Member News and Notes

Letters to spell out News and Member News as title
July 13, 2021

In the Media

In The Conversation, Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University, reacted to Biden’s April address to Congress. 

In the “Academic Minute,” Andrea Baldwin, University of Houston-Clear Lake, discussed the pedagogical benefits that storytelling offers across disciplines. 

Vanessa Beasley, Vanderbilt University, was quoted in USA Today about how activists’ expectations for the Biden administration’s action on high-profile issues may change as the pandemic wanes. 

In Salon, Richard Besel, Grand Valley State University, commented on a study about Exxon Mobile’s communication about climate change.

Jennifer Bevan, Chapman University, was quoted in Good Housekeeping on the nature of jealousy and how common it is in romantic relationships. 

In Quartz, Leila Bighash, University of Arizona, commented on why playful teasing, gossip, and eavesdropping can be useful in the modern office. 

Jonathan Bowman, University of San Diego, spoke with USA Today about the new slang term “cheugy,” which refers to someone who isn’t trendy. 

In Vice, Ann Burnett, North Dakota State University, discussed the culture of “busyness” and how that may change after the pandemic. 

Mari Castañeda, University of Massachusetts Amherst, was quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer about how racial and ethnic stereotypes in the media affect people’s perceptions of people of color.

In a Denton Record-Chronicle op-ed, Richard A. Cherwitz, University of Texas at Austin, argued that a recent ruling regarding assault weapons in California demonstrates an “absence of rationality.”

In Slate, Alex Curry, Western Oregon University; Ashley Muddiman, University of Kansas; and Joshua Scacco, University of South Florida, weighed in on the loss of local news outlets and Facebook’s role as a replacement news source in response to the Facebook page for Bitche, France, being briefly removed. 

Elizabeth Dorrance Hall, Michigan State University, described to WLNS factors that may affect people’s decision to wear a mask, even when vaccinated. 

In an ABC8 News segment, Suzanne Enck, University of North Texas, discussed Critical Race Theory and how it’s used in the classroom. 

Cara A. Finnegan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, spoke with WCIA about the new book, Photographic Presidents, Making History from Daguerreotype to Digital.

In the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Kory Floyd, University of Arizona, described how loneliness and the need for intimacy can affect people.

On WHYY, Anita Foeman and Bessie Lawton, both of West Chester University, talked about their DNA Discussion Project and the challenges Black students confront when researching their family trees. 

In Insider, Nichola Gutgold, Penn State Lehigh Valley, and Myra Gutin, Rider University, weighed in on how first ladies have navigated public scrutiny of their fashion choices. 

Sara Hayden, University of Montana, joined The Special Report with Areva Martin to discuss a mother who posted nude and partially nude photos on OnlyFans and whose children were subsequently expelled from a Catholic school because the posts were reported to the school. 

On CBS 4, Katharine Head, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, explained why Pfizer was seeking full FDA approval of its COVID-19 vaccine in May. 

Greg Hoplamazian, Loyola University Maryland; Shelly Hovick, Ohio State University; and Matthew Seeger, Wayne State University, commented to Axios on college students’ growing interest in public health and crisis communication because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Yifeng Hu, Yachao Li, and John C. Pollock, all of The College of New Jersey, described to the Associated Press how social media use can combat vaccine hesitancy.

In The Philadelphia Inquirer, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, University of Pennsylvania, and Allyson Levin, Villanova University, discussed Gen Z’s vaccine hesitancy and how public health officials can reach younger Americans. 

In Deseret News, Chris Karpowitz, Brigham Young University, weighed in on the April conflict between Glenn Beck and Mitt Romney. 

Jinsook Kim, University of Pennsylvania, spoke with the Rome New Tribune about the feminist movement in South Korea.

In the New York Times, Kendra Knight, DePaul University, suggested that making plans could be helpful for couples looking to renew their relationships after the pandemic. 

In USA Today, Jennifer Lambe, University of Delaware, weighed in on whether banning Trump from Facebook violates the First Amendment.

Timothy Levine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, spoke with the AARP about how the end of the COVID-19 pandemic may strain social interactions.

Kara Laskowski, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, participated in a town hall about how COVID-19 has affected higher education, as reported in The Tribune-Democrat

In Politico, Jen Mercieca, Texas A&M University, discussed the ways that the Facebook ban has harmed Trump’s rhetorical power. Mercieca also commented to USA Today about the problems that this could pose for a possible Trump presidential campaign in 2024.

In The Conversation, John M. Murphy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, took a close look at Representative Liz Cheney’s commitment to order and traditional Republican principles. 

LeiLani Nishime, University of Washington, explained to Health magazine why whitewashing in film and television is so harmful. 

In the Star Tribune, Natalie Pennington, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, weighed in on how Trump supporters leave comments on Trump’s Facebook page, even though Trump remains banned. In an Authority Magazine interview, Pennington discussed working from home and how society may change because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In a Kansas Reflector op-ed, Robert C. Rowland, University of Kansas, made the case for why former President Trump’s false claims about antifa and left-wing violence resonated with so many Americans. 

In a New Haven Register op-ed, Melanie Savelli, Southern Connecticut State University, argued that the COVID-19 pandemic has generated some positive classroom changes. 

Joshua Scacco, University of South Florida, commented to the Sun Sentinel on how social media users responded to a car crash during an LGBTQ Pride Parade in south Florida. 

In The Guardian, Michael Serazio, Boston College, offered thoughts on why some companies publicly opposed voting law changes in Georgia.

Theodore Sheckels, Randolph-Macon College, talked with Reuters ahead of President Biden’s first address to Congress. 

In Bloomberg Law, Lu Tang, Texas A&M University, weighed in on how to reach people who have not yet gotten vaccinated. 

In The Conversation, Joseph Turow, University of Pennsylvania, dove into the growing industry of vocal profiling and its implications for privacy. Turow also spoke with Marketplace about the negative consequences of voice recognition technology. 

Tammy R. Vigil, Boston University, joined WGBH to discuss the Boston mayoral race. 


In Transition

Michael W. Kramer was appointed Professor Emeritus in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma after announcing his retirement as Professor and Chair at the end of June 2021. He completed his 45th year of full-time teaching including 19 years at the University of Missouri and 11 years at the University of Oklahoma. He served as Department Chair for 17.5 years at the two programs.

Leland G. Spencer has been promoted to Professor and Department Chair at Miami University.


New Books

Catalina M. de Onís, Energy Islands: Metaphors of Power, Extractivism, and Justice in Puerto Rico (University of California Press, 2021). ISBN: 9780520380622. 

Catalina M. de Onís, Hilda Lloréns, Mabette Colón Pérez, and Khalil G. García-Lloréns, Environmental Justice Is for You and Me (Editora Educacion Emergente, 2021). 

Gary C. Woodward, The Sonic Imperative: Sound in the Age of Screens (Amazon/kdp, 2021). ISBN: 13:979-8738487972.