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June Newsletter

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COMS Announcements 

Special Note to Our Graduates
Congratulations Class of 2025! After all the presentations, papers, and endless group projects, you've made it! The Communication Studies faculty and staff are incredibly proud of you and all that you have accomplished in your time at Cal Poly. What a privilege it has been to get to know you, learn alongside you, and support you in pursuing your dreams. As you anticipate the next stage of your adventure, I know it can feel a bit bittersweet to say goodbye. Please know you will always be a part of our COMS community, and you will be missed - so please come back to visit or send us an update once in a while :). Wishing you all the best for whatever comes next! We hope to see you at the CLA Commencement on Saturday, June 14 at 4:30 in Spanos Stadium.

Graduating Senior Exit Survey
Are you a senior set to graduate soon? No matter which quarter you are graduating, before your time at Cal Poly wraps up, remember to fill out the COMS Senior Exit Survey. This will help the COMS department stay in touch with our graduates and to know what your plans might be after graduation. Best of luck in your future endeavors and know that we would love to stay connected to you!

COMS Awards & Spring Social Recap
We had so much fun celebrating the end of the academic year with our students, faculty, and staff at both our COMS "Awards & Recognition Ceremony" and also the annual "Spring Social!" Be sure to check out our Instagram account to see some special pictures from the awards ceremony!

BEACoN Symposium
The Office of University Diversity and Inclusion invites the campus community to the annual BEACoN Research Scholars Symposium, which showcases research projects conducted by student and faculty teams across all 6 Academic Colleges. The symposium takes place June 11th from 12:00 - 2:00 PM in the Cal Poly Multi-Activity Center (MAC). This year, we're celebrating the following student researchers and their COMS faculty advisors who are presenting at the annual symposium:

• Andrea Valle (with faculty advisor Dr. Sergio Fernando) is presenting a study titled Exploring Latina/o/x Experiences at Cal Poly: A Counterstory Methodology. 
• Liana Hanz (with faculty advisor Dr. Alison Cheung) is presenting a study titled 88rising in the 626: Decentralizing Asian/American Transnational, Panethnic Identity

COMS Summer Classes
Summer COMS class enrollment is open! Summer can be a great time to pick up a class or two and take care of a few more requirements or explore a subject that has been of interest to you, but you weren't able to fit into your schedule during the academic year. For a list of class offerings, visit the following summary page and check out the Cal Poly class registration page to see what spaces are still available!

Bias Incident Reporting
As our academic year comes to an end, our campus will be bustling with exciting activities and events, welcoming guests and celebrating our community. With graduation just around the corner, we anticipate many visitors on campus. While these occasions should be filled with joy and connection, it's important to remember that everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and included. If you witness or experience any bias incidents, we encourage you to please report them promptly using the Bias Incident Report Form. Together, we can ensure a welcoming environment for all, free from hostility and discrimination. 

Spotlights
We're proud to share the amazing stories of our current students and alumni! This month, we're spotlighting the work and leadership of alum Brenden Jacoby!

• Brenden Jacoby (he/him; graduated spring 2024) is now an Executive Fellow for the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Prior to graduation, Brenden was accepted into the Capital Fellows Program in Sacramento, a nationally recognized public policy fellowship, which offers unique experiences in policy-making and development in each branch of California's state government. He was placed in GO-Biz’s International Affairs and Trade unit, supporting California’s trade development and foreign direct investment attraction efforts. In this role, Brenden created a tariff resource guide that contains resources and recommendations for California businesses so they can minimize the impact of federal tariffs, optimize operations, and remain competitive in the global marketplace.
   

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Events & Opportunities

Media & Comm Research Initiative
Want to receive travel funding to present the results of a class project at a destination conference? The Media & Communication Research Initiative (MC-Cal Poly) is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 cohort! In this program, you can apply to receive funding and support to present original research from a class project at an academic conference. For application materials and more information, visit the MC-Cal Poly website. Early bird applications are due by June 30th. 

PHIL 323: Ethics, Science, & Technology
Looking to add some units to your schedule that will complement what you are learning in COMS? Check out PHIL 323: Ethics, Science, & Technology with Professor Keith Abney! In Fall 2025, this course will be offered for the first time with a focus on outer space ethics. Students will dive into the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence, autonomous robots, and space exploration. From ChatGPT to Mars rovers, drone warfare to lunar mining, this course tackles both real-world and speculative dilemmas at the intersection of emerging technologies and moral responsibility. This course also satisfies upper-division GE requirement area C.

Social Media Internship
Andrew Goodwin Designs is looking to hire a social media assistant intern for the summer! In this position, a student will have the opportunity to practice the following responsibilities and skills: (1) social media coordination, creating reels, posting stories, creating posts, collaborating with local artists; (2) maintaining website platforms; (3) attending events and capturing photos and videos for social media; (4) writing monthly/bi-monthly newsletters; (5) editing blogs and publishing on social media. For more information and to apply, you can send your resume and portfolio to Ejay Brady (former COMS alum) at ejay@andrewgoodwin.us.
 

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Student Awards & Recognitions

The COMS Department celebrated the accomplishments of our amazing students at our Awards & Recognitions Ceremony, Thursday, May 29, 2025. At this event, we announced student achievements in areas such as academic excellence, research, service, and DEI efforts. Congratulations to our awesome students! 

Department Awards
 

Recognition for COMS Club

• Co-President – Liana Chen
• Co-President – Rohit K. Nandyala
• Treasurer – Lily Kamen
• Secretary – Keira Taksa
• Public Relations & Marketing – Gabbie Acquisto
• Web Director & Co-Event Planner – Sunny Wakeman
• Event Planner – Emma Chung
• DEI Chair – Ava Jimmerson
• Faculty Advisor – Dr. Leslie Nelson

Recognition for Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) 

• President – Prema Yousuf
• Vice President – Kaylie Marrs
• Treasurer – Marshall Piros
• Secretary – Angus Shen
• Planning & Events Co-Chair – Ella Captain
• Planning & Events Co-Chair – Miranda Ward
• Member at Large – Emily Drawer
• Faculty Advisor – Dr. Darrian Carroll
   

New Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) Inductees (2024-2025)

• Ayva Ball
• Bridget LaPorte
• Britnay Pettit
• Camille Tucker
• Cayden Tan
• Jade Pimentel
• Kate McLaughlin
• Kristen Conliffe
• Lauren Rosenberg
• Liat Weinstein
• Lily Kamen
• Natalie Fowler
• Reiko Scilingo
   

Debate Team Awards 

• Debaters of the Year: Lauren Rosenberg (English Division), Nico Julia (Spanish Division)
• The Winebrenner Team Service and Spirit Award: Megan Canale
• The Christopher Skiles Research Beast Award: Franky Chardos
• The Gwendolyn Stewart Community Engagement Award: Nathan Buehner

Recognition for Involvement with Undergraduate Research

• Andrea Aruino
• Andrea Valle
• Bridget LaPorte
• Chloe Delaura
• Darius Enrique Jones
• Elizabeth Deruvo
• Kaley Scheppler
• Karina Melissa Saldivar
• Kate MacPherson
• Koben Bunnell
• Liana Hanz
• Maddie Vargas
• Marshall Piros
• Mason Boerger
• Miranda Ward
• Sammy Campopiano
• Vanessa Ulloa

Outstanding Research Award

• Miranda Ward
   

Recognition for Service

• Abby Samovitz
• Adelyn Nicole Wolf
• AJ Castano
• Amber Pepito
• Andrea Valle
• Angus Shen
• Ashika Balakumaran
• Ava Jimmerson
• Ella Captain
• Kate MacPherson
• Kate Wedel
• Kayla Wrobel
• Lacey Dadian
• Liana Chen
• Mason Boerger
• Miya Hoang
• Reiko Scilingo
• Ricardo Navarro
• Simmi Kaur
• Sundara Wakeman
• Sydney Shumaker

Outstanding Service Awards

• To the COMS Department: Liana Chen
• To the College of Liberal Arts: Kate MacPherson
• To the University: Mason Boerger

Recognition for Visionary Student Contributions

• AJ Castano
• Alyna Gibson
• Amber Pepito
• Chloe Dumore
• Jonah Rienks
• Kate MacPherson
• Mason Boerger
   

Visionary Student Award

• Mason Boerger
   

Academic Excellence Award

• Ava DiPietro
• Bridget LaPorte
• Grace Callan
• Hanna Crawford
• Kaylie Marrs
• Liana Chen
• Melina Rights
• Natalia Quintana-Reyna
• Reiko Scilingo
• Samantha Brandts

Outstanding Senior Award

• Bridget LaPorte

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University/Leadership Awards

In addition to our COMS Department awards, we're also enormously proud of our students who have won recent college, university, leadership, and event awards! Another round of congratulations goes to the following students:  

CSU Social Science Student Symposium (S4)

• Runner Up (Second Place) "Gloria Rummels" Best Use of Quantitative Data Award Honorary Mention: Maddie Vargas, Koben Bunnell, and Vanessa Ulloa
• Best Use of Qualitative Data (Top Scoring) and 3rd place in Best Undergraduate Paper: Miranda Ward (Although she was unable to attend the event in person and the award was graciously passed on to another deserving individual, nevertheless, we celebrate and acknowledge her outstanding contributions to the field)

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Achievements in the College of Liberal Arts, University, and Beyond

• Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) Scholarship: Jonah Rienks 
• Excellence in Learn by Doing Award (CLA): Mason Boerger
• Academic Excellence (University): Bridget LaPorte

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Faculty & Staff News

Faculty Research & Service

Our COMS Department faculty are always participating in high-quality teaching, research, and service projects within our academic community! This month, we're highlighting the following news showcasing the work of your professors: 

Dr. Anuraj Dhillon is scheduled to participate in the International Communication Association (ICA) annual conference, which takes place in Denver, Colorado, June 12-16, 2025. Dr. Dhillon will be speaking as a presenter during the Interpersonal Communication Interest Group meeting. 

Dr. John Patrick (JP) was awarded the 2025 Civic Debate Consortium’s "Civic Debate Impact Award," which is awarded for innovation, pedagogical development, and/or engagement that furthers the mission of the Civic Debate Consortium for the development and implementation of the "JoPat Present and Defend" competition format. Congratulations Dr. JP!

Dr. Leslie Nelson is taking over as an Interim Editor of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (JSPR). JSPR is an international, interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal that publishes the highest quality original research on social and personal relationships. This journal is also affiliated with the International Association for Relationship Research.

Dr. Sasha Sanders' scholarship was recently published by Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society in an article titled "Black Comic Studies Now" in an open-access issue. This co-authored piece (published with Davis-McElligatt, Neal, Murphy, Brown, and Hines) features an edited transcription of the summer 2024 "Comics Studies Society Black Comics Studies Now Roundtable." In addition, Inks was nominated for an Eisner Award this year for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism.

Dr. Sasha Sanders' scholarship will also be featured at the following 2 upcoming Comic Con-related events:

• In June, Dr. Sanders will be presenting at Comicpalooza as part of the University track in Houston (June 20-22, 2025). She will be on two panels: (1) "We're All Sinners-Black Horror and the Southern EthnoGothic" and (2) "Drawing Comics Together: Archives, Libraries, Pedagogies, Communities, and Engagement."
• In July, Dr. Sanders will be presenting at the Comics Arts Conference sponsored by Comic-Con International in San Diego (July 24-27, 2025). Her panel is titled, "Beyond the Panels: The Interdisciplinary Power of Comics Studies."

Promotion Announcements

Big congratulations to our COMS Department professors who were recently promoted! We're so proud of your accomplishments in teaching, research, and service. Cal Poly is honored to have you serving our students and COMS community! The following professors were promoted this year:

• Dr. Bethany Conway was promoted to Full Professor!

Retirement Announcements

It's always sad to say goodbye, but we're celebrating the fabulous work and accomplishments of our faculty and staff who have served Cal Poly over the years. It's bittersweet to say farewell, but we wish the following members of our COMS Department community a truly wonderful retirement!

• Professor Sheree Davis recently retired from her position as a COMS Department lecturer at the end of the winter 2025 quarter after a 35-year career with us at Cal Poly.
   

Sharing is Caring

Do you have an announcement to share with COMS majors, minors, faculty, and staff? Email Dr. Brie to find out how to share it! Follow COMS on Social Media: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn