Category Archives: Graduate Program

The last SMC colloquium of this semester: Friday (Dec. 4, 2015) 3:30-4:45 PM

Current Students, Faculty, Graduate Program


SMC Research Colloquium
December 4, 2015, Friday, 3:30-4:45 PM,121 West Hall
Space, Place, and Method

Presenters: Drs. Josh Atkinson & Clayton Rosati, Associate Professors, School of Media and Communication

This presentation explicates different methods and approaches to the study of space, place, and material environments. Drawing on past research and their own research experiences, the presenters illustrate the ways in which scholars can utilize interviews, focus groups, and textual analysis to explore these important topics. Before this presentation, the first 15 minutes of the colloquium will be devoted to a SMC graduate student Dinah’s NCA research paper, “The Breast Cancer Fanfare: Embracing Opportunities of Feminist Scholarship for Women’s Health in Ghana.”

BGSU SMC offers new program in fall 2015

Graduate Program
Bowling Green State University

Open House July 30, 2015, Thursday 5 – 8 p.m.
BGSU Levis Commons Campus (Perrysburg, Ohio)

Master’s Degree in Strategic Communication
Success in the 21st century requires a new set of communication skills that transfers across platforms and audiences. Bowling Green State University is offering a new Master of Arts in Media and Communication degree that focuses on Strategic Communication.

  • Gain up-to-date knowledge and skills in organizational communication, social media, advertising and public relations
  • Network with media and communication professionals in northwest Ohio
  • Enroll part time and plan to complete the degree in two years
  • Take classes in an innovative, blended format that includes online and monthly face-to-face classes at Levis Commons in Perrysburg
  • Ask if you are eligible to waive the GRE admissions requirement

Expand your horizon and prepare for the next chapter of your career.
For more information visit us online or contact:

Dr. Sung-Yeon Park, Graduate Coordinator

School of Media & Communication

sunpark@bgsu.edu

419-372-3422

BGSU

Dr. Radhika Gajjala, Fulbright Norway recipient for 2015-2016

COMM, Faculty, Fulbright, Graduate Program

 

Dr.  Radhika Gajjala, Professor in Communication Department and the American Culture  Program at BGSU will be heading Norway (University of Bergen) on Fulbright Professorship for the AY 2015-2-16. During her stay there she will be working on her research project on “Crafting Post-coloniality and Critical Digital Humanities Research (#DHCRIT)” for which she will conduct ethnographic research on two intersecting projects. One looks at mobile technologies and diasporic South Asians and the other looks at fiber/handcrafting  communities and their use of digital technologies globally. She will bring these two topics together in the context of Postcolonial Science and Technology studies and Digital Media/Cultures Research. She will also be co-teaching courses offered through University of Bergen on topics such as Digital Culture, Information Society, History and Philosophy of Computer Technologies, and Gender and Game Studies.

see the following link for an announcement on the UiB website”

http://www.uib.no/fag/digitalkultur/89370/internasjonale-forelesere-på-digital-kultur?utm_content=buffer3fb56&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Department of Journalism and Public Relations, Assistant Professor job opening

Faculty, Graduate Program, Journalism

Department of Journalism and Public Relations
School of Media and Communication
Assistant Professor

Details: The Department of Journalism and Public Relations at Bowling Green State University invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor to begin August 2016.  We continue developing and implementing coursework to respond to industry demands and the state’s desire for graduates who are skilled in converged media technology and new media journalistic content production. We seek a visionary colleague who can contribute to these efforts and bring imaginative approaches to teaching and research. He or she should approach teaching and research with a focus on the vital issues of the day concerning the evolution of journalism. We desire to attract candidates who are studying emerging media and its relationship to journalism, citizenship, and public affairs.

The preferred candidate will have hands-on experience producing journalistic content for multiple platforms and the ability to teach students the technologies necessary to succeed in a converged media environment. He or she must have the ability and enthusiasm to teach core journalism skills classes. He or she will have the expertise to teach multimedia reporting classes and/or web design and data visualization. The candidate will be familiar with strategies needed to produce online news content use of web and the use of media analytics for mobile, tablet, and desktop platforms. Familiarity with the full range of Adobe products is desirable.

Additionally, experience teaching law, diversity, feature writing, or still photography classes would be a plus.

Qualifications: Successful candidates for the position must have Ph.D. in journalism or a related field. ABD candidates will be considered. The preferred candidate will have university teaching experience, professional journalism experience, and an interest in professional community involvement.

Application: A completed application must include a cover letter, current curriculum vitae, and at least three current and original signed letters of recommendation. The application cover letter and CV (including references names and contact information) must be received by September 15, 2015, and may be sent on paper or electronically as a Word document or pdf to crosend@bgsu.edu.  Recommendation letters must be on paper and received September 15, 2015. Finalists must provide transcript evidence of highest degree. Paper applications and reference letters should be addressed to: Carman Kinney, Department of Journalism and Public Relations, 302 West Hall, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0233. Inquiries can be made of Dr. Kathy Bradshaw, Chair of the Search Committee, at kabrads@bgsu.edu.

The School of Media and Communication at BGSU seeks applicants for part-time adjunct teaching positions

Faculty, Graduate Program



The School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University (http://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/media-and-communication.html) seeks applicants for possible, part-time, adjunct teaching positions. Graduate teaching assignments will be in the area of public relations or humanistic research methods.  Successful applicants must have recent, relevant industry experience to teach courses for the department as needed for a semester.

Starting dates are either August 2015 or January 2016. Candidates must have a master’s degree and professional industry experience public relations if teaching public relations courses. Evidence of successful teaching at the collegiate level is preferred.

Applicants must submit: 1) letter of application, 2) resume and 3) two current, original, signed letters of reference that include the writer’s name, address and phone number.  Finalists will be required to submit official transcripts indicating highest degree.  Finalists are also required to authorize and pass a background investigation prior to an offer of employment.

Unless they request otherwise, qualified applicants will also be considered for future part-time employment opportunities that may arise.

Submit application materials to: 

Carman Kinney, School of Media and Communication, 302 West Hall, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403.
Applications must be postmarked by June 12, 2015.

Bowling Green State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Educator and Employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities regardless of age, gender identity, genetic information, religion, or sexual orientation.

SMC Ph.D. alumna Joy (Chin-Chung) Chao received tenure and promotion at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and two university research grants

Alumni, Graduate Program

Dr. Joy (Chin-Chung) Chao, a BGSU SMC Ph.D. alumna, received tenure and promotion to associate professor in the School of Communication at the University of Nebraska at Omaha this spring.  She is also the only faculty in the history of her school to receive two research grants at her university in the same year.

Dr. Chao’s research proposal, “From Professionals to First Ladies: The Role of Liyuan Peng and Michelle Obama in the Media’s Portrayal” has been awarded for Faculty Research International (FRI) grant award in the amount of $5,000.

In Fall 2014, she was awarded a 2015 UCRCA grant for her proposal titled, “I Am in the Homeless Home or I Am always on the Way Home: Formatting Identity and Imagined Community through Ethnic Media Use.”

Previously, she received a FRI grant award in 2013-2014 for $5,000, which led to the publication: Chao, C. C., & Tian, D. (2014). Disputes over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands: Communication tactics and grand strategies. Journal of International Relations and Foreign Policy, 2(2), 19-47.

https://unoschoolofcommunication.wordpress.com/2015/04/16/school-of-communication-april-2015-2/

Dr. Sung-Yeon Park earns Faculty Senate Distinguished Service Award

Faculty, Graduate Program, Tcom highlights



Dr. Sung-Yeon Park, an associate professor and graduate coordinator in the School of Media and Communication (SMC) at Bowling Green State University, has distinguished herself as a focused, dedicated professional who demonstrates the utmost integrity in everything she does. Her efforts have earned her thefjkjkj Faculty Senate Distinguished Service Award, presented as part of the BGSU Faculty Excellence ceremony Tuesday (April 14).

Park_Sung-Yeon_A62T4255 The award highlights the importance of the service of a dedicated faculty to the development and enhancement of the University. In his letter of nomination, Dr. Thomas Mascaro, a professor of telecommunications, called Park “a highly valued colleague, a credit to our university and a credit to the entire field of Academe.”

As graduate program coordinator, she took a leadership role when the program was being evaluated, amassing data to highlight the virtues of the program and compare them to peer institutions. She also has helped improve the graduate program admissions process, established curricular standards and upgraded the program’s website, with a keen eye on attracting more students to the program.

She has “distinguished herself and our university by her international and innovative outreach to new populations of prospective students,” Mascaro added. Park collaborated on a program to accept Peace Corps volunteers and established exchange programs with colleges in China and Korea. She also has led efforts to implement certificate programs for online social media.

Since joining the faculty in 2003, Park has taken on numerous service initiatives while maintaining a high level of productivity in teaching and research. She has been very involved in department and school committees, and currently serves as an adviser to the Korean Club and as a member of the Graduate Council. She has been a judge for the Shanklin Graduate Research Award, a Faculty Senator and supervisor for a WBGU-PBS survey and digital TV conversion readiness of northwest Ohio resident survey.

She earned the Granite Tower Teaching Award from Korea University, has had the top paper at four conferences and won the Department of Telecommunications’ Chair’s Service Award. She has 23 peer-reviewed journal articles and 38 refereed papers, and has served as an editorial review board member for Communication Research and Studies of Broadcasting Culture.

“Apart from her extraordinary work as grad coordinator, Sung-Yeon Park is a stellar citizen of the SMC and BGSU,” Mascaro said. “She is an affiliate faculty member in Asian studies and women’s studies and is a worthy mentor to students interested in important subjects such as body image, minority representation and the educational messages embedded in our mediated culture.”

SMC Faculty and Graduate Students have Research Accepted in Top Journal

COMM, Current Students, Faculty, Graduate Program, , , , , ,

Communication professors Dr. Magsamen-Conrad and Dr. Dowd, and graduate students Shrinkhala Upadhyaya and Claire Youngnyo Joa, have their research paper, Bridging the Divide: Using UTAUT to predict multigenerational tablet adoption practices, accepted in the refereed journal Computers in Human Behavior (impact factor 2.273; 5-year impact factor 3.047).

Their paper examined the “Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology” (UTAUT) in the context of tablet devices across multiple generations. They tested the four UTAUT determinants, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions, to determine their contributions for predicting behavioral intention to use tablets with age, gender, and user experience as moderators. 899 respondents aged 19-99 completed the survey. They found consistent generational differences in UTAUT determinants, most frequently between the oldest and youngest generations. Effort expectancy and facilitating conditions were the only determinants that positively predicted tablet use intentions after controlling for age, gender, and tablet use. They also discuss the implications of ageism and gender discrimination of technology adoption. Finally, they argue that their findings can be extended to create effective training programs for the teaching, learning, and adoption of new technologies in a variety of organizational settings. Keywords: UTAUT, technology, adoption, age, training, gender

Full text is available here: http://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/smc_pub/37/

Magsamen-Conrad, K., Upadhyaya, S., Youngnyo Joa, C., &
Dowd, J. (in press). Bridging the Divide: Using UTAUT to predict multigenerational tablet adoption practices. Computers in Human Behavior.

418ZTJJV5WL

Communication Undergrads Schonhardt, Stinson, Taylor, and Wilson to Present Research at OAGE Conference

COMM, Current Students, Faculty, Graduate Program

Congratulations to undergraduate communication majors Casey Schonhardt, Brandon Stinson, Terry Taylor, and Ladonne Wilson will present their research at the Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education conference this April. Please continue reading for more information of their research projects, completed during independent studys/internship under the direction of Dr. MC.

SP14_Grad2

 

Older Adults and technology: Adoption and acceptance comes from relationships and encouragement from younger generations

           

            Paper to be presented by Casey Schonhardt

 

Abstract:

           

                          As technology progresses, older generations are being given ‘smart’ devices and are adopting these devices to keep up with daily life.  Stereotypes posit that the different generational groups perspectives on each other and the digital divide prohibit older generations from adopting new technologies. At the Wood Country Center on Aging located in Bowling Green Ohio, the small group communication class of Bowling Green State University teaches tablet classes once a week to interested older adults. Classes were observed using the STAM (Senior Technology and Acceptance Model), specifically the acceptance phase, over six weeks with narrative and phenomenological research methods. Observing and assisting four small groups teaching older adults different categories of smart tablets, conclusions were made on why older adults accept the technology and even come back for further classes. At the end of the project, it was found that the more positive and genuinely encouraging the students were, the more the older adults consistently attended classes and engaged in learning. Despite rumors of barriers of an age and digital divide, social cues, the relationships made, and the environment play a part in the motivation of technological diffusion in older adult’s daily life.

Introducing and Teaching Information Communication Technology to Senior Citizens

 Poster to be presented by Brandon Stinson

 

Abstract:

This poster examines older adults’ acceptance of information communication technologies (ICTs) as well as strategies for educating older adults about how to use ICTs. Information communication technology has become a key component in our society (Hernandez-Encuentra). For the majority of people it has become a pillar of their everyday lives (Trentin). Today however, many older adults are still reluctant to learn and integrate most information communication technology into their own lives (Gonzalez) as they have for years whenever new technology comes along. Research has shown that several different factors exist to explain why senior citizens do not welcome information communication technology (Loges). Even if they can be convinced to use this technology there are still several factors that can prevent them from both properly and efficiently using it. Researchers have shown that there are numerous methods to teach senior citizens how to properly use information communication technology with varying degrees of success (Jones). This poster will summarize what I have discovered through both compiling information as well as my personal observation with teaching seniors through Dr. Magsamen-Conrad’s Small Group Communication class and an internship at the Wood County Committee on Aging. During Dr. Magsamen-Conrad’s class in the Spring 2014 semester, small groups of five students spent six weeks in a classroom setting teaching older adults how to use tablets. This was the same idea at the internship. From July to August 2014 I taught roughly fifteen older adults how to use tablets in a mostly one on one setting. As older adults continue to become an increasingly larger portion of our population (Lam) it is becoming morevital than ever that they learn and accept information communication technology and become integrated with the rest of society (Feist).

 

 

RED: Retired, Engaged, and Determined

 Poster to be presented by Terry Taylor

Abstract:
My name is Terry Taylor. I am a senior at Bowling Green State University majoring in Communications with a minor in Geography. Iplan to submit a full paper to be considered for a student award and my professor’s name is Dr. Kate Magsamen-Conrad. I worked very close with Dr.MC through a communications class at the senior center that focused on small group communication. I look into the service that we provided through a series tablet classes held at Bowling Green’s senior center and explore the idea and possibility of expanding the market or services to this age demographic. With the age of retires about to reach and all time high due to the Baby Boomers and the fact that technology is changing and advancing every year, I feel that it is vital to provide similar services as we did in our tablet classes held through the senior center on a wider scale. I conclude with reasoning on why this increased knowledge and interaction through technology is imperative for older adults. My objective is to show a need for the increase in understanding of technology for older adults on a broad scale and to make it aware that this is very beneficial to them in physical, mental, social, and various other forms.

Older Adults Attitudes towards New Communication Technologies

 Poster to be presented by Ladonne Wilson

Abstract: As the amount of New Communication Technologies (NCTs) being created increases at an exponential rate it is important to better understand how all portions of our population take advantage of newer NCTs, including older adults. This study sought to better understand older adult’s attitudes towards NCTs as a means of learning and adaption as well as maintaining independence. The researchers argued that older adult’s attitudes toward NCTs have an effect on older adult’s perceived and therefore actual usability. This study was conducted by a communication research methods course at an Ohio public university and it included surveys and interviews of 525 older adults living in the Midwestern United States. The researchers divided the participants into four age groups, Builders, Boomers, Generation Xers and Millennials, and focused primarily on web literacy, performance expectancy, and effort expectancy. The researchers found that there were significant generational differences in attitudes towards NCTs and younger generations were more likely to positively respond to newer NCTs than older generations. The researchers also found that older adults do not experience an immediate attraction to NCT’s unlike younger generations. The researchers posit that these results indicate that must be a greater focus on reducing the deficit between younger and older generations and their respective levels of NCT literacy.