Message from the Chair

Greetings alumni! I want to welcome you back to your alma mater and the Communications Department with our first alumni publication. It is our goal to connect with you on a deeper level, to keep you informed about student successes, new programs and faculty accomplishments, and to celebrate your triumphs and activities post-graduation.

Before we ask about you, let me share some news about the department. First, we have moved! Our former building, the South Academic Complex I (SAC-I) is being razed to make room for a new science building. Last summer, the Communications Department moved to the fifth floor of the North Library. We love our new digs—some of the offices even have views of downtown Los Angeles.

Last year, we welcomed three new faculty members to the Communications family: Dr. Linda Dam (Advertising/Public Relations), Dr. John Vanderhoef (Media Studies professor) and Ms. Virginia “Toddy” Burton (Media Studies professor). You can read more about them in detail starting on page 14.

Our student clubs have been very busy this past year. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) launched the successful “Before I Die” campaign, which drew hundreds of people from throughout the campus to share their goals and aspirations “before they die.”

The Society for Independent Student Journalists (SISJ) won a Presidential Award for “Best Program” for its event “Ruben Vives: From Undocumented to Pulitzer Prize.” The club was very active this year, holding workshops, fundraisers, and visits to local media outlets, including Univision, the Los Angeles Times, and Telemundo.

Our Hollywood by the Horns program ended its third year with a successful “Story Slam,” in which students shared personal stories in front of a live audience. The event is the culmination of the “Finding Your Voice” workshop.

We recently held our 30th annual Communications Department Student Awards Banquet at the Reef Restaurant in Long Beach. We awarded almost $10,000 in scholarships, and honored outstanding students in several categories. Many alumni participated in our “speed networking,” in which we connect current and former students.

On a personal note, my research has received some media attention this year. I was interviewed by Anderson Cooper for the “60 Minutes” segment “Brain Hacking,” which aired on April 9. Cooper interviewed me about my research on smartphone addiction, and then I hooked him up to my experiment that measured his physiological arousal while I surreptitiously texted him. Then in July, TJ Holmes of “Good Morning America” interviewed me and two teenagers for a segment on smartphone addiction.

Please be sure to keep in touch—we would love to hear about your successes and accomplishments. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and we have a new website coming out very soon. Please look for periodic emailed messages from us with information on upcoming events and ways to reach us. If you have something to share, please contact Dr. Brant Burkey at comdept@csudh.edu. I hope to see you at a future banquet, and you can always call or stop by our office. We look forward to hearing from you and reconnecting.