the lives of the children has overshadowed everything else. “We wanted to develop a system to improve the lives of the students. This school had no power grid, no water and poor infrastructure,” said Kurt DeMaagd, telecommunication, information studies, and media assistant professor who traveled to Tanzania for the project.

In December, DeMaagd, along with engineering faculty and students from MSU and University of Dar es Salaam helped

install one computer and connect it to four monitors in the school. ICT Corps has gone to Tanzania twice since, each time for two weeks. The students not only put their technological skills to work, but also their cultural skills before leaving the program. Students learn basic Swahili as well as Tanzanian culture and history.

“The idea is that students will get international experience that they can use for the rest of their lives and learn about different people and cultures. It’s a true eye opener.” said Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media Associate Professor Jennifer Olson, who is also part of the ICT Corps.

Olson, who has spent the last 10 years working on research projects in East Africa, focused on the social aspect of the project. “This was a very satisfying experience because my past work is researching, but this was different,” said Olson. “We brought them something that was more than just results, something they could utilize. It was fun.”

According to DeMaagd and Olson, the students at Baraka had never seen a computer before. Some had never even heard of one, which really gave them and MSU students a glimpse into the lives of millions of poor people who live in developing nations. Both returned to the village in May for three weeks along with MSU students as part of a new study abroad program. The next step is to study how the computers impact the students.

“It changed my world because you see the developmental challenges and experience the frustrations they go through,” said

DeMaagd. “We’re hoping to expand to other developing countries, but this is a start.”

For more information, contact Kurt DeMaagd at [email protected] or Jennifer Olson at [email protected].

Above: MSU students raise a solar panel to

install on the school. Courtesy photo

ICT Global Corps students head to Tanzania

“we brought them something that was more than just results, something they could utilize. It was fun.”

14 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

—Jennifer Olson

Page 15: MSU Communicator 2009

“It changed my world because you see the developmental challenges and experience the frustrations they go through.”

—Kurt DeMaagd

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 15

Kurt DeMaagd (fifth from right) and Jennifer Olson (far right) with residents of Arusha, Tanzania and with MSU students and colleagues.Courtesy photo

An MSU student shows a Tanzania resident a new solar panel.Courtesy photo

The MSU study abroad group in Tanzania. Courtesy photo

Page 16: MSU Communicator 2009

By BriTTany SmiTh

For the last decade, communicative sciences and disorders associate professor Peter LaPine and his students have traveled to a clinic in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico to improve the speech of people with cleft palate, a mouth deformity. Now he is also trying to improve their health and social conditions and he has some fellow faculty to help.

Communication Associate Professor Maria Lapinski and Journalism Associate Professor Manuel Chavez have started traveling with LaPine to this vastly growing city, located near Cancun. Lapinski is trying to improve prenatal care and Chavez is working with the local media to better inform the public about health issues.

“We are trying to understand how culture influences people’s decisions and I feel our work is making an impact,” said Lapinski.

In an area where many residents live in poverty and with a government-regulated media, access to proper medical care has become a huge challenge. Lapinski went to Playa in November and interviewed pregnant women to find out if they received prenatal care from medical experts.

Most of them did not. “We think that one of the reasons cleft palate is so common here

is because of poor prenatal care,” said Lapinski, who studies health communication and social influences in diverse environments. “Many of the women we talked with do not have access or do not use prenatal care that is available. We wanted to do something preventive and getting information about women’s beliefs and behaviors about pregnancy is a start.”

Lapinski plans to return to the clinic and using their feedback, find options for pregnant women so they can receive prenatal care.

Chavez wants to better inform people about health issues, such as cleft palate. Chavez studies international media, particularly in Latin America, and he went to Playa to meet with other college professors and journalists to change how health is reported.

“There are about four or five newspapers in Playa and most of the coverage was on politics and soccer,” said Chavez. “There are a lot of environmental and health issues like lack of safe water and cleft palate

that the Mexican media ignore. MSU is trying to do something about that.”

He said part of the problem is the government is very strict on the information they’re willing to release to the public, but the media must demand more. By informing, people become empowered and issues can be solved.

“They have to be more proactive. Journalism is about being the watchdog, not the lapdog,” said Chavez. “We know the door is closed, but you still have to fight. Just kick it in.”

To learn more and contribute to the Playa Project, contact Peter LaPine at 517.432.7044 or [email protected].

Above, LeFt to Right: A parent and child in Mexico with MSU students Jennifer Riehl, Krystie Rojek and Tamra Ross. Courtesy photo

Multidisciplinary faculty team makes impact in Mexican community

“We’re trying to understand how culture influences people’s decisions and I feel like we’re making an impact.”

16 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

— Maria Lapinski

Page 17: MSU Communicator 2009

Q: HOW LONG HAVE yOU BEEN LIVING IN MExICO? A: I’ve been living in Cancun, Mexico since 1984. I first arrived in Mexico on Jan. 7, 1982 as part of MSU’s Overseas Study program. At that time I studied Spanish and the Mayan culture for one semester in Merida, Yucatan.

Q: yOU WERE A TRANSLATOR AT THE CLINIC. HOW LONG HAVE yOU BEEN FLUENT IN SPANISH? A: After studying Spanish at MSU (as part of my Latin American studies) and then the intensive Spanish with the Overseas Study program, by the time I started residing in Cancun my Spanish was pretty good. However, I’d have to say that I still needed practice to improve my vocabulary. So, I’ve probably been fluent for the past 20 years. Q: HOW WAS THE ExPERIENCE WHILE AT THE CLINIC? WHAT DID yOU GAIN FROM IT?

A: The experience was very positive – especially for my daughter. For me personally, it was a thrill to be able to work with staff and students from my alma mater! It felt good to be part of such a noble project and meet Spartans involved in helping people in need right here in my community. Q: IN yOUR VIEW, HOW IS MSU TRyING TO MAKE A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE OF PLAyA DEL CARMEN? A: I’ve just recently become aware of MSU’s involvement in Playa del Carmen since a friend of mine is now working in the administrative office at the Angel Notion clinic. From what I could see, the local population greatly appreciates the

efforts of MSU’s doctors and grad students. They bring not only their expertise, but they also give hope to those children with health issues and their parents. Q: ANy OTHER THOUGHTS? A: I’d like to say it was a real pleasure to meet Dr. Peter Lapine and his students. Also, it was a chance for me to show my daughter not only the importance of helping others, but that by knowing two languages, she can serve as a link between people. The work she saw being done by MSU down here has inspired her to continue with efforts to benefit the clinic.

Q&Awith alumna Theresa Carpinelli (BA ’82 Communication), a translator at the clinic in Mexico where Peter LaPine worked in March. Carpinelli is managing editor of The USA TODAy Mexican Caribbean edition.

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 17

MSU faculty Peter LaPine, alumna Theresa Carpinelli, and MSU faculty Larry Prokop from the College of

Osteopathic Medicine in Mexico. Courtesy photo

Page 18: MSU Communicator 2009

Film and media arts initiative makes community impactBy KirSTen Khire

The college’s film and media arts initiative has received a boost this year. The college has long offered quality degree programs for film-related careers. The college has a solid group of alumni involved in the film business, ranging from actors to producers to sound designers to directors and storytellers.

In January 2009, former dean Salmon appointed former Discovery Films executive Andrea Meditch as head of the initiative.

During spring semester, CAS was alive with visiting documentarians as part of the Doc Series organized by Bob Albers of the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media. Speakers included Macky Alston, Marketa Luskacova, and Andrea Meditch. All presentations were free and open to the public.

Then in March the college partnered with Lansing Community College and Capital Area Michigan Works! to prepare Michigan residents seeking employment in the state’s growing film industry.

Michigan enacted an aggressive film incentive program in April 2008, which through the end of last year, saw 35 film and TV projects completed, amounting to more than $125 million in economic activity.

With a grant of $195,000 from the state of Michigan, Capital Area Michigan Works! oversaw a joint training program between MSU’s Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media and Lansing Community College’s Digital Media, Audio, and Cinema program to provide on-campus film production training.

Charles Steinfield, chairperson of the MSU

department, says the training program is a wonderful example of state partnership – with economic benefits.

“This training partnership demonstrates our commitment to community outreach, and also to the growth of the film industry in Michigan,” Steinfield said.

The MSU department worked with LCC faculty to provide 80 hours of training to prepare Michigan residents who are seeking jobs in the film industry, such as production assistants and other below-the-line film jobs. The program graduated 60 Michigan residents in June.

Competitive scholarships from Capital Area Michigan Works! covered the full cost of the program for the students selected.

TOP: Documentarian Macky Alston speaks in the college during the Doc Series.

Courtesy photo

ABOVE: Michigan residents at MSU during the Michigan film training certificate program. Christa Milster/CAS

18 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

“This training partnership demonstrates our commitment to community outreach, and also to the growth of the film industry in Michigan.”

—Charles Steinfield

Page 19: MSU Communicator 2009

Andrea Meditch, a noted film executive producer whose credits include the 2009 Oscar-winning film Man on Wire and Oscar-nominated film Encounters at the End of the World, has joined the college as director of the Film and Media Arts Initiative.

The new initiative is designed to work collaboratively with Michigan’s burgeoning film industry. Specifically, she will serve as a liaison between the college and the film industry, with much of her work focusing on the film industry’s needs related to work force, and what kind of training/education people need if they want to work in the film industry.

Meditch is working with the Michigan Film Office and industry leaders to create opportunities for MSU students, while helping to grow Michigan’s film and media arts industry.

“There is a great deal of film and media arts activity occurring across multiple media platforms at the university. Bringing the activity and energy together is key to creating increased opportunities for students and faculty. This will pave the way for the concentration of expertise to reach out to the broader public and to industry,” Meditch said.

Meditch comes to MSU from Maryland-based Discovery Films, the theatrical arm of Discovery Communications, which she launched and built, overseeing the development and production of Discovery Films’ portfolio of theatrically released documentaries.

In addition to executive producing Man on Wire, which received a 2009 Academy Award and took both the jury and audience awards for World Documentary at Sundance 2008, she executive-produced the Oscar-nominated, award-winning Encounters at the End of the World.

She also executive-produced the Emmy-nominated In the Shadow of the Moon, which won the World Documentary Audience Award at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, and the documentary Grizzly Man, which won the Alfred P. Sloan award at Sundance in 2005

and captured the praise of critics coast-to-coast during its theatrical run.

Meditch was at Discovery from 1995 to June 2008 where, prior to being vice president of Discovery Films, she was head of development for the Discovery Channel. There she brought in such hit series as Myth Busters, and such internationally recognized special events as The Real Eve. In 1995, she helped launch and build Discovery.com, one of the first big content sites on the Internet, eventually serving as editorial director.

She has served on select industry advisory boards, including Cinema Eye, and as a trustee for the International Documentary Association. She has juried numerous film festivals, including most recently the U.S. Documentary jury at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

Meditch earned a doctorate in linguistic anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science degree in communications from Northwestern University.

To reach Andrea Meditch, email [email protected].

TOP: Andrea Meditch with the 2009 Oscar for Best Documentary for Man on Wire. Meditch was executive producer of the film. Courtesy photo

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 19

Director celebrates big at the Oscars

Andrea Meditch

Several Michigan State University student-produced and faculty-produced programs received 2009 regional Emmy awards by the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at the awards ceremony on June 6.

The student-produced news TV program Focal Point based in the MSU School of Journalism received an Emmy in the category of student production: news for Show #4, featuring post-election coverage from fall 2008.

“It feels great to have MSU recognized for the quality work they do to prepare us for our fields of study,” said Matthew Myall, a Focal Point reporter and recent journalism graduate.

The students listed on the Emmy award are:

• Matthew Myall (journalism)• Pavel Kofman (journalism)• Brent Krzystan (telecommunication,

information studies and media)• Brandie Hansen (journalism)• Anisa Abid (journalism)• Courtney Williams (journalism)“It feels amazing to be recognized for

all of our hard work,” said Brandie Hansen, a Focal Point reporter and journalism senior. “I love being able to say that I’m a part of an Emmy award-winning team.”

Their faculty advisor is instructor Bob Gould of the School of Journalism.

Instructor Troy Hale, who teaches in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, received an Emmy in the category of Education/Schools for an MSU Marching Band story that ran on the Big Ten Network and MSU Today TV.

For more info, go online to www.mi-nta.org/EmmyWinnerslist09.pdf

ABOVE: MSU students at the Emmys with faculty member Troy Hale, center. Courtesy photo

Students and faculty receive Emmy awards

Page 20: MSU Communicator 2009

1919 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

By BridgeTTe gregory

Michigan State University’s School of Journalism took a step toward a new journalism community on May 11. Almost 20 Michigan journalism experts took part in the daylong session, the beginning of a conversation that will continue and heighten during the school’s coming centennial celebration. (see article below)

The panel discussed how to commit or do journalism while maintaining core values, such as fairness, accuracy, balance, ethics, and deadline, as well as generate revenues to support the enterprise and attract news consumers, viewers, and readers. They presented ideas answering the question, challenged each other and answered the studio and online audiences’ questions.

One group talked about creating a new device for journalism. Another discussed the possibility of philanthropy and micropayments to pay for news. And the third group explained ways to revamp the current newspaper and newsroom.

The studio audience was comprised of local journalists, faculty, students, and other members of the community. To encourage the use of new journalism the school taped the summit and streamed it live on spartantv.msu.edu. As many as 84 people were watching the discussion online and chatted and tweeted about it. Others

got involved by using the summit’s Twitter, blog or looking at photos on Flickr.

Janet Mason, general manager of WZZM, thought it was great to have MSU leading this event. She said many organizations have been trying to come up with a new newspaper model and having a third party will help the synergy.

Jonathan Morgan, another panelist and multiplatform editor at the Detroit News agrees. “Universities have a lot of

resources,” said Morgan. “Marshalling a whole bunch of resources will help new ideas.” He hopes the members of the panel can start testing the ideas soon in newsrooms.

For further information on the summit and to continue the conversation, visit www.msujrn.org.

The archived version of the summit is available for further viewing at www.spartantv.msu.edu.

20 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

MSU J-School’s ReThink News Summit starts a conversation

Journalists,

faculty and

students share

perspectives

on the future of

journalism at

the summit.

Christa Milster/

CAS

CELEBRATE 100 yEARS OF JOURNALISM EDUCATION AT MSU!In the 2009-2010 academic year, the School of Journalism will be celebrating 100 years of journalism education at MSU. The first class was in the Agriculture College in 1909. We formally

became a School of Journalism in 1929-30.We will be celebrating throughout the academic year with lectures, visits by alumni, a special homecoming celebration, and a dedicated effort to raise our endowments to support students, faculty research efforts (creative, professional and scholarly), training and technology. For more info, go online to jrn.msu.edu.

Page 21: MSU Communicator 2009

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 21

Michigan State University journalism student Kelly House has won first place and a $5,000 scholarship in the Hearst National Writing Championship.

In April, House won first place in college spot news writing in the 49th annual William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program and advanced to the June championship.

House was one of 24 finalists who participated in the 49th annual Hearst Championships this June in San Francisco where they demonstrated their writing, photography, radio and television skills in rigorous on-the-spot assignments. The assignments were decided by media professionals who judged the finalists’ work throughout the year and at the championships. Winners were announced during the final awards ceremony on June 6.

House, who will be a journalism senior in the fall, said it was an intense couple of days.

“As finalists, we reported and wrote three

stories in two days, so it was definitely pretty stressful. For the first story, we were told to go to Golden Gate Park, find a story and write it. I wrote about how the city’s budget crunch was visibly affecting park services and projects. The second and third assignments centered on an interview with activist, author, actor and

musician Peter Coyote. We were required to write a news story based on the information gathered in the interview, as well as a profile of Coyote,” House said.

House, who has a summer internship at the Louisville Courier-Journal, has spent four semesters working at the State News. She said winning the championship was only part of the reward.

“It was nice to win, but the best part of the experience was interacting with my peers from other colleges and getting to know industry professionals and soak up their knowledge. The whole experience – from the assignments, to the people I met, to the time spent in San Francisco – is one I’ll never forget,” House said.

In 2006, Melissa Domsic (BA ‘07 Journalism) received the first place national writing championship award.

By BridgeTTe gregory

Faculty from the college will present a new documentary film this fall, called Arabs, Jews and the News.

The film premieres on Sept. 21 on WKAR.The film covers Metro Detroit reaction to

news coverage about the 2006 war in Lebanon. Dearborn has the largest population of Arabs outside the Middle East. The film aims to show the evolving relationships between Arab-Americans, journalists and Jewish-Americans in Dearborn.

Geri Zeldes of the School of Journalism is the producer and Bob Albers of the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media is the director. They have been working on the film since 2007 through an MSU grant.

“All of us have learned a great deal about the effect of events and problems outside our borders on those of us who live within the U.S.” said Albers. “The conflict in the Middle East

has ruptured the long standing relationship between the Jewish and Arab communities in Metro Detroit.”

The 30-minute film features interviews with MSU academics, students, and reporters from both the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Arab American News, Jewish News, and Arab American National Museum.

Filming the documentary. Courtesy photo

ALUM WINS PULITzER

M.L. Elrick (BA ‘90 Journalism), along with the staff of the Detroit Free Press, has won a 2009 Pulitzer Prize in the local reporting category.

Elrick and fellow Free Press reporter Jim Schaefer were the first to uncover incriminating text messages between former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his chief of staff Christine Beatty.

Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice on Sept. 4 and served four months in jail.

The two reporters were honored in April at the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame ceremony with a new award, the 1st Amendment Watchdog Journalism Award.

The college has at least seven previous Pulitzer Prize winners, including faculty member Eric Freedman, and alumni Richard Cooper ‘69, Andrew Guy ‘96, Howard James ‘58, Beth McCoy ‘03, Ariel Melchior Jr. ‘62, and Jim Mitzelfeld ‘84.

A new film hopes to bring understanding to Dearborn communities

Journalism student receives national Hearst Championship

Kelly House at the championship. Photo courtesy of Jakub Mosur/Hearst

Journalists,

faculty and

students share

perspectives

on the future of

journalism at

the summit.

Christa Milster/

CAS

Page 22: MSU Communicator 2009

From Conan to India, students find rewards in amazing internshipsBy BriTTany SmiTh

Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media senior Michael Jordan didn’t have much internship experience.

Yet, he landed his first one at the Late Night Show with Conan O’Brien in New York City during spring semester 2009, a major accomplishment when other students have two and three internships prior to being considered.

According to Jordan, it was an event he helped plan in October that opened the door for him. “During the MSU Telecasters 20th anniversary, I met one alumnus who now works at the Late Night Show,” said the Baio, Mich. native. “I told him I was interested in television production and working there. He told me to send my resume and he was able to get me in.”

Jordan used his connections, but he also had qualifications. He is the web director and associate director of MSU Telecasters, an organization where students produce, write, direct and star in their own shows.

“This internship has been amazing. It’s great to see the production side of things and also how show business is managed,” said Jordan. “Telecasters helped me a lot because I’m used to making television and when producers use certain terms, I know what they’re talking about.”

Jordan is one of hundreds of MSU students who landed an internship this year. The college emphasizes the importance of having at least one internship before walking across the stage at commencement.

For retailing senior Shweta Sharad Bobade, her internship took her all the way to Bombay, India last summer.

She worked at Aditya Birla Retail Limited, a division of the $28 billion corporation Aditya Birla Group, as a supply chain intern. Bobade heard of the internship while studying abroad in Europe and sent her resume to the corporation. Right after her study abroad

program, she packed her bags for Bombay. It wasn’t being in a foreign country that made it

hard for Bobade to adjust, who is originally from Bombay and moved to Lapeer, Mich. in high school, but rather the work culture.

“I’m familiar with Indian culture, but it was the work

environment that was hard because you work longer hours there, yet it’s more laidback,” said Bobade. “I learned that working overseas, you have to be patient and learn to adapt to the work environment. But it was amazing because I learned real-world experience. I still keep in contact with my co-workers.”

Jenni Lewis, a senior majoring in journalism with a PR specialization, has had five internships. The Southfield, Mich. native began interning right after high school.

“My first one was at the Detroit Free Press the summer after I graduated high school. Others included one at Bailey & Associates and last summer it was at General Motors. Besides my Free Press internship, the others were public relations internships,” she said.

Lewis said the internships have helped her to narrow her career interests.

“Before I came to Michigan State, I didn’t even know what public relations was. I worked at the Free Press and freelanced at the State News and I didn’t really enjoy that. I still wanted to write, but I wanted to interact with people more and help plan events. So my advisor suggested public relations and I fell in love with it. I love networking with people and meeting people of different cultures, making them feel at ease.”

To develop internship opportunities or for more information about internships, contact Paul Jaques at [email protected].

22 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

BOBADE

LEWIS

Student Michael Jordan in the Late Night Show chair in New York. Courtesy photo

Page 23: MSU Communicator 2009

By BriTTany SmiTh

One talk with a neighbor would change Nick Lucido’s life forever.

He didn’t know much about public relations and he was about to enter his freshman year at Michigan State University. He came to found out that this neighbor owned a public relations firm in Troy, Mich. and the allure of this field

drew the Sterling Heights, Mich. native in almost immediately.

“I asked him about public relations and once he went into what it was about, I knew it would be something I would be interested in,” said Lucido.

If it wasn’t for that one conversation, he would have never achieved as much as he has at MSU. In only three years, the advertising junior has many public relations accomplishments. He is president of MSU’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), works in the advertising department of the State News and writes a blog, where he posts his take on the PR world.

However, his efforts reached a pinnacle on Feb. 9 when he was named recipient of the 2009 Daniel J. Edelman/Public Relations Student PRSSA Award.

Lucido received a $1,500 cash award and

a paid, three-month internship at one of Edelman’s offices this summer.

“It was nice to see that the company values the same things I do,” said Lucido. “I always emphasize to PRSSA about the importance of honesty, ethics and genuine hard work. I was glad Edelman saw that in me.”

None of this would have been possible without the College of Communication Arts & Sciences, according to Lucido. He likes the fact that MSU has a public relations specialization because it allows students to have a focus on other majors, a growing trend in the field.

“MSU doesn’t just hand things to you, but the professors and advisors here will give you the tools for you to succeed. No one has ever turned me away; they’re always here to help.”

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 23

PRSSA president wins prestigious award and internship

DID you know?Our college’s placement rate is one of the highest of all colleges at MSU, and the 2008 placement rate is an all-time high of 93 percent. Are you a recent graduate or long-time alum looking for employment? Check out these resources!

AlumnI CAreer resourCes (for Alums who GraDuATeD more ThAn 1 yeAr AGo):• Contact the MSU Alumni Association: http://careernetwork.msu.edu/alumni • Go online and find social media links: www.cas.msu.edu/alumni • Join a regional alumni club: http://www.msualum.com/clubs/

sTuDenT InTernshIp AnD CAreer resourCes (for sTuDenTs AnD AlumnI of pAsT yeAr):• Visit the Career Services Office in Room 181 Communication Arts & Sciences Building• Go online to MySpartanCareer for internship and job opportunities: http://www.csp.msu.edu/students• Contact your department’s internship coordinator for opportunities• Get a mentor. Email Paul Jaques at [email protected] for more info.• Sign up for Speed Networking in February. Email Karin Hanson at [email protected].

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Page 24: MSU Communicator 2009

By BriTTany SmiTh

On the eve of the launch of the sales communication specialization at Michigan State University, a four-member team won first place at the National Sales Competition at Indiana University on Sept. 26.

Communication junior Darcy Dittrich and communication/mass media senior Matt Bishop were on the team, along with two MSU marketing students. They faced stiff competition from 14 other universities, including Ohio State University, the University of Illinois and last year’s winner, the University of Houston.

The team gave a 20-minute presentation seeking to convince the buying team of a fictitious grocery store, a panel of executives from Phillip Morris and judges, to purchase their brand of bottled water and sell it in their stores. Each team had only 20 minutes to sway the panel’s opinion, and yet they had little preparation time. They received their 100-page case a week prior to the competition.

“It was an extremely in-depth case so we spent almost six hours a day preparing,” said Bishop, of Troy, Mich. “We researched industry trends of products, trends of the buyer’s industry and studied the case laboriously.”

Nevertheless, the team delivered, adding in a PowerPoint presentation detailed with statistics, facts and pricing figures. They won first place, as well as earning a $2,000 prize and a year’s worth of bragging rights as “National Champion.”

“I couldn’t be more pleased for the students. All four of them did

an incredible amount of preparation and their hard work paid off,” said Jennifer Rumler, the sales communication specialization coordinator. “From the moment Matt and Darcy learned of the competition, they gave themselves over to the cause 110 percent.”

The Department of Communication collaborated with the Department of Marketing in the Eli Broad College of Business to create a sales communication undergraduate specialization in an effort to fulfill the demand for communication and leadership skills in the sales field. Dittrich hopes the new program will give MSU students an edge. Farm Bureau Insurance and Chicago-based logistics firm C.H. Robinson Worldwide are among corporate supporters of the sales communication specialization.

“Students will be able to boast that not only are they trained effective communicators, but they understand the basis of any organization through their sales knowledge,” Bishop said. “Students are going to realize that every company is selling something, so if they understand sales, the opportunities are endless.”

By taking first place, it only benefits students and companies, according to Rumler.

“Winning a national sales competition is a terrific recruiting tool for our program both in terms of attracting high-quality students and corporate partners,” Rumler said.

MSU takes first place at national sales competition

“Students will be able to boast that not only are they trained effective communicators, but they understand the basis of any organization

through their sales knowledge.”

24 | The CommuniCaTor | 2009

MSU students including Matt Bishop, second from left, and Darcy Dittrich, far right, at the sales competition. Courtesy photo

—Matt Bishop

Page 25: MSU Communicator 2009

2009 | The CommuniCaTor | 25

Five Michigan State University students received second-place honors in May in the 2009 Bateman Case Study Competition.

The national competition, organized by the Public Relations Student Society of America, involves student teams competing to show their public relations skills to benefit a non-profit cause.

Philip Bator, Lindsay Bacigalupo, Elizabeth Catalano, Monica Fineis, and Melissa Hackett were the team members of MSU’s team, supervised by advisors Amber Shinn and Russ White.

This year’s sponsor and client was the

Consumer Bankers Association and their public information program—College Bound Aid: Hit the Books Running. Hit the Books Running addresses barriers to attending college and aims to raise awareness of college affordability and accessibility for middle and early high school students and their parents.

Teams from MSU, Loyola University, and the University of Maryland were chosen as finalists from 77 entries to present their campaigns in person before judges in Washington, D.C. A panel made up of representatives from the Consumer Bankers Association and the Public Relations Society

of America selected Loyola’s campaign for first-place honors and awarded MSU and University of Maryland second and third, respectively.

“This is the first time in MSU PRSSA history that the Bateman team has gone to the finals, and we are very proud of this second-place distinction,” said Fineis, competition director of the team.

MSU was the only full-volunteer team that did not receive class credit for their work. The team was awarded $1,500 for their PRSSA chapter.

Student team wins 2nd at AAFMSU students won second place at the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Student

Advertising Competition (6th District Regionals) in April.There are 35 students on the MSU AAF team. Of that group, the five students who

presented at the competition were Shannon Sytsma (AAF president), Lauren Niebauer, Erik Meath, Nate Erickson, and Nina Altadonna.

Faculty advisor David Regan said, “I was so very proud of how our five-person presentation team performed as well as the entire class. They were clapping and wishing other schools ‘good luck’ and ‘best wishes’ all the time. They are an incredible group that truly worked together as a team this past school year!”

Eighteen teams were at the district competition from universities in Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. The teams created a campaign for Century Council, a non-profit organization trying to combat binge drinking on college campuses.

Sytsma said the competition was very close.“Our team has spent the entire year working on this campaign, with a lot of long hours

on nights and weekends. We missed first place by 1.7 points, which is really close on a 100-point scale.”

Systma said last year MSU won third place for their AOL Instant Messenger campaign, and two years ago MSU won second place for the Coca-Cola campaign.

Students place 2nd in Bateman PR competition

Students win undergraduate research awards

Congratulations to the 2009 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum award

winners - 16 from the College of Communication Arts & Sciences. This year’s event was the largest in MSU history with 600 students participating in the forum

- almost 100 from the college. First-place award recipients received $100.

Award-winning oral projects:

Valeria Inwald - Anxiety and Achievement: Investigating the Impact of Test Anxiety on College‐

Level Students

Andrew Vallentine, Nick Constantine, Peter Corriveau, Carly Ludtke - High Step: A Story of the

Spartan Marching Band

Andrea Pollitt, Mathew Mason, Daniel Shillair, Bruno Sommer- Sphere: An Experiment in

Simplifying Gameplay, Scope, and Controls in Video Games to Facilitate Greater Player Immersion

Award-winning poster projects:

Marleah Dean – Content Analysis of Breast Cancer Websites

Bethany Davis, Carly Fleming, Nicole Lysak, Emily Schneider, Miranda Sperry - Improving the Facebook

Mobile Interface to Increase Usability

Reena Jain - An Exploratory Study of the Relationship Between Students’ Facebook Use and

Offline Political Activity

Jonathan Moore - Cabbage Quest

Page 26: MSU Communicator 2009

“I’ve learned to appreciate the successes and be brave enough to accept the failures. After all—it’s only by

failure that you can really measure success. And when you accept the joy of not knowing, you can

experience the revelation of surprise.”

celebration the

Nominate an alum or friend for a 2010 CAS Alumni Award.Deadline September 25, 2009

Nominate a faculty member for the 2010 Faculty Impact Award.

Deadline January 29, 2010

Nomination forms are available online at:

www.cas.msu.edu/alumni

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michigan state universityCollege of Communication Arts& Sciences

- David Weitzner, 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award recipient

Page 27: MSU Communicator 2009

Send uS your newS to include in the next communicator!Please send to:

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Page 28: MSU Communicator 2009

CommunicatorCollege of Communication Arts & SciencesMichigan State University287 Comm Arts BuildingEast Lansing, MI 48824

Save these dates and go online to www.cas.msu.edu for more info

September 9 – Earn, Learn & Intern event

September 25 – Deadline for CAS alumni award nominations

October 15 – MSU Grand Awards

October 16 - Dedication of Three Mothers Patio (2 pm)

October 16 – MSU Homecoming Parade (6 pm)

October 16 – CAS Alumni Homecoming Bash (6:30 pm)

October 17 – MSU Green and White Brunch

February 19, 2010 - Speed Networking

May 8, 2010 - The Celebration: CAS Alumni Awards

There’s even more in our online edition: cas.msu.edu/communicator