COMS News | November 2024
November Newsletter
COMS Announcements
COMS Club
Want to get involved in the COMS major, show your engagement in the discipline, and connect with other COMS students? You're invited to attend COMS Club all quarter long! When and where are the meetings? Visit the COMS Club website or follow their Instagram account for the most up-to-date information. The next event should be Thursday, November 7 at 11:10 AM, so mark your calendars!
LPH Recruitment
LPH is the National Communication Association’s official honor society. The organization recognizes the outstanding academic achievements of COMS majors and offers membership benefits including honors status at graduation and ceremonial graduation regalia. To see if you qualify to join, check out the membership requirements and fill out the Cal Poly LPH Interest Form by December 1. Be sure to follow LPH on Instagram @lphcalpoly to stay in the loop.
Winter Registration COMS Office Hours
Cal Poly Winter registration is just around the corner with round one opening November 5-21. If you need help from the COMS department, we're here for you! Associate Chair, Dr. Nelson, and Department Chair, Dr. Dhillon, have scheduled extra office hours to (1) discuss COMS classes in Winter 2025, (2) help re-imagine your schedule, and (3) address any scheduling-related questions or issues. Visit the Calendly links below to set up appointments during extra office hours with either Dr. Nelson or Dr. Dhillon:
- Dr. Nelson Calendly link for appointments
- Dr. Dhillon Calendly link for appointments
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 current student Bridget LaPorte and alum Chelsie Lui:
- Bridget LaPorte (she/her) is a fourth-year COMS student and member of the Delta Gamma Sorority. Her collaborative research was featured with a first runner-up award for a quantitative paper on AI at the annual CSU S4 Conference. She also had an internship this summer with NASA for work in Digital Communication & Content Analysis for the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope.
- Chelsie Lui (she/her) is a COMS alum (spring 2021) who is now a graduate student at Brown University working on her Master's of Social Data Analytics. In her grad program, Chelsie is currently working on developing skills in mixed methods research and applied analytics while exploring topics like emerging technologies, inequality, and consumer audiences.
Events & Opportunities
Native America Heritage Month
From the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion: November is Native American Heritage Month (NAHM), so this month, and every month, we as a campus acknowledge and honor the peoples of this land. While, collectively, as a nation, we celebrate the myriad histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous Peoples throughout our country, whose strivings and triumphs, resilience and perseverance, strength and beauty enrich and deepen the quality of our nation. Join us this month in learning about and celebrating the Native Peoples of our country, and for a series of NAHM campus events organized by the Native American Indigenous and Cultural Center (NAICC).
Vote: November General Election
Questions about November’s upcoming election? Check out the Cal Poly Election Guide for who, what, where, when, and how questions related to the Nov. 5 general election! Find events, ways to vote, and resources to support your well-being. Also, check out the ASI Student Government website for a list of top things to “know your vote” and ways to be civically engaged on campus.
BEACoN Research Opportunities for Students
The BEACoN Research Mentoring Program exists to educate, empower, and advocate for underrepresented students and provide them with funded undergraduate research opportunities working one-on-one with faculty. Selected students will work with faculty during Winter and Spring quarters and receive a $2,000 quarterly stipend ($4,000 total) for their time gaining research experience and participating in professional development. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, November 12. For more information, visit the BEACoN Website.
Breaking Into Netflix
Curious about working at Netflix? Attend an exclusive panel featuring three inspiring Netflix professionals who'll share their experiences, career journeys, and practical advice for aspiring entertainment industry insiders. Discover what it’s like to support top creative projects and develop programs that shape the future of film and TV. The event takes place on Zoom, Thursday, Nov. 21 @ 12:00 pm PT. For more information and to register for the event online, visit the Eventbrite page.
Distinguished Teaching Award Nominations
Have you had a professor who influenced your life or schoolwork in a meaningful way? Show your appreciation by nominating your professor for a Distinguished Teaching Award! The deadline to submit nominations this year is November 22. Students or alumni may submit one or more nominations at this link.
Washington Center Internship Program
The Washington Center Internship Program delivers a comprehensive experience designed to help you thrive in today’s rapidly evolving job market. This program combines personalized career coaching, immersive hands-on experience, and access to a dynamic network of peers and professionals in Washington, D.C.—a city where ideas turn into action. You’ll return to campus with a clear plan for success after graduation and the tools to build a thriving career. For more information about spring and summer internships, visit the program website.
National Communication Association
Communication Studies students, alumni, and faculty head to the 110th annual convention of the National Communication Association (NCA), November 21-24, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Scheduled participants will present their original research, share best practices in teaching, participate in academic service opportunities, and network with scholars.
Scheduled Faculty Presentations
Dr. Jnan Blau
- Communication for a Greater Dis/Regard [Presenter/Panelist]
- Resounding Impact: A Critical Micro-Reflection on the Macro Musical and Cultural Contribution of New Orleans [Presenter/Panelist]
Dr. Darrian Carroll
- Holding Transnational Blackness in Greater Regard: A Book Discussion of Singletary’s Blackness Personified [Chair]
- (Re)turning to Race: Towards a Greater Regard for Race in Rhetorical Criticism [Respondent]
- Legislative Assembly [Participant]
- Canceling Meaning: Investigating Fan Responses to Cancel Culture [Presenter/Panelist]
- Legacy Leadership: Elaine Brown's "Education for Liberation" Bolstering the Fight for Black Freedom [Presenter/Panelist]
Dr. Anuraj Dhillon
- Suffering Compassionately and Identity-Driven Prosociality: Minority Employees Sensemaking around Disclosures of Suffering at Work [Co-Author]
Dr. Megan Lambertz-Berndt
- Communication and Law Division Meeting [Co-Author]
Dr. Vince Meserko
- Community-based Learning in the Basic Course [Presenter/Panelist]
Dr. Leah Ransom
- (De)constructing the Archival Avatar: How Digitality Complicates the Informational Self [Presenter/Panelist]
Dr. Sasha Sanders
- A Greater Regard for Fandom and Performance [Chair]
- Communication for a Greater Dis/Regard [Presenter/Panelist]
- Beauty Shop of Horrors [Chair]
Dr. Stephenson Brooks Whitestone
- Navigating Loss with Greater Regard [Presenter/Panelist]
- Fantasy Funerals: Television Depictions of Trans Joy After Death [Presenter/Panelist]
- Death and Dying Division: Meet and Greet/Meeting [Co-Author]
Faculty & Staff News
Faculty Projects
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. David Askay received the Best Article of the year Award for his 2023 co-authored publication in Business Horizons titled Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge Management: A Partnership Between Human and AI. This article exemplifies the best of Business Horizons in that it highlights the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in all aspects of knowledge management.
Dr. Jnan Blau is a founding member of the Phish Studies Association, an interdisciplinary academic organization that studies the band Phish, their large and longstanding phan community, and the Phish phenomenon writ large. During the month of October, the inaugural Phish Studies 101 series was held online via Zoom webinars. This endeavor sought to model and enact public scholarship by bringing insights on Phish Studies scholarship to the wider phan community. Dr. Blau was intimately involved in visioning and implementing Phish Studies 101, and served as Q & A monitor during the well-attended webinars.
Dr. Maria Subert recently presented at the 2024 Peace & Justice Studies Association Conference at Niagara University in New York. Her presentation was titled: Portrayals of Roma Emancipation and Resistance: A Harmonious and Non-Violent Representation. In this work, Dr. Subert focuses on visual and oral narratives of five members of the Roma/Gypsy grassroots movement, how they critique their othering and segregation, how they view emancipation from and resistance to it, and how a peaceful resistance has cultural importance.
BEACoN Research Projects
Congratulations to our COMS professors who will be participating as mentors and scholars in the annual BEACoN research program. Check out the projects your COMS professors are advising this year:
Dr. Alison Cheung was awarded funding for a study called Investigating Transnational and Panethnic Media. While working on this project, student scholars will develop skills related to organizing cultural artifacts, synthesizing scholarly concepts and articles, applying a critical lens, and strengthening their analytical skills.
Dr. Sergio Fernando Juárez was awarded funding for a study called Exploring Latina/o/x Experiences at Cal Poly: A Counterstory Methodology. While working on this project, student scholars will gain a variety of skills related to the development of a qualitative research project.
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