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School of Communication
Alumni Newsletter
Spring 2024
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Welcome to the Spring 2024 issue of the School of Communication Alumni Newsletter! There is a lot going on in the School of Communication these days, involving faculty, students, and alumni. This issue includes coverage of the impressive SOC representation at the recent annual convention of the Western States Communication Association, a spotlight on our Advancement Interns, Malia Liao and Evan Barker, a Forensics update, and the highly anticipated announcement of our 2024 Outstanding Alum of the Year recipient.
Please take a few minutes to browse through our newsletter. Please let me know with a personal email at hcanary@sdsu.edu if you have suggestions for future newsletters.
I hope to see many of you at our Annual Alumni & Awards Banquet on May 4, 2024. The online reservation link is under construction, so keep your eyes out for an email invitation coming to your inbox soon! We’re mixing things up a bit this year to foster alumni-student engagements:
- Give & Get Lounge: Connecting talented students and alumni
- Advisory Board Lounge: Meet members of our alumni advisory board
- Awards Circle: Past and present SOC award winners
- Grad Student Research Gallery: Latest research by current grad students
Please let me know by email if you would like to sign up for one of our lounges or the research gallery (hcanary@sdsu.edu). If you are a former award winner, expect to hear from me soon with a personal invitation!
Warmest regards,
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Dr. Heather E. Canary,
Professor and School Director
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Terri Sjodin
Terri Sjodin (SDSU BA ‘87) is a renowned speaker, author, and entrepreneur, celebrated for her expertise in helping professionals enhance their persuasive presentation skills. More than thirty years after launching her company, Sjodin Communications, from a spare room in her home, she has built an impressive client list that includes Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, national sales teams, industry associations, and even members of Congress.
She is the author of several books, including “Scrappy” and the New York Times Best Seller, “Small Message, Big Impact.” Her newest book, “Presentation Ready” was recently published by McGraw-Hill. Terri collaborated with the School of Communication faculty and students to conduct research to form the basis for her latest book. She is also a popular LinkedIn Learning Instructor and a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows throughout the country, appearing on The Today Show Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC, and many industry podcasts.
Terri’s accolades include induction into the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame and recognition as one of the top five Women in Business by the Orange County Business Journal.
Terri cherishes her time at San Diego State University, particularly her involvement with The forensics team, where she honed invaluable skills and forged lifelong friendships. Her paramount advice to communication majors is to consider joining the forensics team, highlighting the profound impact of speech and debate classes and tournament experience on one’s personal and professional success.
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Western States Communication Association Convention | |
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School of Communication faculty, students, and alumni made a strong showing at this year’s convention of the Western States Communication Association! We hosted an alumni reception to foster connections among current and former faculty and students. Our undergraduate students presented their competitive papers at the Undergraduate Scholars Research Conference, including a Top Paper presented by Toby Sandoz. Many faculty members, graduate students, and alumni presented their research across several Interest Groups. Dr. Heather Canary delivered the Presidential Address during the annual convention luncheon, closing out her term as WSCA President. We hope you join us at next year’s convention in Albuquerque, NM, and in 2026 when the School of Communication hosts the WSCA convention at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter!
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Malia Liao
Malia Liao, majoring in Communication with a minor in Industrial Organizational Psychology, serves as an Advancement Intern for the School of Communication and the Special Events Officer for Lambda Pi Eta.
Growing up bilingual in an immigrant household, she often navigates diverse perspectives on effective communication. Raised in Oakland, California, Malia recognizes the power of communication in community service and the need to uplift marginalized communities through political advocacy and civic engagement. Notably, Malia helped implement a charter amendment process to legally expand the voting age to 16 for Oakland Unified School District board elections.
As a Communication major, Malia deeply values the moments when she can apply classroom lessons to her personal life and immediately experience the value of her education. As the Advancement Intern, she steps out of her comfort zone, mastering social media management and organizing the upcoming Alumni & Awards Banquet.
Graduating next fall, Malia aims to deepen connections in San Diego, using her Communication skills to contribute to a more equitable future. Malia's passion stems from her intersectional identities and gratitude for her education at San Diego State University.
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Evan Barker
Meet Evan Barker, one of our featured students for this spring newsletter edition. Hailing from Laguna Beach, California, Evan is a distinguished senior at San Diego State University, where he is majoring in Communication with a minor in Biology. Not only does Evan consistently earn a spot on the Dean's List, but he is also a proud member of Lambda Pi Eta and serves as an Advancement Intern for the School of Communication.
Evan's academic journey is deeply intertwined with his personal experiences. Diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of four, he has navigated the challenges of diabetes management and embraced its technologies. Now, fueled by his passion to make a difference, Evan aspires to leverage his unique blend of communication and scientific knowledge to contribute to the field of biotech, enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with diabetes by improving the products and technologies available.
For Evan, choosing Communication as his major was not merely an academic decision but a personal calling. He views effective communication as a catalyst for positive change in all aspects of life, whether in business, advocacy campaigns, or interpersonal relationships. Evan's dedication to leveraging communication as a tool for improvement reflects his commitment to making a tangible difference in the world around him.
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SDSU Forensics has had an eventful Spring 2024 semester so far!
First up, we hosted the annual Gaske Memorial Tournament during the weekend of Feb 3-4. We hosted the tournament for the first time out of the Bernstein Theatre since it was gifted to the team last Spring. It served as an amazing central hub of the tournament which hosted programs from 7 states. This was the largest and most regionally diverse tournament that we have hosted since Covid and we are excited to see what next year holds for us when we host again. Next up, we attended the Pacific Southern California Association's Spring Championship Tournament where senior Hunter McKelvey took 6th place in Dramatic Interpretation and was awarded the prestigious PSCFA Scholar Award. Hunter has maintained a GPA over 3.85 while competing in Forensics which is a huge accomplishment.
The next tournament that we will be attending is the National Parliamentary Debate Association's Championship Tournament at the University of Utah in March. The team will be taking two teams and Ashley Nuckels Cuevas, our Director of Forensics, will be assisting in running the tournament since she is the outgoing President of the NPDA. The team will be attending two more tournaments this semester including the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence which our team president and senior Ryan Bartl and freshman Spencer Simon qualified for as being one the best teams in the nation. We will be closing out our season with a full-service tournament where we will be taking our full team called the PSCFA Cool Off. This tournament is unique in that only brand-new students can compete and returning students can judge! We are very much looking forward to this fun tournament because it is a wonderful team-building opportunity and our first-year Graduate Teaching Assistant, Julia Bruetsch will be Tournament Director.
On a final note, the donations of our amazing alumni helped multiple students who would have otherwise been unable to stay on the team as well as have funds that can assist us in attending more tournaments. Thank you to those who have contributed to the Forensics Fund! Please keep an eye on our social media for more updates!
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Ashley Nuckels-Cuevas,
Director of Forensics
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The School of Communication relies on private support to fulfill our mission of providing quality graduate and undergraduate education in the field of human communication. Click the link below to make a gift to the School of Communication or choose from one of our specific programs.
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Save the Date!
The Annual Alumni and Awards Banquet is on
May 4th at 6 pm! Keep an eye out for the invitation link coming out soon.
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School of Communication
College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Dr. San Diego, CA 92182-4560
voice: (619) 594-8512 . fax: (619) 594-6246
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