|
News, Stories & Insights
Vol. 2024-25, No. 1
| |
The Class of 2028 gathered in one room for the first time at the Academic Convocation on Aug. 28. They were greeted by Grooversity, the drum corps that ushers new graduates at Commencement each year, and College leaders offering a warm welcome and helpful tips. | | |
|
"Forever is composed of nows."
- Emily Dickinson, Poet
To our students, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends—
There is no time like the present, each time it emerges, to cultivate community in ways that acknowledge who we are, what we bring, what we need, and what we should (not) pass on to our successors.
As storytellers, creatives, communicators, and more, we must be prepared to interrogate how we make space for what community can mean right now while allowing its meaning to evolve a bit as we evolve a bit.
In higher education, we share a happy joy in welcoming new and returning students, and we share a bittersweet joy in seeing graduating students leave us. We—faculty, students, families, staff, and alumni, and families—truly need community and can cultivate it now.
On a related note, please remember our fellow members of the global community impacted by recent hurricanes, armed conflicts, natural disasters, economic challenges, and more.
In closing, we offer a few sincere shout-outs:
-
To Jane Pierce Saulnier and the CC 100 Faculty: You bring excellence each year to Fundamentals Speech Communication. We see you!
-
To People and Families celebrating National Hispanic American Heritage Month: We see you!
-
To First Responders: Thank you for your dedication to serving, supporting, and saving others in your local communities and beyond! We see you!
-
To EmersonTogether: To us! 💜
Ad meliora,
Brent
__________________________
Brent Smith, PhD
Dean of the School of Communication
Professor of Marketing
Emerson College
| |
|
1: FROM THE DEAN
2: FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS
3: IN THE MEDIA
| |
|
4: FEATURE STORIES
5: LIBRARY LOWDOWN
6: SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
7: VIDEO SPOTLIGHT
| |
|
NOTE: If you're reading this in a web browser, watch for a "view entire message" link at the bottom.
You'll find more good stuff beyond that click!
| |
|
Social Justice Films Drive Change: Simon-Roberts’ Paper Wins Top Honors at ICA
At the 2024 International Communication Association Conference, Sharifa Simon-Roberts (Communication Studies) was honored with Best Faculty Paper in the Popular Media and Culture Division for a work titled “Not just made for my pure entertainment: Social justice movies as tools for fueling consciousness, conversations, change.”
The paper was the result of a two-year research collaboration between Simon-Roberts and Owen Eagan (Communication Studies). Published in the Journal of Media Psychology, it examines the movies Queen & Slim and Just Mercy, and the documentary 13th.
READ MORE
| |
“The data we collected underscored the importance of foregrounding groups that have been marginalized and denigrated in the media and society more broadly.” | "This project wouldn’t have been possible without Sharifa due to her scholarly expertise." | |
|
Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines
Beena Sarwar (Journalism) released her documentary Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines, which delves into Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic crisis and its far-reaching impacts through the perspectives of policymakers and local communities.
In September, Emerson hosted a thought-provoking screening of the film, offering the campus community a chance to engage with the critical issues it presents.
| |
"A multilayered narrative about the universal challenges of governance, accountability, and the enduring spirit of democratic aspirations." | |
CSD Faculty Shift from Term to Tenure-Track | |
|
Two faculty in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Dr.Lisa Wisman Weil and Dr. Valerie Johnson, have transitioned from term faculty to Assistant Professors.
Dr. Wisman Weil’s research focuses on child language development, developmental language disorder (DLD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dr. Johnson specializes in child language acquisition, disorders, and social justice in speech, language, and hearing sciences.
Both professors teach a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, contributing to the department's mission to prepare future professionals in speech-language pathology.
| |
|
Professors Win Travel Fellowships to Advance Research, Coursework | |
|
Nejem Raheem (Marketing Communication) was one of three Emerson faculty members to receive travel fellowships in support of teaching and research from the Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation. A behavioral economist with a focus on issues of sustainability, Raheem will use his fellowship to explore the Tribunal de las Aguas in Spain and sustainable agriculture sites in New Mexico.
READ MORE
| |
|
Emerson College Hosts Women2Women Conference |  | |
The Women2Women (W2W) Conference is a global initiative dedicated to equipping young women, ages 15 to 19, with the leadership skills needed to thrive in today’s interconnected world. Over 90 young women from 23 countries gathered at Emerson from July 23 through August 1, where they engaged in transformative workshops and discussions led by ndustry leaders and faculty from Emerson's Communication Studies Department:
-
Israela Brill-Cass, who presented on The Art of Negotiation and Difficult Conversations, described the experience as an unparalleled opportunity for these rising leaders to build essential networks and skills.
-
Keri Thompson's session focused on overcoming imposter syndrome, a challenge many young women face.
-
Deion Hawkins led a workshop on public speaking basics, building participants' confidence to address any audience.
-
Gregory Payne contributed with a presentation on Real News vs. Fake News.
-
Cathryn Edelsten led a workshop on building cultural competence.
READ MORE
| |
|
-
Fajitas & ‘Ritas has been a popular spot for Emersonians to dine and gather for 35 years. Greg Payne (Communication Studies) was there the first day the restaurant opened its doors. When he heard it was closing, he knew he had to gather for one last time with colleagues. Payne spoke to the Boston Globe about the importance of the restaurant.
-
In USAToday, music marketing scholar Kristin Lieb (Marketing Communication) shared insight on pop starts, branding, and why fans expect (or want) them to endorse a political candidate.
-
PR expert Kevin Mercuri (Communications Studies) spoke with Fox News Digital about how celebrities disclose their body augmentations to tabloids and news outlets.
-
CEO of Big Fish PR David Richard (Communications Studies) speaks to the riveting murder trial of local woman Karen Read with WCVB. The case, now in deliberations after ten weeks, is garnering attention across the country and world.
-
In the Los Angeles Review of Books, Tim Riley (Journalism) examined the recently-published book Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood’s Hidden Genius, about the comedian and filmmaker’s up and down career.
-
Vincent Raynauld (Communications Studies) talked to NBC News about TikTok’s ban on political ads and how the social media app is facing unique pressures in the U.S. market.
-
Raynauld discussed the rise of pro-Trump fake social media profiles ahead of the U.S. November election with Le Canal Nouvelles, a French Canadian outlet based in Montreal. Raynauld says two potential reasons are other countries have incentives for changing political conversations in the U.S., and economics – quite simply, the people or organizations behind the accounts can make money.
-
Raynauld also talked with TechNewsWorld about the role of pink slime news sites in the spread disinformation.
-
Sociocultural anthropologist Carol Ferrara (Marketing Communication) spoke to Reuters about France’s actions toward its Muslim schools, the largest of which lost funding from the country in late 2023 for failing to adhere to secular requirements.
| | |
|
Meet Emerson’s Newest Faculty: Part 1
A new academic year brings fresh faculty from across disciplines and around the world. Fall 2024 welcomes fiction writers and memoirists, scholars in theatre history and Black studies, professionals in PR and mixed reality media.
Emerson Today invited new faculty (and returning faculty in new roles) to answer a handful of questions about their work and their interests.
READ MORE
| | |
|
Emerson College Students and Faculty Discuss Polls, Politics at Debate Watch Party
The roaring applause and howls of laughter emanating from the Bordy Theater on Tuesday night weren’t the result of a comedy show or film screening – they were from the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump. Prior to the watch party, Communication Studies Chair Gregory Payne and Journalism Chair Lu Ann Reeb fielded questions from students, with Boston Globe political reporter Emma Platoff.
READ MORE
| | |
|
HartBeat Pitch Contest Raises BCE Profile, Introduces Next Gen Writers to Execs | |
Lindsay Decker ’24 was one of three winners, who, along with Matt Berry ’24 and Alaina Reyes ’24, were flown out to Los Angeles to visit comedian/actor/producer Kevin Hart’s HartBeat Productions studios. There, on May 16, they met with the company’s production team and experienced what it’s like to work at HartBeat.
READ MORE
| |
Cala-Bash: Emerson Marketing Chair’s Band Performing at UnCommon Stage
When Professor Nejem Raheem is not leading the Marketing Communication Department, he may be playing several (unique) instruments for his band, Boundary Objects. The trio took the Emerson UnCommon Stage Thursday, August 29.
Raheem answered questions about the etymology of the band’s name, how being in a band makes him a better educator, the importance of work-life balance, and more.
READ MORE
| | |
|
Apple Creates Playlists of Emerson College Musicians
Well, not that Apple.
Recently Elizabeth Apple ’22, marketing coordinator for the Iwasaki Library, created a growing playlist of Emerson College alumni musicians.
The three-plus hour-long playlist includes pop, alternative, folk, rock, hip hop and more. Apple spoke to Emerson Today about why she created the list, other Emerson-related playlists she’s creating, and (considering her last name) why she used Spotify instead of Apple Music.
READ MORE | LiISTEN MORE
| | |
|
Emerson College Community Celebrates Their Favorite Banned Books | |
In honor of the annual Banned Book Week, Emerson College bibliophilists are celebrating their favorite targeted texts.
Last year, the Iwasaki Library created a banned books guide in support of a Banned Books Readathon in 2023 led by Writing, Literature & Publishing Professor and Interim Dean of Graduate & Professional Studies Kim McLarin and WLP Professor Wendy Walters. The Readathon was a response to growing movements to ban books at school and public libraries across the country.
READ MORE
| |
75 Performers for 75 Years of WERS
A LOT, and we mean A LOT, of performers have played in the WERS studios throughout the last 75 years.
After all, WERS started broadcasting on November 2, 1949. Fun fact: WERS began broadcasting from 88.1 and moved to 88.9 in 1950 to increase power to 330 watts. WERS made its home at 130 Beacon Street until 1998, when the new WERS studio on Tremont Street was built in the Ansin Building.
READ MORE
| | |
|
Twitter Xed Out: How Are Journalists Using Social Media Now? | |
Susanne Althoff distinctly recalls returning to her role as editor of The Boston Globe Magazine from maternity leave in 2011 and being told if she didn’t have a Twitter account, she needed to get one.
Twitter disbanded the Trust and Safety Council, which was responsible for Twitter’s policies on hate speech, child sexual exploitation, and self-harm content. As that was happening, evidence showed an increase in hate speech following Musk’s purchase and making Twitter into a private company.
READ MORE
| |
Emersonians Have Good Night at New England Emmys
Seventeen Emerson alums and one faculty member took home awards from the 47th Boston-New England Emmy Awards on Saturday, June 8, in a ceremony held at the Boston Copley Marriott, where several student journalists for WEBN also were honored for their work.
READ MORE
|
| |
|
|
David Wade ’95 Fills in on National CBS Broadcast
Emerson’s own David Wade ’95 (Journalism), a news anchor at WBZ-TV in Boston and faculty, got called up to the Big League on Saturday, August 24, when he filled in for CBS Weekend News anchor Adriana Diaz. “It was a career first and an absolute joy to work with such talented journalists,” Wade wrote on his LinkedIn page. “I’m a lucky guy!”
READ MORE
| |
5: 3 HOT TIPS, 1 COOL LIBRARIAN | |
|
As the School of Communication librarian and a member of the talented Iwasaki Library team, Molly Hurd is dedicated to helping faculty and students in their pursuits of teaching, research, and learning. (She is also wonderfully approachable and fun to work with!)
We asked Molly to share tips for tapping the deep well of resources at Iwasaki. The first three in the series...
| |
|
|
1
Go beyond Google!
Instead, try the Multisearch (the Advanced Search is the key) or GoogleScholar, where you can easily link your Emerson account.
| |
|
2
Go deeper with databases!
With so many to choose from, the similar subject guide helps you find the right resources in the fewest possible clicks.
| |
|
3
Don't buy what you can get for free!
If you find an article but can't access it, simply submit a request through the inter-library loan service.
| |
|
2024
Speech@Emerson Graduate Hooding Ceremony
Awards Program | August 18, 2024
| |
|
Join us in celebrating the remarkable achievements of the Speech@Emerson graduates at the August 18, 2024, Hooding Ceremony!
This milestone honors graduates from Emerson's nationally ranked online Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology program. Speech@Emerson prepares students with cutting-edge clinical knowledge and hands-on experience, equipping them to make a profound impact in the field of communication sciences and disorders.
Watch this inspiring event to see how our graduates are ready to advance the profession and improve lives through speech-language services in diverse communities.
| | | | |
