A few of you [newsletter recepients] will remember your graduation from Christopher Newport University in 1995. In fact, you began your studies while the school was called Christopher Newport College. At that time, the Department of Arts and Communication oversaw music, theater, fine arts and communication studies. To those majoring in communication studies, the department conferred its Bachelor of Arts degree upon four individuals.

Compare that with our number of 2005 graduates. Last year, the Department of Communication Studies conferred the Bachelor of Arts degree upon forty-eight individuals!

What incredible growth of a program! Congratulations to all!

In November 2005, the Department of Communication Studies was represented by an unprecedented number of faculty and students at the National Communication Association Convention in Boston. Seven of our professors offered scholarly presentations, authored research papers, participated in caucuses, and moderated discussions.

The following is only a partial list of their diverse accomplishments:

Dr. Linda Baughman and Dr. Claire Jacobs (dept. chair) presented ‘The Princesses’ v. Britney Spears: A war of ideological occupation and young girls.

Dr. Claire Jacobs

Dr. Linda Manning

Dr. Linda Manning gave presentations entitled When Boys Won’t be Boys: The production of gendered identity in young boys and Compiling a Master Tape: Communicatively constructing a shared family identity.

Dr. Michaela D.E. Meyer presented This is My Obsession: The subversion and reconstitution of homoeroticism on ‘Smallville.’ She also engaged in several caucuses on racial, sexuality, and gender issues.

Dr. Nate French was a participant in a panel session entitled Black Drama in Canada and the United States.

Dr. Ron Von Burg presented Cinematic Genetics: The impact of GATTACA on science policy discourse and Decades Away or the Day after Tomorrow: The public scientific discourse on the possibilities of global warming disaster.

Prof. Irene Grau participated in sessions related to Latina/Latino Communication Studies and The Rhetoric Society of America.

Further topics for discussion by our faculty participants included those ranging from Feminization of Service in the Academy to A Critical Examination of the Production of ‘Kids’ in American Culture.

In all, our seven illustrious department members were involved in twenty-five scholarly activities at the NCA conference.

Student participants were represented by Jane Berry Bodenstein, Julie Brubach, Allison Burr-Miller (’05), Jessica Kotula (’05), Rosie Russo (’04) and Sarah Zoric.

See their accompanying story >>>