Department of Communication Studies at U of Iowa

Professor Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart was on the Talk of Iowa podcast recently, click the link below to check it out!

https://www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/talk-of-iowa/2024-08-06/how-empty-nesters-fill-the-void-as-their-children-launch-their-adult-lives

How empty nesters fill the void as children launch their adult lives Some parents struggle to see their children leave the home, while others see it as a new and exciting phase of their life. Empty nesters share their experiences

Last month, Joy Hayes and Sujatha Sosale attended the ICA Preconference “Going Global before Satellite and Internet” in Sydney, Australia, supported by the Australian Centre for Public History at the University of Technology Sydney. This conference discussed the global media landscape in the pre-satellite era with a focus on the global periphery and the Global South. The Communications Department and The School of Journalism and Mass Communication were lucky enough to be included in the sponsorship along with the journals Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies and Media History.

"Professor Kembrew McLeod was a guest on Air Talk with Larry Mantle to discuss a lawsuit that could change the future of reggeaton music. A lawsuit alleging Latin music stars from Bad Bunny to Karol G illegally copied or sampled a drum pattern is moving forward after a federal judge denied motions to dismiss last week. If you'd like to listen to the segment, click the link below!"

Where Are LA’s Homelessness Dollars Going? Today on AirTalk, LA isn’t detailing how homeless dollars are spent. Also on the show, Austin talks with LAPD Interim Police Chief Choi; everything you need to know about the U.S Supreme court cases currently on the docket; the lawsuit that could change reggaeton music; and more.

Associate Professor, David Supp-Montgomerie was quoted in the Wall Street Journal article, "Disagreements Are Healthy. How to Stop Making Them Toxic." Link in bio to see the whole commentary.

Attention University of Iowa Community! We are currently accepting donations for the town of Greenfield, Iowa which was recently affected by a tornado. Please find a list of needed items below, as well as a link to donate as well.
Current Needed Items:
Ziploc bags
Sharpies
Large plastic totes/tubs
Packing tape
Scissors
Clorox wipes
Ponchos
Large trash bags
Work gloves
First aid kits
Batteries (any size)
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Shovels
Rakes
Deodorant
Toiletries
Baby items: diapers (all sizes), baby wipes, formula, nonperishable baby food
Chargers (phones, laptops of all kinds)

https://www.greenfieldiafoundation.org/

Our graduate student, Corrine Jones, will be taking the donations back to Greenfield and would be happy to take clothing or any kind for adults and children.

The Department of Communication Studies congratulates Tim Looney on his promotion from instructor to the rank of Associate Professor of Instruction! Congrats Tim!!

Congratulations are in order for Dr. Joy Hayes on her promotion from Associate Professor to the rank of Professor in the Department of Communication Studies! Congrats Joy!

Congratulations to PhD Student Sam Rose for receiving the Carol Schrage Prize for Community Building and the Graduate College Summer Fellowship! The Graduate College Summer Fellowship will support her research outside of the current academic year and the Carol Schrage Prize for Community Building recognizes students who significantly contributed towards building a sense of community within the Communication Studies department. Congrats, Sam!

Congratulations to PhD candidate Ang Malenda for receiving the Ramona Tomlin Mattson Fellowship and the Jane A. Weiss Dissertation Scholarship! These awards will support her and her research relating to women’s issues. Congrats, Ang!

Communication Studies department chair Kembrew McLeod joined Debbie Harry and other founding members of Blondie! Kembrew joined them on NPR's 1A as part of The Sounds of America radio series. Every year, 25 audio recordings that have historical, cultural or aesthetic importance to our audio heritage are added to the list. The group looked at Blondie and the band's album "Parallel Lines." Very cool, Kembrew!

Mengmeng Liu received the CLAS Dissertation Writing Fellowship for this Summer and Fall of 2024! This fellowship will provide support and allow her to focus on her dissertation “Navigating subversiveness: Digital Feminist Play and Resistant in Women-Centered Media Practices in China” and other research activities. Congratulations, Mengmeng!

Please join us in congratulating Celeste! Celeste successfully defended her master's thesis “Viewing Articulations: A Q***r Affective Genre.” We are proud of all of her hard work!

Associate Professor Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart’s article “Deciding to Divorce: Choosing You” was recently featured in Psychology Today. The article gives individuals and couples key questions to consider when contemplating divorce. In addition, the article normalizes that divorce can be liberating experience and healthy for the entire family system.

Check out the article yourself here:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communicating-through-change/202404/deciding-to-divorce-choosing-you

Congratulations to Matt Griffin on a successful Ph.D. Dissertation defense. His piece was titled Precarious Signifiers: Comics, Corps, and Culture War in Marvel’s Feminist Branding. Amazing work, Matt! 🎉💯

Congratulations to Cam Brown for getting the Ballard and Seashore Fellowship! This highly selective fellowship program is designed to help students finish their dissertation or otherwise focus on their scholarly research activities through providing support time. Congrats again Cam!

Congratulations to Communication Studies graduate student Corrine Jones on receiving the Graduate College Post-Comprehensive Research Fellowship! This fellowship program provides an opportunity for Ph.D. students to benefit from supported time to pursue their scholarly research activities. In addition, the fellowship recognizes students with distinguished academic achievement during their early graduate training. The achievements come from a combination of outstanding academic performance in coursework, as well as early scholarly research activities. Congrats again!

Celebrating 4 decades of KRUI magic! 🎉🎶 Dive into the fascinating journey of our beloved campus radio station as penned by Kembrew McLeod, the chair of Communication Studies and KRUI's dedicated faculty advisor since 2000. His piece in Little Village Magazine is a must-read for all music and radio enthusiasts! Check it out: https://littlevillagemag.com/krui-radio-40-years-on-university-of-iowa-campus/

Attention Cinema students! You can meet film industry professionals, Elizabeth Newton and Britton Rizzio, at the Careers in Cinema event on April 12th. See you there! 🎥

Today, we celebrate Dr. Andrew Parayil Boge! He successfully defended his dissertation, "Brown Peril: Rhetorics of South Asian American Racialization, 1900-1939.” Congrats, Andrew! 🎉

Save the date! One Day for Iowa, the University of Iowa's 24-hour online giving day is Wednesday, March 27! 🗓️

Click the link below to give a gift!
https://1dayforiowa.org/comm24

Mark your calendars and join us Tuesday, April 9th, for a fascinating lecture from Raven Maragh-Llyod titled "Cancel Culture and the Limits of Networked Resistance"! The talk will be immediately followed by a catered reception in the AJB rotunda!

Check this out! SACSM, SAPP, and WRAC are hosting “Let’s Talk About Sex” event Tuesday March 26th, 6-8p.m. This event will be centered on conversations about s*x positivity and building your own safe s*x kit. The event will include conversations with Dr. Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart and Student Advocates for Planned Parenthood.

Congratulations to Dr. E Cram for being accepted to the 2024 Colby Summer Insitute in Environmental Humanities! Dr. E Cram was recognized for their work in the environmental humanities and their potential contributions to the Institute. They will join other scholars from around the globe to explore how the Environmental Humanities contribute to the theorization, imagination, and practice of socially just and ecologically hopeful futures for humans and nonhumans.

Professor Kate Magsamen-Conrad has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Marion L. Huit Faculty Award. The award is presented annually to a faculty member who best characterizes M. L. Huit's contributions to University and community life. Dean Huit exemplified the qualities of dedication to, concern for, and interaction with students. Congrats Kate!

Are you attending the Society for Cinema and Media Studies conference this year? Join Comm Studies faculty, grad students and alumni at A.T. O’Keefe’s Irish Pub and Bourbon Club Friday March 15th from 5PM-7PM for a mixer! Limited free appetizers and drinks will be provided! For more information, click the link below!

A.T. O'keefe's Irish Pub & Bourbon Club Best Irish Pub in Back Bay, BostonThe oldest sports bar in America is open again in the Back Bay! Formerly McGreevy's, a staple in Back Bay.A.T. O'Keeffe's brings you the same great drinks and lively scene in the heart of the Back Bay. Location911 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02115HoursOPEN DAILY 11am...

Associate Professor Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart was featured in the New York Times article “Is this Motherly Love or Something ‘Toxic'? The article takes a closer look at content with the hashtag on social media. If you’d like to read the article yourself, click the link below.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/01/style/boy-mom-tiktok-mother-son.html

Congratulations to Morgan DiCesare, PhD Candidate in the Department of Communication Studies, who accepted an appointment as a Postdoctoral Teaching Associate in the Department of Communication Studies in the College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeast University in Boston, MA. This is great news! We wish you well and congrats again, Morgan!

Hats off to doctoral student, Andrew Boge for his outstanding work and earning the 2024 Graduate Research Excellence Award! Boge is being recognized for studying rhetoric and public advocacy while focusing on the reciliation of Asian Americans in the US in the early 20th century.
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Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research, this award honors students in terminal degree programs who are conducting research and scholarly activity that is recognized as highly original work that makes a significant contribution to the field!

Join Dr. Rachel McLaren, an associate professor in the University of Iowa Department of Communication Studies, for an engaging workshop designed to help people combat loneliness and foster meaningful friendships. While some may believe that friendships should develop naturally without much effort, research indicates that creating meaningful connections requires intentionality. In this virtual lecture, you’ll have the opportunity to acquire evidence-based strategies for forming connections with others and nurturing friendships throughout your life. Participants will leave with important communication tools that will empower them to build the fulfilling relationships they desire in their lives. The workshop will take place on Zoom on Wednesday, February 21st at noon!!

Register Now: https://foriowa.info/3OC3tDY

Congratulations to Natalie Fixmer-Oraiz and University of Kentucky Associate Professor Shui-yin Sharon Yam for winning this year's Feminist Scholar of the Year Award from the Organization for Feminist Research in Gender and Communication! The pair have been selected for their article, "Against Gender Essentialism: Reproductive Justice Doulas and Gender Inclusivity in Pregnancy and Birth Discourse." We are proud to celebrate such amazing work!