Articles tagged as: communications
Apply for WVU Innovation Awards to win $5,000 for research development
Posted on May 24th, 2013 by MikeWest Virginia University Office of Research & Economic Development announces the Innovation Awards, which recognize WVU faculty, administrators or staff members for their contribution to innovation and/or the commercialization of ideas that benefit the public’s well-being.
For these awards, innovation includes all forms of discovery, creation and production of inventive and progressive ideas, methods, and products that promote society’s growth.
The awards are:
• Early Career Innovator Award honors a WVU faculty member who has been employed with the University for six years or less and whose work exemplifies the spirit of innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship.
• Established Innovator Award recognizes a WVU faculty member who has been employed here for more than six years and whose recent work has actively contributed to innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship.
• Presidential Innovation Service Award honors an administrator, faculty or staff member who has shared expertise and/or mentored faculty members in their pursuit of innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship.
For the application instructions and other award guidelines, click on the following link: http://www.innovation.research.wvu.edu/events/wvu-innovation-awards-guidelines. All applications are due by the close of business July 1.
The winners will each receive $5,000 to support their continuing innovative work. The winners will be recognized at the WVU Innovation Awards Ceremony from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Waterfront Place Hotel.
WVU Department of Communication Studies receives top paper honors at national conference
Posted on January 13th, 2012 by RebeccaResearch on dating anxiety, lying in romantic relationships and an examination of moral decision-making by gamers took top honors at the recent National Communication Association’s national conference in New Orleans.
Receiving honors in the Communication Apprehension Division were authors Colleen C. Malachowski, a WVU doctoral candidate, and Peggy Rardin McConnell Chair in Communication Studies Melanie Booth-Butterfield. Their paper, “Diminishing Dating Distress to Increase Voice: An Experimental Examination of the Effects of Visualization on Dating Anxiety,” examined the effects of visualization on dating anxiety. Visualization has previously been shown to reduce anxiety in other situations, such as before athletic events or job interviews.
“If a person was practicing visualization, he or she would picture the progression of the date and all of the emotions and sensations that go along with it,” said Malachowski. “By picturing each of the things associated with the date going well, people may reduce the amount of anxiety they feel toward the event.”
Malachowski and Booth-Butterfield’s results show visualization as a valid technique for interpersonal communication to reduce dating anxiety.
Professor Booth-Butterfield also took top paper honors in the Interpersonal Communication Division along with co-author and WVU alumnus Sean M. Horan, assistant professor of communication studies at DePaul University. Their paper entitled, “Understanding the Routine Expression of Deceptive Affection in Romantic Relationships,” provides a clearer picture of how lying may support and maintain romantic relationships.
Current studies suggest that individuals regularly communicate inauthentic affectionate messages to their romantic partners. Yet most studies do not describe this process, what constitutes deceptive affection, and the functions involved. The study reported on in the paper involved a seven-day diary in which participants recorded what they lied about, why they lied, and how they used affection to deceive their romantic partners. Results indicate that participants lied about their own feelings, feelings about their partners or feelings about the situation. They communicated deceptive affection using verbal messages of confirmation or avoidance, and also incorporated nonverbal cues. Motives for the deception included face-saving, conflict management or avoidance and emotion management.
Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Nicholas David Bowman along with two German colleagues, Leyla Dogruel (Free University of Berlin) and Sven Joeckel (Universitat Erfurt) received top paper in the Mass Communication Division. Their research, “Adolescents, Morality and Interactive Entertainment: The Influence of Moral Salience on Actions and Entertainment Experience in Interactive Media,” examined the moral decision making of US and German adolescents using interactive media. In an experimental design, participants from the two countries used a computer simulation where they were confronted with the decision to violate or uphold various aspects of morality.
“Games encourage the internalization and psychological merging of a player’s and a character’s mind, a multidimensional concept known as character attachment. Data from our study suggest that dimensions of character attachment are useful in understanding both pro- and anti-social gaming motivations,” said Bowman.
The group reports that pro-social gamers feel a greater sense of control over their characters, while anti-social gamers are more likely to suspend their disbelief of the game environment and not take responsibility for their virtual actions. Pro-social gaming was more prevalent in older gamers, and younger male game characters were motivated by anti-social reasons.
Over 5,200 people participated in the National Communication Association’s annual national conference.
For more information, contact Nicholas Bowman at Nicholas.Bowman@mail.wvu.edu.
Martin Hall Agency creates opportunity for students to 'Power Up Their Professional Network'
Posted on November 10th, 2011 by DevonThe Martin Hall Agency will host Tom Marchese, the vice president of marketing for Bob Evans Restaurants, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Martin Hall Room 205.
Marchese will give a talk, “Breakthrough Thinking,” followed by a reception in Martin Hall room 101 at 7:30 P.M. The event will cost $5 at the door and will be open to all WVU students.
“This event is an excellent opportunity for our advertising students to make professional connections and learn about career opportunities in their chosen field,” said Maryanne Reed, dean of the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism at WVU.
Marchese’s presentation is the first in the “Power Up Your Professional Network” speakers series sponsored by the School’s student-run advertising firm, the Martin Hall Agency.
Since taking the vice president position at the restaurant chain’s headquarters in 2008, Marchese has been responsible for the marketing of Bob Evans Restaurants’ 570 locations with the goal of reaching a younger family audience.
Marchese has an extensive background in marketing and communications, specializing in advertising, digital communication, brand positioning and strategy. Prior to joining Bob Evans Restaurants, Marchese’s previous posts included chief marketing officer at Yum Brands, vice president of innovation at Elmer’s Products, and the director of brand marketing for Wendy’s International.
In April, he participated in the Professional Speakers Series at Northwestern University, where he gave journalism students real-world advice.
Contact:
For more information or questions, contact Amy Bruzgo at (215) 595-3046 or email amy.bruzgo@gmail.com, or contact Sara Cottle at (304) 578-3924 or email scottle2@mix.wvu.edu.
Seminar offered for students to learn more about Semester at Sea study abroad program
Posted on November 4th, 2011 by RebeccaThe West Virginia University Geography Program and the International Studies Program are offering a seminar on study abroad at sea with the Semester at Sea. Interested students should attend a presentation on the 2012-2013 programs by Dr. Robert W. Smith, retired, US Department of State, and geographic consultant and instructor for the Semester at Sea. The event is on Tuesday, November 15 at 3:00 p.m., in room 325 Brooks Hall. All undergraduate student majors are welcome to attend.
The Semester at Sea visits numerous international locations in spring, summer and fall semesters. Participants travel on the MV Explorer, a modern and safe passenger ship that circumnavigates the globe and explores the world. The ship is both a traveling university and residential home to more than 2,000 participants each year; complete with a student union, wireless Internet, 8,000-volume library, and many of the amenities you’d find on a land-based campus. Credits for the semester are awarded by the University of Virginia.
For more information, visit semesteratsea.org or contact Professor Ken Martis at ken.martis@mail.wvu.edu.
WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences: 2020 Strategic Plan for the Future
Posted on April 20th, 2011 by JessicaThe Eberly College of Arts and Sciences is developing a vision for the year 2020, and creating a road map to lead us there.
This plan will consist of strategic thinking with special attention the College’s unique capabilities to serve the needs of our state, region, nation and world.
Eberly is planning to focus on substantial goals that will resonate strongly with our current strengths, meet the important challenges of the next decade and generate excitement.
“I am thrilled with the goals that are being generated by our strategic planning teams,” said Robert Jones, Dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.
“We will use the final goals and vision to guide our investments and strategies over the coming decade,” he added
By defining and adopting a limited number of major goals, we can keep our focus on the things that are most important. To chart our progress, we will periodically collect and analyze key data.
To start our planning, five major goals have been proposed dealing with (1) undergraduate learning, (2) graduate learning, (3) research, (4) outreach, and (5) operations.
Each goal will be examined, rewritten or replaced by a team comprised of faculty, staff, students and/or external partners. An executive team will gather input from these five teams and create a cohesive, comprehensive plan.
The Eberly College will also consider how to meet three overarching imperatives – diversity, global perspectives and social relevance – that will be infused into all corners of the college’s culture.
“To maximize our chances for success, we have included broad participation from staff, faculty, students and alumni in our planning process. Each person has been asked to think about what we should look like in 2020,” Jones said.
WVU Communications Professor John Shibley wins Gabriel Brothers Award
Posted on April 13th, 2011 by JessicaA teacher for 42 years at West Virginia University, Associate Professor of Communication Studies John Shibley has won the Gabriel Brothers Award.
Shibley conducts several communications courses, such as Appreciation of Motion Pictures, The Effects of Media, and Presentational Speaking.
He said that receiving this award was both an honor and a surprise.
“It’s not something that you think about, but it’s gratifying to learn that what you are doing is being acknowledged,” he said.
Shibley said his favorite part of teaching is really reaching students and making them grasp the issues that he teaches.
“I want them to be aware of world issues and maybe see things differently than they did when they entered my class,” he added.
He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He went on to earn his PhD from Ohio State.
Shibley will be presented with his award at the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Award Ceremony and Luncheon in the Mountainlair Ballrooms on Saturday, April 16, at 10:30 a.m.
The Gabriel Brothers Inc. Faculty Award Program was created in 2003 by James and Arthur Gabriel, founding partners of Gabriel Brothers Inc., a Morgantown-based discount clothing business. The Gabriels, both of whom earned WVU degrees, created the prize to encourage, support, and reward faculty endeavors, especially teaching, that focus on America and American society and culture.
"Science on Tap" a causual atmosphere for serious science everyone can enjoy
Posted on April 11th, 2011 by JessicaThe West Virginia University professor wound up his talk as a faint wisp of French fries hovered in the room and the strains of an old Elton John song drifted in from the piped-in music in the room next door. As he took a question from the audience that gathered around small candle-lit tables, a waitress made her rounds. Before he answered the question, he took a sip from a newly-filled pint of stout.
Obviously, it wasn’t in a lecture hall and the occasion wasn’t a technical lecture in an academic building. It happened in the Morgantown version of what is called a science café – an approach to talking about science that is growing in popularity in college towns across America.
A science café is a casual meeting in a relaxed atmosphere with food and drink where researchers and experts engage in conversations about science in plain language with people who have a curiosity about the topic.
The trend started in the United Kingdom in the late 1990s, caught on in the US and is now a fixture with growing popularity at West Virginia University.
In Morgantown, the café is known as “Science on Tap” where professors rub elbows with people interested in learning about their work in a non-traditional setting. The next event is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 26 at the Morgantown Brewing Company. Jim Belanger, associate professor of biology at WVU will talk about “Scents of Direction: What Moths Taught the US Navy about Finding Things by Smell.”
The idea for “Science on Tap” arose during Belanger’s graduate course on communicating science to the public.
“It is a trend that presents a great opportunity for people to learn about scientific topics from some of our best professors in an atmosphere that is quite different from the classroom, Belanger explained.
“You don’t have to be a student, staff or faculty member at the University to attend. You just have to have a desire to learn and enjoy informal discussion.”
The events are traditionally held monthly and a growing number of Morgantown residents are gathering for lectures, food, drink and talk about topics from physics and ecology to forensics and energy research.
Bea Vianna, a graduate student in the Belanger’s class, proposed the idea and helps organize “Science on Tap” events.
“Each meeting is organized around an interesting topic, she said.
“A scientist usually gives a brief presentation that could even include a video to kick off discussion and then the open talk begins. And, unlike a classroom, you can come and go as you please.”
WVU has been emphasizing effective science communication and recently concluded a day-long symposium dedicated to the practice. The “Science on Tap” approach is a monthly continuation of that effort.
The next event, “More Than a Game: Using video games in stroke recovery,” is on Wednesday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m., at the Mountain State Brewing Company.
Contact Bea Vianna at bvianna@mix.wvu.edu for more information and future event dates. Become a member of the Science on Tap-West Virginia group on Facebook for regular updates.
CIA employee, influential policy analyst during Cold War to be recognized with WVU Eberly College Alumni Recognition Award
Posted on April 5th, 2011 by AshleyThe Eberly College of Arts & Sciences at West Virginia University has named Joan Bird the newest recipient of its Alumni Recognition Award.
Bird’s career with the Central Intelligence Agency spanned three decades and placed her in key positions during the Cold War. She will accept her award in Morgantown at the Eberly College Awards and Honors Recognition Ceremony and Luncheon on April 16.
After obtaining a foreign languages degree in French from WVU, Bird pursued her graduate education in English literature at George Washington University while working at the CIA. She went on to have an extensive career at the CIA after completing her studies and became an influential member of the decision-making and analysis community during the Cold War.
“I majored in French and had one year of Russian at WVU,” Bird said. “Both languages were valuable tools during my career, which is how I believe foreign language students should view their language(s) skills in approaching a career, aside from a career in teaching.”
Bird began her career as an analyst for the CIA and went on to hold many influential positions. She served as the advisor to the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Conference on Disarmament, the chief intelligence advisor to the U.S. ambassador and U.S. delegation to the Defense and Space Talks, and a member of the U.S. intelligence and policy committee to formulate issues for the Conference on Disarmament. She also wrote the National Intelligence Memorandum on Soviet Commercial Space Policy and the National Intelligence Estimate on Soviet Policy relative to the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative and developed intelligence support to the Naval War College annual global war games.
Drawing from her experiences with the CIA, Bird also co-authored the book “History of CIA Intelligence on the Warsaw Pact.” She currently works as an independent contractor for the agency, writing background essays for contextual purposes to accompany the release of historical documents.
Her trip to Morgantown this month will be only her second visit to the area since her graduation in 1959.
“I have many memories of WVU: football weekends; basketball games featuring either “Hot Rod” Hundley or Jerry West; Spring Spree weekend, the only time women could wear Bermuda shorts on campus—we didn’t wear slacks then at all,” said Bird.
“I also remember meeting friends at “Jimmy’s” between classes where Cokes were 5 cents in the bottle, 7 cents in a glass and a few more pennies for ice; hamburgers were 15 cents for one on a bun and 25 cents for two hamburgers on the same bun.”
For more information, contact Brenda Riggle, project coordinator for the Dean’s Office, at (304) 293-4611 ext: 5200 or briggle@wvu.edu.
WVU researchers look at cyberbullying victimization among college students
Posted on March 31st, 2011 by Jessica
The West Virginia University Department of Psychology has conducted the second survey in the world to date about college students who are bullied by someone via technology.
The findings were reported in March 2011 at the American Psychology and Law Society international conference in Miami, Fl.
Cyberbullying is repeated and intentional bullying using mediums of technology, such as the Internet and cell phones. Psychology Professor William Fremouw has been overseeing research done by one of his graduate students, Allison Schenk.
Schenk is doing her master’s thesis on the impact of cyberbullying among college students.
Schenk conducted an online survey on if and how undergraduate students at WVU were cyberbullied and she received 799 responses, 572 females and 227 males ranging in age from 18-24.
Of those 799, 69 said they were a victim of cyberbullying on more than one occasion. To get to that point, those 69 said they had both experienced cyberbullying at WVU and endorsed personally being the victim of at least one form of cyberbullying victimization four or more times. In addition, of those who have been cyberbullied four of them have attempted suicide.
The 69 students had higher occurrences of depression, anxiety and paranoia than the control group.
“It is easy for these bullies to hide behind a computer screen,” Schenk said.
There is current legislation being discussed on victims of cyberbullying. The Jason Flatt Act has been created to help people recognize suicide signs and increase prevention and education methods. The legislation was developed in memory of Jason Flatt, a young man who committing suicide after experiencing cyberbullying.
The West Virginia House of Delegates recently passed an Anti-Bullying Bill earlier this month. Now it is waiting to be approved by the state Senate.
The bill will give West Virginia schools authority to strengthen and enforce rules on bullying in schools and on buses. It also covers cyberbullying.
The next portion of Schenk’s research is going to look at the perpetrators of cyberbullying, as well as the people in their lives. Schenk said the parents, peers and partners of those who cyberbully will give some insight to their destructive and dangerous behavior. So far, there is no research on this subject.
WVU Week of Engagement to kick off Saturday, April 9
Posted on March 29th, 2011 by AshleyThe Week of Engagement takes place every April and is designed to showcase service and engagement on campus. During the week, students and student organizations participate in large scale service projects to benefit the community.
The week is sponsored by the Center for Civic Engagement. The co-sponsors are: the Student Government Association, WE CAN Recycling, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, WVU Student Affairs, and Coca-Cola.
Schedule of Events:
Saturday, April 9
ENGAGE Service Project – 12:00-3:00 p.m
Annual Heart Walk – 3:00-5:00 p.m.- Hazel Ruby McQuain Park
- WVU Families and students are encouraged to participate in a 5K Heart Walk sponsored by the Student Government Association (SGA), with support from the Mountaineer Parents Club and the Center for Civic Engagement. The walk will begin at the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park and will proceed on the Rail Trail. The entry fee is $20 per participant and $10 for WVU students. Each participant will receive an official WVU Heart Walk t-shirt and pedometer. All proceeds support the Student Memorial Scholarship. Register here.
Tuesday, April 12
ENGAGE Service Project – 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 14
Engagement Celebration – 7:00-9:00 p.m.- Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa
- Recipients of the Excellence in Civic Engagement Awards will be recognized at this special event. The Center for Civic Engagement staff will also highlight accomplishments from the past year. Event is by invitation only.
Friday, April 15
ENGAGE Service Project – 2:00-5:00 p.m.
For more information, visit: http://cce.wvu.edu/woe
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