Communication Studies Newsletter—Feb. 2006
Dr. Keith Weber Receives Major Grant
“Back where I come from there are men who do nothing all day but good deeds. They are called phila… er, phila… er, yes, er, Good Deed Doers.” Wizard of Oz
Why are people reluctant to become organ donors? Although many people know someone who either benefited from receiving an organ or someone who is in need of an organ transplant, the vast majority of Americans have not registered to be an organ donor. In the last couple of years, Dr. Keith Weber has conducted several studies that explored the myths involving organ donation as well as investigating the effectiveness of different types of persuasive messages. This last fall, Dr. Weber was informed by the Health Resources and Services Administration that he would be the recipient of a $178,000 grant to further investigate effective messages involving organ donation.
The title of his grant is “Social and Behavioral Interventions to Increase Organ and Tissue Donation.” Dr. Weber plans on having a public service announcement professionally produced following a script he created that addresses several myths involving organ donation. This PSA would then be aired locally for a few weeks. Students participating in this study will also attend a brief presentation constructed by Dr. Weber and the regional office of the Center for Organ Recovery and Education. Students will then have the opportunity to sign an organ donor card.
“The truth is, most religions support organ donation. There is no cost to the surviving family for donating a loved one’s organs. Organ donation does not interfere with funeral arrangements and the fact of whether a given individual is identified as a potential organ donor does not come into play when determining whether that person will receive the best medical care while alive,” stated Dr. Weber.
“Many times people don’t like to think about dying, especially college students,” noted Dr. Weber, “but there really is no good reason for people to refuse becoming an organ donor. I’m no more a do-gooder than the next person, but I am very excited about my research. If we can identify messages that are effective, the number of people willing to donate will increase and lives will be saved. At the end of the day, I feel good about the good I am accomplishing.”
“This is a significant grant for Dr. Weber and his organ donation research,” claimed Dr. Matthew Martin, Chair of the Department of Communication Studies. “Since I’ve been Chair, and maybe for a time much longer than that, no other faculty member in our department has been a principle investigator of an external grant. I know that Dr. Weber persevered through a lot of bureaucracy and barricades in order to receive this grant. I applaud and abet his efforts and success.”
“I’ve been following Dr. Weber’s organ work for the last few years and I must say it is quite impressive,” commented Dr. Joe Chesebro, a former colleague of Dr. Weber’s and the current Chair at SUNY-Brockport. “He is doing what the Boss suggested, ‘talk about a dream, try to make it real.’ All I can say is, Keith, keep it up.”
Spotlight on Undergraduate Research
“Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards” ~Robert Orben
On February 1, 2006 in Charleston, WV, three undergraduate students presented their communication studies research at the Third Annual Undergraduate Research Day. In the fall 2005 semester, Darcey Powell, Michael Ehrhart, and Sarah Moore were all students in Dr. Melanie Booth-Butterfield’s Honor’s section of Human Communication in a Contemporary Society.
An assignment in the course was to work in a group to conduct empirical research on a communication-related social issue. Students received research ethics training before collecting, analyzing, and writing up their data.
The title of Darcey, Michael, and Sarah’s project was “The Prevalence and Effects of Credit Card Debt among College Students.” Their study explored students’ use of credit cards, access to credit cards, and management of credit card debt.
“The Undergraduate Research Day at the state capitol is an excellent way to demonstrate that college students can successfully conduct empirical research. This event is also important for communicating to other colleges across the state, as well as to state legislators, the type of research we conduct in Communication Studies,” said Dr. Melanie Booth-Butterfield. “I was impressed by the interest, support, and enthusiasm the busy state delegates and senators showed for the projects. Overall, it was a wonderful experience for our students.”
Alumni News
Sally Bushong (M.A., 2004) was recognized as a 2006 Young Gun by the West Virginia Executive Magazine. Young Guns are individuals who are identified as outstanding leaders who have made significant contributions to the state of West Virginia. Sally is the Executive Director of the Tamarack Foundation. Previously, she was the Director of Development for the Charleston Area Medical Center.
Joseph Chesebro (Ed.D., 1999) was promoted and tenured last summer at SUNY-Brockport. Joe is currently the Chair of the Department of Communication. Joe was also recognized by his university in 2005, receiving the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Melanie Donofe (M.A., 2000), a gifted education teacher in Hancock County, recently received National Board Certification. This certification is the highest professional credential for teachers. Certification involves several years of performance-based assessment. Melanie also serves as the president of the Hancock County WVEA.
Pete Karpyk (M.A., 1982) was a member of the 2005 All-USA Teacher Team, a program sponsored by USA TODAY to recognize outstanding teachers. Team members are chosen on the impact they have on their students. Pete is a science teacher at Weir High School. He previously had been recognized as Hancock Teacher of the Year.
Jahmile Addae (B.A., 2005), Ernest Hunter (B.A., 2005), and Dwayne Mundle (B.A., 2005) are several of our alumni who were members of the 11-1, BCS Sugar Bowl winning, 2005 WVU Mountaineer football team. All three were members of the Athletic Directors’ Honor Roll. Additionally, Jahmile and Ernest were recognized as 1st Team All Big East. Current communication studies majors include Dan Mozes (2nd Team AP All-America) and Pat White (Freshmen All-America Team by The Sporting News and College Football News.com).
December 2005 Graduation Reception
On December 11th, 2005, West Virginia University held its Fall Graduation Commencement. On December 10th, the Department of Communication Studies held a Graduation Reception for those students completing either their undergraduate or graduate degrees this August or December. Every individual who attended received recognition from the faculty and those in attendance. Members of Lambda Pi Eta also received their honor cords. Over 150 graduates, family members, and friends attended this event. Congratulations to all of the graduates.
