Communication Studies Newsletter?October 2007
Dr. Keith “Brooknam” Weber:
2007 Eberly College Outstanding Teacher
2007 WVU Foundation Outstanding Teacher
“An understanding heart is everything in a teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly enough. One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feeling. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” – Carl Gustav Jung
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
– William Arthur Ward
“Outstanding Teacher!” Twice this last spring Dr. Keith Weber was recognized for his excellence in the classroom. First he was notified by the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences that he would be honored as a College Outstanding Teacher. Soon after, he was contacted again that he would be receiving a second teaching award, this one from the WVU Foundation.
“Our Department is recognized for its fine teaching and our teachers have received many awards in the past from the College and professional associations, but this is the first time any of our faculty members have ever received the prestigious WVU Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award,” noted Dr. Matthew Martin, Chair of the Department.
In the fall of 2006 Dr. Weber was informed that he was nominated for the College award and was asked to create a portfolio of his teaching experiences. The second award resulted from a nomination by the College to the Foundation.
Dr. Weber joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor in the fall of 1999 and is currently an Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Arts program. He routinely teaches courses in communication methodology and mass communication. Whether in the large lecture or seminar setting, Dr. Weber is recognized by his students as one of WVU’s most competent, caring, and dynamic instructors.
In his advanced research methods course, Dr. Weber’s students work on applied research projects (e.g., increasing seat belt use, decreasing drunk driving, increasing organ donation). These projects have been presented at professional research conferences and several have been published in academic journals. One of his former students commented in a letter of support that, “I know every day in my chosen career as an analyst with a top-five consulting firm that I have Dr. Weber to thank for his excellent instruction on research and analytic methods.”
Dr. Weber received both awards at formal ceremonies during the West Virginia University’s Weekend of Honors celebration in April.
“We’re all really impressed down here, I can tell you,” stated Dr. Martin. “Usually people only get recognized near the end of their careers, like Martin Scorsese for his film The Departed or Mother Theresa for being a do-gooder. Maybe this is the end for Dr. Weber, and if it is, I say, ‘Buona notte e sogni d’oro!’”
Dr. Weber responded to Dr. Martin by saying, “Well, I don’t really think that the end can be assessed as of itself as being the end because what does the end feel like? It’s like saying when you try to extrapolate the end of the universe, you say, if the universe is indeed infinite, then how – what does that mean? How far is all the way, and then if it stops, what’s stopping it, and what’s behind what’s stopping it? So, what’s the end, you know, is my question to you.”
Graduation 2007: #1 PhD and #2 Weber EdD
On a beautiful spring afternoon, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences held a commencement ceremony at the West Virginia University Coliseum. Unlike previous commencement ceremonies that included more colleges and were less personal, this Sunday belonged solely to the graduating students from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, with each student having her or his name read aloud as the student walked across the stage, shaking hands with Dr. David Hardesty and Dean Mary Ellen Mazey.
While nearly 100 undergraduate and graduate communication students received their degrees on this date, the day was especially significant as the Department of Communication Studies awarded its first PhD degree. The recipient was Dr. Katie Neary Dunleavy. The title of her dissertation is: Student nagging behaviors in the classroom. Dr. Dunleavy is currently an Assistant Professor at LaSalle University.
The previous morning, Andrea Weber received her doctorate from the College of Human Resources and Education in a commencement ceremony at the Coliseum. Since the fall of 2002, Dr. Weber has been serving as the Capstone Coordinator, Internship Director, and as an Undergraduate Advisor for the Department of Communication Studies. The title of her dissertation is: Investigating comprehensive assessment plans in undergraduate communication studies programs. Dr. Weber is the second person in her immediate family to receive an EdD degree from WVU, joining her relational partner, Dr. Keith Weber. “I served on both Dr. Keith Weber’s and Dr. Andrea Weber’s dissertation committees” recollected Dr. Matthew Martin, “and I can honestly say that Dr. Andrea Weber’s dissertation is more perspicacious, exhilarative, and preponderant.”
Congratulations to Dr. Katie Neary Dunleavy, Dr. Andrea Weber, and all of the 2007 Department of Communication Studies graduates.
Chory Conquers All in San Francisco
At the International Communication Association Convention this last May in San Francisco, Dr. Rebecca Chory was recognized for leading a research team that earned the top poster award for the whole conference.
Over 125 posters – representing the very best of every Division and Interest Group – were exhibited as part of the interactive paper session. Judges were ICA Past Presidents Wolfgang Donsbach (Technical University of Dresden) and Jon Nussbaum (Penn State University), and ICA President-Elect/Select Patrice Buzzanell (Purdue University).
The judges first read the top-ranked papers in every division. They ranked each paper using three standard rating dimensions (on a 1-10 scale): significance (30%), concepts and theory (30%), and analysis (20%). At the session, the judges rated the papers for presentation and style (20%).
Dr. Chory was first informed that her paper was chosen as one of the Top 11 and that she should be present for the awards ceremony. The first award announced the third place paper, followed by an award for the second place paper. Finally, the top paper was announced: Rebecca M. Chory, Alan K. Goodboy, Nathaniel Hixson, and Sarah Baker, West Virginia University: “Does Personality Moderate the Effects of Violent Video Game Play on Aggression? An Exploratory Investigation.”
“Damn right I deserved this,” declared Dr. Chory. “I’m going to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate.”
“It is great to see Dr. Chory receive the recognition she deserves for her video game research. I also would like to thank her for the free meal,” said Dr. Martin.
Summer School 2007: Starring Dr. Patrice Buzzanell
This last June, Dr. Patrice Buzzanell, a Professor at Purdue University and the President-Elect of the International Communication Association, taught a one-week doctoral seminar titled “Work-Life Discourse.”
“We were honored to have Dr. Buzzanell join us for a week in Morgantown. Her teaching and research provided a voice for an area of organizational communication studies that our students would rarely hear,” stated Dr. Matthew Martin, Chair of the Department.
“Patrice was a pleasure to work with. Her unique perspective on research produced very intriguing discussions and a new respect for differences” noted doctoral student Carrie Kennedy Lightsey. Doctoral student Sean Horan added, “Patrice’s unique teaching style and research perspective created a supportive and educational environment.”
Dr. Buzzanell’s specific teaching and research interests center on feminist theorizing and the construction of gendered workplace identities, interactions, and structures, particularly as they relate to career processes and outcomes. Dr. Buzzanell has received numerous awards for her teaching and mentorship, including the Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award, the W. Charles Redding Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Francine Merritt Award from the National Communication Association.
