August 2008 Vol. 27, #1
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Department of Communication Studies
225 Ford Hall, 224 Church Street S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Editor: Beatrice Dehler
Secretary: Edward Schiappa
Alumni Edition
Notes from the Chair:
As this issue of COMMPOST demonstrates, it has been another terrific year for our distinguished alumni, with accomplishments ranging from getting promoted and tenured to entering the coveted world of retirement. We are very proud of our alumni for reasons this issues makes obvious. We are thrilled so many contacted us though we know we have other very active alumni who did not have the time to let us know what they are up to. Feel free to contact us at any time and we will be sure to pass on your news. I also want to remind our alumni that we are building an alumni listserv and if you want to be on it, please e-mail me at schiappa@umn.edu. We wish everyone a happy and productive fall!
—Ed
Charles Bantz (M.A. 1973) Chancellor-IUPUI has had quite a year in his neighborhood-after waiting nearly 40 years his campus opened a spectacular campus center (A Coffman Union substitute) in January. They also had their first Jaguar men’s basketball player (George Hill) selected in the NBA draft by San Antonio. The school received a $25 million NIH grant for the Clinical Translational Research Institute, and confirmed a major improvement in undergraduate graduation rates. Professor Sandra Petronio (former faculty member of the department) published an article in The Journal of American College of Surgeons" Communication pitfalls with cancer patients: "hit-and-run" deliveries of bad news" co-authored with Paul Helft.
Dawn O. Braithwaite (Ph.D. 1989) and co-author Leslie Baxter published Engaging theories in interpersonal communication: Multiple perspectives, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage (2008). Dawn began work as First Vice President and Primary Position Planner for the NCA 2009 conference that will be held in Chicago, IL.
Robert Brookey (Ph.D. 1998) attended the World Media Economics Conference in Lisbon where he presented a paper entitled "Hollywood Players: When Film and Video Games Converge."
Barry Brummett (Ph.D. 1974) has a new book out entitled A Rhetoric of Style, Southern Illinois University. He also published a poem in the 2008 Austin International Poetry Festival Anthology.
Kristine Bruss (Ph.D. 2005) is in her 2nd year as Assistant Professor/Basic Course Director at the University of Kansas. She has an article forthcoming in the Journal of General Education called "Improving Classroom Discussion: A Rhetorical Approach."
Lois Bursack (Ph.D. 1970) passed away in February 2008. Lois worked for the University of New Mexico Press until her retirement.
Jinbong Choi (Ph.D. 2005) accepted an assistant professor position in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University-San Marcos starting in fall 2008. He presented "An Analysis of National Images of China in the News Coverage of the New York Times" at the International Conference on Corporate Reputation, Brand, Identity, and Competitiveness in Beijing, China on May 31, 2008.
Adrienne Christiansen (Ph.D. 1990) will leave her post as Chair of the Political Science Department in order to take over as Director of the Center for Scholarship and Teaching at Macalester College, St. Paul, MN. The CST supports faculty development in scholarship, teaching, advising, and leadership. Christiansen also received Macalesters- "Excellence in Teaching" award this spring and was selected by the senior class to give the inaugural "Senior Send-Off Speech." Her lecture addressed the "three most misunderstood words at Macalester- "Money, Power, and Leadership."
Robbin Crabtree, (Ph.D. 1993) Professor of Communications, and Director of the Office of Service Learning at Fairfield University, has been named Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University. She was formerly the chair of the Department of Communication, and was recently named "Teacher of the Year" by Fairfield’s Chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit honor society.
Kristen Cvancara (Ph.D. 2004) begins the role of Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Speech Communication at Mankato State University this fall.
Bonnie Dow (Ph.D. 1990) received the 2008 Paul Boase Prize for Scholarship given by the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. The prize honors scholars who have made an outstanding contribution to the discipline through recent scholarship that has had a major influence on the direction of scholarship within the field. Criteria for award selection include the intellectual creativity and depth of the scholarship, its immediate impact on the community of scholars, and its potential for enduring value.
William Eadie (unofficial alum) spent part of the summer in Miami Florida attending and performing in a large chorus festival.
Loren Ekroth (Ph.D. 1967) expands his work with conversation skills. His "Getting to Know You" program is used by church and social groups, his "Better Conversation Kit" for family reunions during "National Better Conversation Week" every November. Loren publishes his "Better Conversations" weekly ezine for 5,000 subscribers worldwide and continues to enjoy the desert heat and showbiz excitement of Las Vegas.
George Gaetano (Ph.D. 1999) attended the East Carolina Humor Conference and Festival in November 2007 in Charlotte NC and delivered a paper entitled, "Kings and Queens of Comedy: Eliciting Laughter Through the Use of Identification."
Peter Gregg (M.A. 2002, Ph.D. 2005) and his wife Rhianda welcomed their second daughter, Amelia Violet to the family on July 10th. His COMM 3204: Advanced Electronic Media Production course held a public exhibition of their work during finals week, including the first production shot in high definition with over 50 people in attendance.
Danny Grossnickle (M.A. 1985) once again will work on the CTAM (Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota) annual conference for (public and private) high school, college, and university teachers of Communication and Theater. These events will be held at the Holiday Inn in Alexandria, MN on September 18-20, 2008.
Joshua Gunn (Ph.D. 2002) published articles in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, Critical Studies in Media Communication Quarterly Journal of Speech, Rhetoric & Public Affairs, and the Western Journal of Communication. This fall Josh will deliver invited talks at the Public Address Conference in Madison, Wisconsin and at colloquia at the University of Arkansas and Purdue University.
W. Lance Haynes (M.A. 1978, Ph.D. 1982) recently authored "The Saint Pat’s 1908 Coloring Book" commemorating the 100th anniversary of Missouri Science and Technology world famous "best ever" Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration. The book was distributed to over 2,000 children in Phelps County, Missouri.
Rosalind Horowitz (B.S. 1968, M.S. 1973, Ph.D. 1982) Professor, University of Texas-San Antonio, edited Talking Texts: How speech and writing interact in school learning (Erlbuam/Taylor & Francis, 2007). Amy Sheldon contributed "Talk as Text: Gender and children’s conversational interaction." Horowitz was inspired by faculty in the Speech Communication Department, including Loren Ekroth (Ph.D. 1968).
Fern Johnson (Ph.D. 1974) authored Imaging in Advertising: Verbal and Visual Codes of Commerce, which was published by Routledge in January 2008. She presented a paper at the Popular Culture Association conference that focuses on ways in which age is coded in advertisements published in More Magazine--a magazine directed at women 40 and over.
Zornitsa Keremidchieva (Ph.D. 2007 ) has left her position at Hamline University to replace Adrienne Christiansen in the Macalester Political Science Department as a full-time Visiting Professor. Keremidchieva will teach courses in rhetoric, public address, and feminist political theory.
Andrew King (Ph.D. 1970) was appointed the new editor of the Kenneth Burke Journal, replacing longtime editors Clarke Roundtree and Mark Huglen.
Jolene M. Koester (Ph.D. 1980) continues to serve as President of Cal State at Northridge. She served on the Board of Directors of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and is now the Chair Elect. She will become the Chair of the Board of that national organization in November. She and Ron Lustig are nearing completion of the manuscript for the 6th edition of their textbook on Intercultural Competence.
Patricia Kovel-Jarboe (M.A. 1980, Ph.D. 1986) continues to reside in Minneapolis, MN (where the mayor aggressively promotes the high quality of municipal water). She serves on that city’s Ethical Practices Board, where she responds to complaints regarding the behaviors (and sometimes misbehaviors) of elected officials and city employees. Her organizational communication background provides an alternate perspective to that of the other lawyer members of the board. Pat also is vicariously enjoying Becky Swanson Kroll’s adventures as a grandmother in preparing for her own impending grandmotherhood.
Becky Swanson Kroll (M.A. 1978, Ph.D. 1981) continues to work as an evaluator with two major contracts. The first is with Hennepin County, doing client-based outcomes for people served by the Ryan White program (federal funding for people who are HIV+). The second contract is with Horizons programs of the Northwest Area Foundation. The Horizons program is a leadership program focused on helping small, rural communities build their leadership capacity to address poverty reduction. Becky also wishes she had more time to spend with her granddaughter, Sophie Hyun An Jung, born Valentine’s Day in Pasadena, CA to parents Mei Lin Kroll (B.A. 1999) and Nak Hoon Jung.
David Lapakko (M.A. 1982, Ph.D. 1988) has an argumentation text entitled Argumentation: Critical Thinking in Action published by iUniverse forthcoming at the end of August. He was also elected division chair for the Humanities and Fine Arts Division at Augsburg and will serve in that capacity for the next two years. David continues to run half-marathons.
Ann Lowry (Ph.D. 1990) accepted a position of Director of Leadership Development and Career Coaching for MBA Programs at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
Douglas McFarland (Ph.D. 1983) was on leave from Hamline University School of Law as a Visiting Professor at Phoenix School of Law during 2007-2008. He is working on a new edition of his treatise on Minnesota Civil Practice and is publishing a memoir on his Minnesota political campaign from afar.
Paul Meierant (B.A. 1994) gave the Spring 2008 alumni address at the afternoon CLA commencement. He is the immediate past president of the CLA Alumni Society Board. He served as president for two years and has served on the Board for a total of six years. Paul was honored as one of CLA’s Alumni of Notable Achievement in 2007, upon completing his term as president.
C. David Mortensen (Ph.D. 1967) will begin his 38th year teaching in the Department of Communication Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Recent publications: Human Conflict: Disagreement, Misunderstanding, and Problematic Talk, Rowman & Littlefield, 2006; Communication Theory, 2nd Edition, Transaction Books, 2008; "Linguistic constructions of violence, peace, and conflict", Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, and Conflict, 2nd Edition, Elsevier Publications, 2008; Optimal Human Relations, Transaction Books, 2008; The Good Life: Multiple Pathways to Personal Fulfillment, Lexington Press, under contract.
Kazuo Nishiyama (Ph.D. 1970) published a chapter, "Japanese Style of Decision Making in Business Organization," in Intercultural Communication: A Reader, Samover, Porter & McDaniel (eds.) Wadsworth Cengage Learning (2008), pp. 287-295.
Brian Numainville (M.A. 1993) continues to serve as Senior Director, Research & Public Relations at Nash Finch. He also serves on several nonprofit boards including Loaves and Fishes (feeds dinner meals to those in need in the Twin Cities), International Development Initiatives (a nonprofit working in India to provide Microloans and financial education to the poor) and Ingham Okoboji Camping Ministry (a Lutheran camp for families and kids in Iowa.)
Patricia Palmerton (M.A. 1979, Ph.D. 1984) has recently returned from a two week consultation with Equibuddy, an NGO in Scotland that trains horses for equestrian vaulting with disabled riders. During her consultation Pat worked as an organizational consultant and assisted Equibuddy in clarifying its international communications, focusing its strategic planning and in developing a long range assessment plan for its programs. This is Pat’s second trip to Equibuddy. She also visited the University of Trier, Trier, Germany, where she presented a paper on Communication and Abuse.
Christopher Paul (M.A. 2001, Ph.D. 2005) has accepted a position in the Communication Department at Seattle University teaching courses in digital media. He also will be attending the Association of Internet Researchers conference and present the paper "World of Rhetcraft: The Rhetoric of Rewards in the World of Warcraft."
Angela G. Ray (Ph.D. 2001) has been tenured and promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University. In June she received the student nominated Ver Steeg Graduate Faculty Award from Northwestern’s Graduate School for excellence in teaching and mentoring graduate students.
Gwendoline Reid (Ph.D. 1989) passed away on June 22. She was a dedicated teacher and a lifelong learner. She received a B.A. degree in 1928 and a M.A. degree in 1941 from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She had a long career teaching high school English in Auburn, NY, and Robbinsdale, MN. After her retirement, she entered the University of Minnesota graduate school where she received a doctorate in speech-communication. At the age of 80, she was the oldest Ph.D. recipient in the history of the University.
Pastor Alvin C. Reuter (Ph.D. 1989) passed away on March 21, 2008. In the 1960’s he taught homiletics, or preaching, at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. From 1984 to 2001 he taught young priests at St. John’s University, in Collegeville, MN. At the age of 67 he earned a doctorate in Speech-Communication from the University of Minnesota.
Donald Rubin (M.A. 1997, Ph.D. 1978) is co-investigator on two federally funded grants this year. One project is the Southern Center for Communication, Health and Poverty-a CDC-funded center for excellence in health marketing and communication. The other is the Georgia Learning Outcomes of Student Study Abroad Research Initiative, funded by the US Department of Education. He just concluded a study of factors affecting oral assessment that was funded by the Educational Testing Service (TOEF). He also is teaching classes at Georgia State University and Emory University. Oh, and he just completed his first year as a retiree.
Carol Shaffer (M.A. 1988) has been working as the chaplain at Seasons Hospice. The organization just celebrated its tenth anniversary.
David Smith (former faculty member for the department) has three of his one act plays opening in the Gulfport Community Players One Act Play Festival. He is currently working on several other one act plays. He is scheduled to direct a holiday show next December featuring staged reading of scripts he has adapted from Damon Runyon and others.
L. Ripley Smith (M.A. 1990, Ph.D. 1996) was on sabbatical last year and enjoyed a range of scholarly and personal pursuits. He spent the first part of 2007 in Spain, studying Spanish culture, working at the Malaga Media Center (Costa del Sol), and working on an edited book project. In April he taught a two-week seminar on Web Design in Quito, Ecuador. In June he presented at an Economic and Social Research Council seminar at Oxford (The Role of Trust in International Cooperation: Comparing German and U.S. NGO Partnership Strategies, Presented at the Building, Maintaining and Repairing Trust Across Cultures: Seminar 6, Economic & Social Research Council, Oxford-Brookes University, Oxford, England, June 21-22, 2007).
Adam Tyma (M.A. 2001) completed the Ph.D. degree in May 2008 at North Dakota State University. He has accepted an assistant professor position in Visual Communication and Culture at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Cora Ann Williams (Ph.D. 1994) has been a professor at Lone Star College-Kingwood for the last six years. She recently won the "Professor of the Year"/"Faculty Excellence Award" from her school. She also won a First Place, National Award for Diversity and Inclusiveness in regard to Service Learning. The program was called "Let’s Talk: A collaboration between ESOL and Speech Communication students."
James F. Klumpp (Ph.D. 1973) and Robert L. Scott co-directed a seminar on Burke and Criticism for the program of the Seventh Triennial Conference of the Kenneth Burke Society, held in early July at Villanova University. Also presenting at the conference were Andrew King (Ph.D. 1970), Barry Brummett (Ph.D. 1974), and Leila Brammer (Ph.D. 1997). "Two who once graced the halls of old Folwell were featured, photographs and all, in the program of the Seventh Triennial Conference of the Kenneth Burke Society held in early July at the Villanova U. Conference Center. Emeritus Professor Robert Scott and U. of Maryland Professor James Klumpp (Ph.D. 1974) co-directed a seminar on Burke and Criticism. At the conclusion of this seminar, the grateful attendees, mostly faculty from colleges strewn up and down the East Coast into Canada, with a few graduate students from hither and yon, hoisted the pair of old Minnesotans onto their shoulders and with mighty huzzahs paraded three times around the conference center." Submitted by Professor Andrew King, Louisiana State University (Ph.D. 1974).
Senior Faculty
Rosita Albert presented a paper entitled "Novel forms of intercultural contact and their effects on attitudes towards other’s culture: An exploratory study with French and American university students" at the ICA conference. She also participated in a four hour pre-conference workshop on the conference theme, and a division business meeting.
Karlyn Kohrs Campbell has been named one of Macalester College’s 2008 Distinguished Citizens graduating from Macalester in 1958. This award recognized alumni who have exercised leadership in civic, social, religious, and professional activities. It is given because the Alumni Association, the Board of Trustees and the faculty of Macalester believe that a college education should be the training and inspiration for unselfish and effective service to the community, the nation and the world. Recipients demonstrate a practical acceptance of these obligations in their lives and work.
Emeritus Vernon Jensen was a guest speaker in Professor David Lapakko’s Ethics in Communication summer class at Augsburg College. He also is quite busy playing tennis, golf, and swimming.
Emeritus George Shapiro has returned from wintering in Sun City, Arizona and has been at his rustic cabin on Madeline Island (that’s on Lake Superior, officially in Wisconsin) where he and his spouse Janet will stay until deep into the fall. He claims that in both Arizona and Wisconsin he teaches tennis to lovely young ladies and adds, "I’ll leave it to you to guess whether that means to 10 year olds, or 20 or 30 or 40." The editor believes that he cannot give up teaching, but as for ages, try 50 or 60 or 70.
Graduate Students
Emily Berg has a chapter in the book "Race/Gender/Media: Considering Diversity Across Audiences, Content, and Producers. 2nd Edition" by Rebecca Ann Lind. Emily’s chapter will be called "The Feminist Façade: The Construction of the Female Presidency on Prime-time Television." The book is scheduled to be released in 2009.
Rebecca Kuehl will present the paper "The Great Minnesota Get-Together: A Rhetorical Approach to Democratic Theory" at the International Conference on Rhetorical Citizenship and Public Deliberation at the University of Copenhagen, October 9-10, 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Rebecca Kuehl will also present the paper "Oprah and Obama: Theorizing Celebrity Endorsement in U.S. Politics" at "The Obama Effect" conference at the University of Minnesota, October 23-25, 2008.
Graduate Degrees Granted
Ph.D. Degrees
Beth Bonstetter
"An Analytical Framework of Parody and Satire: Mel Brooks and His World"
Adviser: Edward Schiappa.
Robert J. Hinrichs
"Arguing Global Warming: The Reception and Uses of Climate
Change Science"
Adviser: Edward Schiappa
Naomi Kagawa
"Influence of Family Communication Patterns on Adolescents: Self-Discrepancies and Associated Emotional and Behavioral Consequences."
Adviser: Ascan Koerner.
Michael Lee
"Creating Conservatism: Postwar Words that Made a Movement"
Adviser: Kirt Wilson
M.A. Degrees
Emily Berg
"‘From the Kitchen to the Congress’: Nancy Pelosi and the Maternal Persona"
Adviser: Kirt Wilson
Wenliu Yu
Adviser: Dean Hewes
Department News
Responding to a directive from the College of Liberal Arts, the Communication Studies Department has played an important role in the re-introduction of competitive policy debate at the University of Minnesota. The newly-minted Minnesota Debate Team is directed by one faculty member, Professor Ronald Greene and two teaching specialists, David Cram Helwich and Eli Brennan. Their efforts produced an enormously successful campaign for a first year program, including top-25 finishes in the national points rankings and a number of tournament victories during the 2007/08 season. We expect a team of at least 25 students during the 2008-09 campaign, and look forward to improving the team’s national status and improving the squad’s performance in the varsity-level competitions. The team also sponsors on-campus public debates throughout the academic year on important political questions including government health care coverage, taser use by police departments, and smoking restrictions.
Please submit your "bits and pieces" for the September alumni edition of COMMPOST to Bea Dehler at dehle001@umn.edu.