During Ohio University’s summer sessions, select Communication 101 classes are combined with Ohio University students and Chubu University students.  The inclusion of different cultures in a classroom setting allows for students and instructors to experience first-hand the significance as well as the challenge of communicating with diverse others.

Mr. Dante Morelli, a second-year doctoral student explained, “The experience was particularly challenging because of the dynamics in the classroom.  With many students knowing very little English, I found myself in a role where I had to completely change my teaching style,” Morelli said, as he described the difficulties of teaching such a diverse group. “I had to think critically about how I was teaching and adapting to the needs of all students, while never really feeling like I was completely being myself.”

Other instructors experienced challenges with their teaching, but also noted the potential benefits of teaching communication to a linguistically diverse group. As doctoral candidate Mr. Joe Mazer observed, “Often times I would watch as the Chubu University students struggled to understand the course content. I watched how the Ohio University students struggled to explain concepts to the Chubu University students during group activities,” he said. Yet, through the difficult experiences the students grew as Mazer pointed out, “they became clearer and more sensitive communicators who gained a better appreciation for what constituted effective communication in an increasingly diverse world.”

Other instructors who taught in this classroom setting also shared difficult, yet rewarding experiences when working with diverse student cultures. Second-year doctoral student Megan Dowd explained how the Chubu University students became familiar with American cultural expectations in the classroom. Coming from a background where students are expected to remain quiet during instruction, these students struggled to participate actively in class. “After five weeks on the second to the last day of class, I had two Chubu University students raise their hands to participate in class.” Dowd said. “At that moment, I felt that I had witnessed and achieved something truly spectacular. We created as a class an environment where the study abroad students felt comfortable to really step outside of their culture and attempt something counterintuitive.”

"I see that in people in poverty situations, they are unheard and unrecognized, as well as un-understood. Those are things that better communication can address." Dr. Mark Leeman (Ph.D. 2007)

Mark Leeman graduated from COMS with his Ph.D. in 2007.  After graduation Mark moved to Cincinnati where he and his family created a non-profit organization called the Walnut Hills Activist Development.  Mark's non-profit works in conjunction with four other non-profits in the community to help build social capital in the Walnut Hills neighborhood.  Mark is now an Assistant Professor at Northern Kentucky University.

Q: your background was in Linguistics, what led you to study communication?

I took one graduate class in COMS when I did my MA in Linguistics at OU. It was Cross Cultural Com and I found it to be a great macro view of managing meaning, rather than focusing down so hard on the structure of language. What I do now is really sociolinguistics, a language/discourse centered look at social phenomena. Human organizing is largely a language act, and in Communication Studies I can focus on the meanings that seem to really matter in people’s lives.

Q: What was the main focus of your work while in COMS? (i.e., what was your primary and secondary areas, etc?). 

My primary area was organizational communication and my secondary was culture and social change. 

Q: Can you talk about how your interests in those topics led you to your dissertation?

If communication is the managing of meaning across difference, then in my view if you want to make a better, more humanizing world for everyone you’ve got to understand how that difference effects the sense-making of those who are at the short end of the power stick. I am motivated to help those in poverty who want to work to find on-ramps back into the competitive (and middle-class dominated) world of work, and to help them survive and succeed there. We’ve got to make our system of capitalism work for everyone, and folks in poverty have huge language, discourse, and cultural barriers to scale if they are to get, keep, and prosper at work. That is a communication problem, and it is an organizing problem. Those are the things I study and address. 

Q: If you did not already answer this question, can you briefly describe your dissertation project?

I worked with Good Works, Inc., to help homeless people find jobs with bosses who were willing to enter into a narrative-and-dialogue-based employment relationships more suitable for success for someone working out of the horrors of poverty and a homeless shelter. Changing some of the basic rules for how work is communicated seemed to make a big difference to the success of our participants, and I learned a lot about communication between middle-class bosses and poverty-class employees at and around work.

Q: After graduating, you went back to doing NGO work. Can you talk a little about your organization?

In inner-city Cincinnati I do much of the same work, but with a new language/cultural group. Race added to the divide of difference between the middle-class and those in poverty adds another layer of complexity. It’s another language of discourse that I am in the midst of learning. I have also added a lot of activism around affordable housing in an effort to holistically serve and learn with our friends in poverty in the ‘hood. We are working with other neighborhood groups to try to build a diverse community where we can all learn, grow, and serve one another. Where I teach, in Northern Kentucky, right over the river from Cincinnati, there is also a lot of Appalachian poverty to be learned from.

Q: What led you to get involved in this kind of work? What motivates you to want to do this?

Both my parents were raised in poverty and I was faced with a lot of it growing up in a “rusty” steel city. Then I was around a lot of oppression in Eastern Europe and economic hardship in Appalachia during my 2 stints in Athens (for my Masters and then the PhD). Bakhtin posited that Absolute Death was to be unheard and unrecognized. I see that in people in poverty situations, they are unheard and unrecognized, as well as un-understood. Those are things that better communication can address, so who better to get involved than Communication scholars and Communication-sensitive activists? In a Bakhtinian way we can bring life where there is “absolute death.” I want to do that.

Q: How do you think your work in NGOs now positions you to become an Assistant Professor at NKU?

My activism and my scholarship and my teaching have coalesced for me in a beautiful way. I have received a world-class education from living overseas and being around so many people living in the crises of poverties that I can hardly imagine. Around that I have been given the gifts of language-centered training in linguistics and a fabulous doctoral program in communication from people like Lynn Harter. Lynn and others have given me a theoretical sensitivity through which to make sense of complex communication contexts, along with the soul and desire to help create a freer, more just world for all communicators. From where I sit that has set me up perfectly to work at a school like NKU that takes community involvement on as the fourth rail of the academy, along with teaching, research, and service. I’m living the dream here!

Ohio University School of Communication Studies faculty and students will present an impressive number of scholarly papers and panel sessions – a total of 141 – at the 2009 National Communication Association convention November 12-15 in Chicago.

Six additional presentations will be made by faculty, students, and staff from the school of Media Arts and Studies as well as one each from the School of Nursing, the Southeast Asian Studies program, the Interdisciplinary Arts program, the School of Human and Consumer Sciences, and the WOUB Center for Public Media.

Three papers from the School of Communication Studies were selected for top honors:

• A paper co-authored by Doctoral Student Joe Mazer, Associate Professor Scott Titsworth, and Undergraduate Student Rachel Kessinger won Top Four Paper in the Basic Course Division for their exploration of how "ego involvement" in choosing speech topics affects student preparation and student grades in the Public Speaking classroom.

• Doctoral Student Valerie Schrader received a Top Four Paper award from the Public Address Division for her essay comparing the rhetorical strategies used by Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton to respond to national tragedies.

• Professor Austin Babrow and Doctoral Student Laura Russell's paper "Risk in the Making: Narrative, Problematic Integration, and the Social Construction of 'Risk'" was named the Top Paper in the Communication as Social Construction division.

Reflecting on her prize-winning experience with Dr. Babrow, Russell said, "Our collaborative effort in developing this study provided a great opportunity for us to learn and grow as scholars together. It's exciting to see how our work progressed to becoming such a meaningful study for us both"

Ms. Russell is not alone in this assessment.  Associate Professor Benjamin Bates said that the selection of so many papers by faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students "shows national recognition of the School of Communication Studies' commitment to promote excellence at all levels of education."

To view the entire program online, visit http://www.natcom.org/index.asp?bid=11032.

Throughout this past summer, Ohio University faculty and students traveled abroad to engage first-handedly in promoting awareness and prevention for HIV/AIDS Gaborone, Botswana. From mid June to mid July, both undergraduate and graduate students experienced working with governmental agencies as well as the general public. Prior to their field work experiences, students engaged in a one-week orientation to become familiar with the HIV/AIDS challenges of Botswana. In addition, they received training for speaking conversational Setswana.

Dr. Ben Bates of the School of Communication Studies first became actively involved with the program this year. He credited the students for their involvement, noting that the experience can be emotionally and physically exhausting. As a professor, however, Dr. Bates explained how he assumed multiple, and at times unpredictable, roles throughout the trip. He served as an instructor, but also stood in as a tour guide or negotiator when needed. Naming the list of roles he served, Dr. Bates noted, “There’s no fixed positionality there.” 

Others on the trip described a number of instances that continue to live in their memories. Dr. Bates described his lasting impressions of the trip when he explained, “It could be sitting on the veranda at the lodge in Kasane watching the sun set over the Chobe River. It could be seeing the children at SOS Children’s Village listening carefully to stories. It could be eating little British-style pies,” he said. “It could be a thousand moments.”

The abroad program for HIV/AIDS in Botswana was initially designed and developed by Dr. Chikombero of Media Arts and Studies, Dr. Lucky Ordirile of Counseling and Career Services, and Betsy Morely of International Admissions. For more information about this program, please visit the following link: http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/programs/africa/Gaborone.cfm.

"I think it is very positive that the School has three endowed professorships. This shows support for faculty and, indirectly, for students.I am looking forward to meeting more students; so far I have met several graduate students and they have been very friendly and excited about their experiences." 

 Bill Benoit, Professor

Bill’s research plays a prominent role in how he engages with teaching and mentoring students.  He has developed courses pertaining to matters of persuasion, rhetoric, crisis communication and political advertising to name a few. Bill is particularly inspired by having opportunities to work with students outside of the classroom. “One exciting moment came last winter when two MU seniors who had just finished taking my campaign communication class, separately, came to me and volunteered to work on research with me,” Bill explained. “So far one of them co-authored an NCA paper and a journal article with me; both of them and a grad student at MU are working on a study of 2008 senate and gubernational TV spots.”  

Jeff Delbert, a doctoral student at MU who has worked closely with Bill commented, “Bill is an excellent advisor, as he is a kind, patient and intelligent man. After listening to either his advisee’s or student’s ideas he always provides excellent direction on how that individual can excel.”

Pam Benoit,  Executive Vice president and Provost

As an editor, too, Bill has inspired many students and scholars to continue learning and building upon ideas. Valerie Schrader, a doctoral candidate of OU, shared a story about her early experiences submitting work to journals. She explained that Bill called her personally to discuss her work and how she could improve. “I just thought it was the nicest thing that an editor would take the time to call,” said Valerie. “He struck me as someone who not only cared about the journal he was editing, but also cared about the intellectual development of future scholars.” Just as the Department of Communication Studies is pleased to welcome Bill to the OU community, the entire campus is celebrating the arrival of new Executive Vice President and Provost, Pam Benoit. In commenting on her appointment, Dr. Benoit noted the benefits of having a background in communication: “My own identity has clearly been shaped in large part by my communication background and it influences the way I approach new situations and problems as a provost.” Although Dr. Benoit’s role as chief academic officer will only occasionally bring her to Lasher hall, she stated, “It is exciting to come to an extraordinary university and to be the provost where the Scripps College of Communication and the School of Communication Studies are strengths for the campus and recognized within the discipline.” More information on Pam’s background and future visions for the University can be found on the Provost’s website: http://www.ohio.edu/provost/.

Conversations about Connections:

Gateway to Communication at the “Heart of It All”?

Christina S. Beck, CSCA First Vice-President and 2009 Primary Program Planner

Dr. Christina Beck Professor of Communication and CSCA First Vice President

As my students would likely reveal, I’m not the most technologically savvy person. Thus, when I disclose that I’m on Facebook, most of them respond with surprise. Beyond their accurate assumption that I’m far more comfortable with a VCR than YouTube, though, I can attribute some of their reactions to the lingering perception that Facebook continues to be the domain of college students, not a social network for people of, well, “my generation.” Even though I didn’t initially envision Facebook as something for me either, I’m glad that I followed the advice of a colleague to construct my own account. No, I didn’t suddenly become “hip.” (As my 14 year-old wryly informs me, if I use the word, I’m clearly not.) However, Facebook has broadened my opportunities to foster new relationships and revitalize others from long ago segments of my life.  Our 2009 conference theme underscores the importance of seeking innovative and resourceful ways to connect. By identifying communication as the “heart of it all,” our theme heralds communication as the means through which we can transcend geographical, philosophical, political, theoretical, methodological, demographic, and sub-disciplinary boundaries to co-accomplish common bonds, social relationships, and collective activities.

The plenary session exemplifies the types of conversations that we will be enjoying in April. I invite all of you to join us for The View from St. Louis on Thursday, April 2, from 3:30-4:45 p.m. Mirroring the popular daytime talk show, this panel will feature six women from our discipline in various places, circumstances, and stages of their lives and careers. Dawn O. Braithwaite, Carolyn Calloway-Thomas, Eileen Gilchrist, Ruth Kay, Judy C. Pearson, and Jennifer Scott will discuss salient issues for communication teacher/scholar/ practitioners from their varied perspectives. We hope that this public conversation will reveal common viewpoints as well as diverse orientations. I urge you to contribute to this conversation by offering questions or topics that you would like for these panelists to address. Please e-mail me at Beck@ohio.edu to share your ideas. I welcome your input for our plenary conversation.

In addition to the plenary session, I applaud our 2009 unit planners for embracing the conference theme and approaching program planning with such a collaborative spirit. To emphasize connections throughout our program, I encouraged the unit planners to collaborate, and they did a tremendous job of working together to develop and co-sponsor compelling panels. Our conference will highlight intersections across our association and offer intriguing forums for interactions between people in various seasons of their academic careers, thanks in large part to the tremendously creative efforts of our unit planners! 

From Rising Scholar classes (offered last year as “master classes”) to research brainstorming sessions (such as a rhetorical critic “speed dating” session and a conversation analysis data session) to traditional competitive paper panels to a session entirely in “Second Life” to powerful panels with senior scholars sharing insights on varied topics (including the recent election, Lincoln’s legacy, journal editing and publication opportunities, and sexual communication) to sessions that give voice to high school teachers’ experiences with communication and cultures within their classrooms, the 2009 CSCA conference offers much for everyone, from the pre-conference on Wednesday through Saturday evening. Indeed, most panel slots, from early on Thursday until late on Saturday, include at least one top paper panel from our various planning units. Thus, book your flights so that you can stay through Saturday night; you won’t want to miss a thing. Please visit the CSCA website (www.csca-net.org) to learn what’s in store for you in St. Louis!!

When we meet in St. Louis, our opportunities for connecting and conversing will extend beyond formal sessions. If you arrive in St. Louis on Wednesday, April 1, but you’re not participating in one of the pre-conference sessions, consider joining other CSCA attendees for a tour of the historic Anheuser-Busch brewery. We’ll leave from the hotel at 2:30 p.m., tour the facility at 3 p.m., and enjoy taste-testing before returning to the Millennium. Please pre-register for this event, if your schedule permits. I also encourage you to join us for refreshments and the free screening of Meet Me in St. Louis on Wednesday at 8 p.m. What a great way to relax and visit prior to the formal start of our conference! 

On Thursday, April 2, please plan to attend our welcome reception from 6-8 p.m., featuring a live performance by R&B recording artist, Dr. J. W. Smith. At 9 p.m. on Thursday, we are also honored to present the North American premiere of Academy Award semi-finalist Denis Mueller’s Soldiers of Peace, a film that examines the history of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) and their conversion from soldiers to peace activists. After the film, Mr. Mueller will be available for conversation with attendees.

On Friday, April 3, we will celebrate the presidency of Nancy Brule with a party from 6:30-9 p.m., complete with complementary food and a great DJ! If you’re still up for even more fun, participate in the Third Annual CSCA Pub Crawl. Individuals will leave the hotel lobby at 9 p.m. to experience the night life in four nearby St. Louis establishments. (You can even pre-order a commemorative t-shirt to wear during the festivities!)

Saturday, April 4, may be the last day of our conference, but we won’t be winding down early by any means. Excellent panels extend into the late afternoon. We begin our evening entertainment with a Chamber Theater performance of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, followed by a roundtable discussion, from 6:30-7:45 p.m. At 8 p.m. on Saturday, we will offer complementary light refreshments for the special performance of Heart Murmurs: A Memoir Play, written and performed by Linda M. Park-Fuller. In this play, a communication scholar and artist learns that she must have immediate heart surgery. By telling her tale, the author speaks out against a paradigm of “health by excision” embraced by both medical and corporate-academic institutions, but she also learns to transform loss and anger through a re-cycling of self. 

For those who would like to explore the St. Louis night life on our last evening in town, join the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Caucus as they gather to socialize and network at a night spot that is open and friendly toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons and their allies. Meet in the hotel lobby at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday to begin a night of dancing and fun!

As this summary suggests, the 2009 CSCA conference promises to be exciting, entertaining, enlightening, and educational. To maximize your experience, please be sure to explore the program on the website and to pre-register for the conference, carefully marking sessions that require pre-registration (such as the Rising Scholar courses, the pre-conference session, the brewery tour, the pub crawl, the luncheon, the president’s party, and the senior scholars brainstorming session). I truly look forward to meeting you in St. Louis in just a few months for a terrific time of connecting and conversing about communication!

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On October 10, 2008 Dr. Jerry Miller was invited to participate in a live broadcast of NPR’s Talk of the Nation at the WOUB Studio with host Neal Conan.  In addition to being a professor in COMS, Dr. Miller also serves as Co-Director of the Scripps Survey Research Center, and Director of the Political Communication Certificate Program. His research interests include political communication (specifically, political advertising and gender), argumentation and public deliberation. He has served as panelist for a number of local, state and national television and radio programs.

Recognized for his work in race, gender and politics, Dr. Miller participated in a forum to discuss issues related to the presidential advertising campaign in Ohio and how candidates might win the votes of Ohioans. With 20 Electoral College votes at stake, it is important that presidential candidates, “increase visibility” in our state. Miller suggests that in doing so, voters come to recognize the candidates as people and not merely media composites. Additionally Miller suggests that here in SeOhio, where many people live ‘pay-check-to-pay-check,’ the problems of Wall Street feel distant from local voters. “You can’t lose money if you don’t have it,” he tells us and presidential candidates would be wise to relate to a population that does not have money to lose or budgets to adjust. Those, “that will be able to connect with the voters will [ultimately] secure more support.” 

In speaking to the opportunity to participate in this program Dr. Miller not only enjoyed the “listener interaction” of Talk of the Nation, but tells reporters that, "Those who listen to National Public Radio are engaged in politics and more interested in having a conversation instead of just hearing expert opinions," he said. "NPR listeners don't just listen and dismiss, but, instead, listen and reflect." 

To read more about Talk of the Nation and Dr. Miller, see http://www.scrippscollege.ohio.edu/articleDetail.aspx?id=796