The communication department has provided a roundup of activities and accomplishments from fall 2013.

Keep up with the Wake Forest communication department on Twitter @WakeComm and through the Communication at WFU Facebook group.

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Mary Dalton

Mary M. Dalton and Laura R. Linder published “Teacher TV: Iconic Images of Teachers on American Television” in How “the Teacher” Is Presented in Literature, History, Religion, and the Arts: Cross-cultural Analyses of a Stereotype, eds. Raymond McCluskey and Stephen Mckinney. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, pp. 225-236, 2013.

Mary M. Dalton also published the article “Conquer or Connect: Power, Patterns, and the Gendered Narrative” in The Journal of Film and Video, Volume 65, Nos. 1-2, Spring/Summer 2013, pp. 23-29.

Sandy Dickson, Cindy Hill, Cara Pilson, Mary Dalton and Peter Gilbert hosted the screening of their documentary “The Last Flight of Petr Ginz” here at Wake Forest. They also screened “The Last Flight of Petr Ginz” at The Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education at Chapman University; at the 16th UK Jewish Film Festival in London; and at the Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival in Hong Kong and Macau.

Nate French and the Magnolia Scholars program received a $6.5 million gift from Dr. Steven and Becky Scott (read more).

Steven Giles, Pankratz, M.M., Ringwalt, C., Jackson-Newsom, J., Hansen, W.B., Bishop, D., Dusenbury, L., & Gottfredson, N. worked on “The Role of Teacher Communicator Style in the Delivery of a Middle School Substance Use Prevention Program,” which will appear in Journal of Drug Education, 42 (4). Continue reading »

Three faculty members — Jeanne Simonelli, Ananda Mitra and Polly Black — received awards on April 11 at the annual Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards banquet, co-hosted by the Entrepreneurship Society and the Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (CICE).

Read a full summary of the event, which celebrates the achievements of students, faculty and staff, and the keynote speech by Jean Case, CEO of The Case Foundation »

Simonelli, a professor of anthropology, received the Russell D. and Elfriede Hobbs Faculty Award for Social Entrepreneurship. Simonelli taught one of the first cross-campus entrepreneurship classes called Free Trade, Fair Trade: Independent Entrepreneurs in the Global Market. She also took the entrepreneurial torch to Nicaragua and helped to teach the principles of entrepreneurship to small business owners there.

Mitra, a professor of communication, received the David and Leila Farr Award for Course Development and Research. Mitra has published a series of 10 books on the effects of digital technology on the world and coined a new term, the NARB, an item of personal information posted online. Mitra and his new digital technologies are shaping everyday life practices from how we teach to the way in which the marginalized can gain a voice through the use of Internet.

Black is an instructor in the School of Business, an affiliate professor with the Documentary Film Program and the assistant vice president and director of the CICE. She won the Faculty Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award from the students for the impact she is making on their lives through her teaching and mentoring. One student said, “She has given so many students the opportunity to pursue their dreams while developing a skill set no other department at Wake Forest can teach you. Through her I’ve learned to be a better leader, visionary, and creative thinker.”

Mitra

Communication professor Ananda Mitra and Wake Forest documentary film student Kim Dryden presented at the International Association for Research on Service-learning and Community Engagement Conference last month in Baltimore, Md.

Faculty, administrators and students from colleges nationwide attended the conference.

Mitra shared information on planning international service-learning trips and preparing students to get the most of their study abroad experience. The talk included ideas for preparing students for immersion into another culture before the trip, responding to cultural and environmental experiences while abroad, and documenting the student experience after the trip.

For two years, Mitra has offered a six-week undergraduate summer study abroad course entitled “Culture and Communication in India: Sustainability vs. Globalization.” The class includes an optional student-developed Wake the Himalayas Service Learning and Community Engagement program supporting education in the Himalayan town of Leh. Students work with community partners, teach classes, engage in social and sports activities with the children and write reflection journals.

Dryden, a 2013 MFA candidate, traveled with Mitra’s group this past summer to produce, “Immersed in India,” a film documenting the journeys of the students in Mitra’s summer abroad course. Continue reading »

• Jarrod Atchison published the essay “Pedagogical Functions of the Annual Resolution in Contemporary Policy Debate: Reflections on the Controversy Outlined in the 3rd Developmental Conference,” along with Edward Panetta, in the ALTA volume Reasoned Argument and Social Change. Jarrod was also on the Editorial Board. Ed. Panetta is also a Wake Forest alum!
• Ananda Mitra spoke at the fourth annual Workshop on Intercultural Skills Enhancement (WISE), which is hosted by Wake Forest. He also gave a talk at the Byrum Center on service-learning opportunities in India.

Allan Louden

• Mike Hazen has been elected President of the Eurasian Communication Association of North America.
• Allan Louden was quoted in several articles with his comments on the Republican debates and the State of the Union Address. The outlets include WPR Wisconsin Public radio and the Slovakian Spravy Pravda.
• Ananda Mitra was quoted in the Telegraph.com about “Teens Migrating to Twitter-Sometimes for privacy.” He was also quoted on WFMY News2 discussing his advice regarding the new Google privacy policy.
• Alessandra Beasley Von Burg edited a special issue of Controversia (7, 2 2011) featuring essays from the XIII Biennial Wake Forest University Argumentation Conference. She also wrote the introduction, “Returning Home.”

The Provost and the Undergraduate Admissions Office invite faculty and staff to Thursdays at Porter B. Byrum Hall (the Welcome and Admissions Center) on Feb. 9.

A wine and cheese reception will run from 4-4:30 p.m., followed by a program from 4:30-5:15 p.m. that will feature Ellen Kirkman, Dan Johnson and Ananda Mitra.

Kirkman, a professor in mathematics, will discuss mathematical research in invariant theory.

Johnson, senior lecturer in biology, will talk about BioBook, a novel eText platform built on our growing understanding of how we learn naturally, and proven best practices to help students truly master biology.

Mitra, the chair of the Communication Department, will be joined by Kendall Hack (WFU Fellow), Racheal Handel (’12) and Carrie Stokes (’12) to describe the unique service-learning opportunity they have developed in India.

Register now for the Fellows & Friends Engaged Teaching Luncheon Series, which is led by inspired faculty. The next event will be Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 11 a.m. in 301 Reynolda Hall. Lunch will be provided.

The Institute for Public Engagement promotes engaged teaching that fosters critical thinking, gives each student a voice, and encourages students to engage with issues affecting the Wake Forest community and the community beyond. Within the broader concept of engaged teaching is the recognized pedagogy of service-learning, usually involving direct service to meet community needs. Other forms of engaged teaching may not involve such service but nevertheless engage students in the process of identifying and understanding community issues.

The purpose of this discussion series is to afford faculty the opportunity to share their ideas and gain inspiration for engaged teaching in an enjoyable, informal setting. Faculty are invited to enjoy lunch, highlight their work, share ideas, and gain inspiration. Featured faculty will speak for about 20 minutes followed by open conversation.

Tuesday, Jan. 24 (11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.): Innovative Ideas for Engaged Teaching

• Featured Faculty: David Finn (Art), Mary Pendergraft (Classics), Cindy Gendrich (Theatre), Phoebe Zerwick (English)

Tuesday, Feb. 28 (11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.): Navigating Engaged Teaching in a Global Context

• Featured Faculty: Steve Virgil (Law – Nicaragua Nexus), Ananda Mitra (Communications – India Study Abroad), Betina Wilkinson (PS – Latino Political Behavior and Public Opinion)

Monday, March 26 (11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.): Assessment in Engaged Teaching

• Featured Faculty: Michele Gillespie (History), Adam Friedman (Education), Andrew Allwine (Classics -Latin poetry)

Michael Hazen

• Allan Louden gave a Skype lecture to the American Resource Center (administered by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy) in Chisinau, Moldova. He also discussed Rick Perry’s campaign gaffe in an NPR story. He also predicted the end of the Trump Debate. He is quoted here »
• Mary M. Dalton presented “Knitting Lessons: Weaving Communities with Yarn and Personal Stories” at the 32nd Annual National Women’s Studies Association Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Michael Hazen chaired the panel “Voices of Japan-US Relationships: Reflecting the Past, Considering the Present, and Envisioning the Future” and responded to the panels “Exploring Concepts of Chinese Communication: Old and New Magical Thinking and the Illusion of Control,” and “Symbolism in Popular Culture: For Good or for Ill?” at the National Communication Association Conference in New Orleans, LA.
• Clay Hassler and wife Tif produced a new project for the Piedmont Triad Film Commission. Read more
• Jarrod Atchison presented the papers “Open Source Debating: Assessing the First Year of Innovation” and “Stability, Silence, and Media in Eric King Watts’s Theory of Voice” at the National Communication Association Conference in New Orleans, LA. He also chaired the panel “Cross Examination Debate Association Executive Committee Meeting.” Continue reading »