By Mallory Deeter

Hannah O’Conner never imagined the impact horses would eventually come to have in her life and how they would lead her to one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of her undergraduate career. “Every little girl loves horses, but I never knew my love of riding would prepare me for an amazing job nine years later,” she said.

O’Conner, a junior in the public relations concentration, currently is the social media intern at Hope Reins of Raleigh, a Christian non-profit dedicated to providing comfort to hurting children and their families by grouping each individual child with a horse and a facilitating leader for one-on-one sessions. These one-on-one sessions are provided free of charge to children who are going through a hard time and focus on true hope and real healing for all participants.

Hannah O’Conner and friend, Ruka, a rescue horse. Ruka means restoration in Hebrew.

In her role as a social media intern, O’Conner regularly corresponds with volunteers, leads bible studies, manages the social media accounts, as well as leads one-on-one sessions with children. Of her numerous responsibilities, O’Conner’s favorite is interacting with the children. When leading a one-on-one session, she teaches the children basic horsemanship and riding techniques, while helping to foster meaningful relationships by building a safe space.

“One of the first kids I connected with ─ his dad passed away in September and he came to Hope Reins two week later ─ likes to come out, groom his favorite horse, Jesse, and sit on a bench with me and talk about life,” said O’Conner. “He’s said that just being on the range makes him happy, makes him feel at peace.”

The kids who come to Hope Reins struggle with a variety of issues including death in the families, bullying problems, abuse or anxiety. Many of the horses at Hope Reins similarly have had challenging backgrounds. By providing opportunities to build relationships between the two parties, Hope Reins facilitates authentic relationships that foster honest communication. Their ideology focuses on using the horse as a medium to share Jesus with the children. By sharing the horses’ individual stories, leaders help the children understand that there is hope and redemption for them.

O’Conner leads horse Abby with a child aboard. She says it is humbling and powerful to hear the kids’ stories.

For O’Conner, just being at Hope Reins allows her to take a step back from her everyday life. “You get so wrapped up in your life, and then you go there and hear these kids’ stories and what they have been through. It’s so humbling and powerful to hear how they have overcome their specific challenges,” she said.

As well as interning at Hope Reins, O’Conner is also a member of Sigma Alpha Omega, the Christian sorority on campus. In this community, she has found support to pursue her passion for helping others. She hopes this passion for helping others will guide her career path. Before working at Hope Reins, O’Conner didn’t know much about nonprofits. But now, after working with children and seeing the real impact she has made, she hopes to find purpose through a career in non-profit organizations.

By Nicole Phelps

Imagine a program within the university that offers greater possibilities for interdisciplinary research and service learning with global connections. Dr. James Kiwanuka-Tondo, Dr. Sheila Smith McKoy and other faculty members at NC State University have been working to do just that with an effort to establish a hub for collaborative research and service learning in East Africa. Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are the East African countries specifically involved in this initiative.

Professor Derek Aday, who is an assistant dean in CALS, the vice chancellor of Makerere University Professor John Dbumba Ssentamu, Dean Jeffrey Braden and Dr. James Kiwanuka-Tondo during the exploratory visit to Makerere University, the AIDS Support Organization (TASO) and Mama Watali in November, 2014. The trip paved the way for the signing of the agreement with Makerere University and TASO.

After three years of working towards ties in East Africa, a five-year memorandum of understanding was signed with Makerere University in Uganda in September 2015. Establishing concrete ties within those five years is important to achieving success. A memorandum of understanding was also signed with The AIDS Support Organization, which is the largest AIDS organization in sub-Saharan Africa and provides opportunities for internships and service learning for students. Efforts are currently under way to involve Maama Watali, which is a non-profit organization that also provides service learning opportunities for students. The service agreements and the collaborative research are equally important parts of the initiative.

A delegation of 10 faculty members and one staff was led by Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Jeff Braden. Dr. Kiwanuka-Tondo, associate professor in the Department of Communication, Dr. Sheila Smith McKoy, associate professor in the Department of English, Dr. Derek Aday, professor and assistant dean in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Dr. Juliana Nfah-Abbenyi, assistant dean for diversity in CHASS and distinguished professor in the Department of English, and Dr. Clifford Griffin, associate professor of political science, have all played vital roles in establishing ties for research in the region. Even though Humanities and Social Sciences has led this initiative, it is not just about humanities and social sciences research opportunities. It is about giving faculty and students an opportunity to conduct collaborative, interdisciplinary research. There are also opportunities for research in departments across the university. Natural resources, veterinary medicine, agriculture and life science are a few of the colleges that have interests in collaborative studies with East Africa.

Agreements for collaborative research rarely include a wide range of disciplines, and the members of the delegation want to use the opportunity to its fullest. In November, Dean Braden organized a brown bag meeting in Caldwell Lounge to discuss the initiative with faculty members across campus. About 24 people attended, and those who were on a prior visit shared their experience. This opened up doors for more disciplines to join in the initiative.

The librarian at Mama Watali, Dean Braden, Ms. Susan Namulindwa, who is the chair of the board of directors of Mama Watali, and Dr. Kiwanuka-Tondo.

While there are challenges because Uganda is a developing country, there are benefits also, such as research and service learning opportunities with non-governmental organizations, such as Maama Watali and The AIDS Support Organization. It also has room for growth and engagement that is not found anywhere else. Misconceptions about Africa have also been a challenge that has to be overcome. People often talk about Africa as one country instead of a continent with many countries and do not acknowledge the differences.

Funding has been the most prominent challenge in this initiative. The Office of International Affairs has some funds specifically set aside for this, and Dean Braden has used some of his own funds to support faculty visits to Uganda.

“As others see the opportunities, hopefully, foundations will show support and grants will be given to strengthen the relationships that have begun to form,” Dean Braden said.

“In order for this to work, we need follow-up trips and funding for faculty and students to travel,” said Dr. Kiwanuka-Tondo.

“The bridge has been built. It is now up to us to get traffic flowing,” said Dean Braden.

By Kelly McNeil

In between taking a spin class, drinking her morning coffee and teaching COM 230, Dr. Emily Winderman can be found working on research involving the midwifery movement.

Dr. Winderman, an assistant professor in the department, began teaching at NC State in August and said, “It’s so wonderful. I love the students. I love my faculty and colleagues — it’s been a really amazing year so far.”

When she completed her undergraduate degree, it was about the time the economy crashed and there weren’t many jobs, so she decided to pursue a master’s degree. It was then she discovered her love for teaching because it combined her performance background with learning.

Dr. Emily Winderman

“I want to be the instructor that people don’t necessarily love at the time because I kind of make their lives a little bit miserable, but I really want to be the person five years from now where they’re like, ‘Wow, I’m so happy I did that,’” Dr. Winderman said. “It’s kind of hard because you want instant gratification — you want all your students to love every minute. But it’s hard to take yourself out of that too.”

Dr. Winderman said she wants to be someone who is rigorous, yet fair and compassionate toward her students. She hopes to strike the balance of being there for them but not letting that spill over into not being accountable for assignments.

When she’s not at NC State teaching, Dr. Winderman is working on several different research projects. Her main research project focuses on the midwifery movement. She studies this through speeches and public addresses because she likes to build history based upon what speech is circulating publicly.

Dr. Winderman is closely studying a woman doctor from the 1890s. “She was already unique because back then the predominately male doctors started the American Medical Association, and they were slowly but surely kicking women out of the domain of childbirth,” she said. “Doctors wouldn’t want to attend to women because it took a long time, and it wasn’t really profitable for them.”

As the AMA started delegitimizing midwives by connecting them to “dirty immigrants,” she took interest in this woman because she was a doctor and not a midwife. Dr. Winderman studied the doctor’s speeches that discussed the surroundings of where women gave birth and her concerns for how unsanitary they were. Unfortunately, she said, what happened was that even though she was leveraging this accusation to both doctors and midwives, the audience at the conference only heard “midwives.”

“One of my projects is closely analyzing that speech to look at why doctors didn’t see themselves as complicit in some of the unsanitary surroundings that women were giving birth in,” she said.

Dr. Winderman decided to focus her research on midwifery because she’s interested in the rhetoric of reproduction and the different ways humans deal with birth in different cultures.

“I’m interested in birth control, to abortion, to midwifery, basically that entire span, to look at how women’s bodies are very closely managed, and in some ways where women resist that imperative to birth on a particular time frame,” she said.

The challenging part about her research is that it’s not linear. She said it isn’t procedural, so it’s difficult knowing when to leave one stage and start on the next stage.

“There’s so much information out there to read,” she said. “I’d say the biggest challenge is setting the limits of when to move on and say, ‘I’ve done enough to start writing.’”

During her research, Dr. Winderman looks at public emotion. She studies speeches through different types of emotion, such as disgust, sympathy, sadness, shame and anger.

Dr. Winderman, who often has her two dogs by her side as she works, said she embodies all the emotions she studies. One night, she couldn’t even bare to do the dishes because her disgust reflex was so strong, and when she studies anger, she feels energized. How she responds to her findings and seeing how the research has practical applications is what she finds most interesting.

By Emma Kirkpatrick

From attending NC State as a last minute decision to graduating with a 4.0 GPA and being the keynote speaker at graduation last December, Rachel Lloyd, a recent NC State graduate with degrees in communication and political science and a minor in Spanish, moved from Chicago to Raleigh to find a forever home with the Wolfpack.

After losing a basketball scholarship with a small school in Virginia because of one too many concussions—six to be exact­—Lloyd quickly applied to three schools, one of which included NC State.

“I never thought I would attend NC State, but I could not have made a better decision,” said Lloyd. “College is what you make it.”

Rachel Lloyd shows her Wolfpack pride cheering on the team at Carter Finley before a big home game

Lloyd, who excelled both in and out of the classroom, served as Director of Activities and Vice President of Communication in Delta Gamma, President of the Pre Law Students’ Association, member of the Entrepreneurship Initiative, an active participant in intramural sports and an NC State Diamond Girl.

“I am very ambitious, and I don’t give up,” said Lloyd. “I will find a way no matter what confronts me. I persevere.”

Originally a political science major, Lloyd found inspiration from an interpersonal communication class taught by the department’s undergraduate Head of Advising, Cynthia Zuckerman, and decided to add a communication major with a concentration in interpersonal, organizational and rhetorical communication to her already impressive resume.

“I just loved it,” said Lloyd. “I thought I was going to law school because my family is full of attorneys, but this class opened my eyes to the communication field.”

Lloyd then decided to pursue communication, took a master’s class as an undergraduate and worked as a research assistant in her senior year with Dr. Lynsey Romo. She helped Dr. Romo complete a qualitative research paper on dog ownership and the stigmas surrounding dogs bought at shelters versus dogs bought through breeders by interviewing 47 participants, transcribing and coding data and assisting with the literature review. She and Dr. Romo hope to have their study published in a scholarly journal soon.

Lloyd at the peak Huayna Picchu overlooking Machu Picchu

Now about to travel to New Zealand through the NC State study abroad office to take a masters level communication class and complete an independent research project about how college students in New Zealand maintain autonomy and connections in romantic relationships, she hopes to eventually earn her Ph.D. and teach as a professor.

“It is rewarding to be able to encourage others and inspire people to see that anything is possible. I want students not to be afraid to explore their interests,” said Lloyd.

After taking various communication courses, Lloyd gave credit for her success and interest in graduate school to Dr. Lynsey Romo, Cynthia Zuckerman, Dr. Elizabeth Craig, Shannon Carey and Dr. Jessica Jameson. She said her research with Dr. Romo had a significant impact on her decision to apply to graduate school.

Even though Lloyd admits to over analyzing things instead of just letting them happen, she wants other students to know that worrying is the biggest waste of time possible.

“It’s ok to not know what you want to do. I thought I was going to go to law school up until July,” she said. “Surround yourself with other positive people, whether that’s friends, faculty or parents, and don’t be afraid to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. You’re in college for four years. It’s ok to change and try new things.”

Whether she’s cooking, blogging, exercising, watching a good movie or an exciting sports game, Lloyd knows that she made the most of her time at NC State and continues to look forward to what is to come.

“I plan on traveling to Australia to backpack along the east coast two-and-a-half weeks before I go to New Zealand,” said Lloyd. “But I know that no matter where I work, travel or study, I will always have a home at NC State.”

By Tanner Nelson

Did you know the Department of Communication sponsors an annual summer day camp to give high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to dive right into their communication passions?

Jim Alchediak explains production techniques
Photo Credit: Robert Bell

At the first camp, held last summer, students learned about television production, broadcast performance and presentational speaking skills. The next camp will be July 18–22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, and Camp Director Jim Alchediak, senior lecturer in the department who teaches video production, predicts there will be another good turnout this year. He is looking forward to learning how the camp will impact the lives of the next generation of communication professionals. Alchediak and Dean Phillips, undergraduate internship program coordinator and senior lecturer in the department, founded the camp hoping to get students learning and working in the TV studio.

Dean Phillips advises the talent
Photo Credit: Robert Bell

Phillips teaches broadcast performance, while Alchediak focuses on television production. They also thought it would be beneficial to have a public speaking component because presentational speaking skills are essential in the TV world, so Elizabeth Nelson, teaching assistant professor and COM 110 director, teaches this part of the camp.

Last year, the camp exceeded expectations. The instructors came up with the perfect recipe for the five-day camp experience, and it was a hit. “Amazingly, it all worked very well,” said Alchediak. He explained that the first day of the camp entails a lot of lectures. The students also get a studio tour and learn about different crew positions. The second day is focused on a mock newscast. Throughout the week, students are also asked to write their own newscasts. There are intense scripting sessions to review and perfect them. “Writing is re-writing,” said Alchediak.

At the end of the camp, parents are invited to watch their young aspiring producers put into action everything they’ve learned. Alchediak said, “My favorite part of it is working with students and seeing them discover and enjoy these tools. It can be a lot of fun to learn, for example, how a video switcher works.”

Campers got lots of hands-on experience
Photo Credit: Robert Bell

He also mentioned that some students from the 2015 camp shared their excitement about discovering a path to a profession. One student said that the work they did and the discoveries

they made at camp made them want to know more. “When you get that kind of feedback, you want to do even more,” said Alchediak.

This summer, 14 students will attend the five-day television production workshop. The cost of the camp is $400, and those who register early will receive a $25 discount. Registration opens Thursday, March 10. The application process requires a parent’s signature and a recommendation from a school administrator or designated teacher. The link to register can be found on the department’s website.

By Allie Johnson

NC State faculty members in the Department of Communication show leadership in their professional spheres that trickles down to the student level, spawning opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students in the department.

Faculty regularly engage in communication research, often with a goal of being published in a journal. Many faculty members present their research at regional, national and international conferences. There are student opportunities intertwined throughout the research process ─ from the preliminary stages to the presentation, and even publication, of a paper.

Faculty, in fact, are eager to collaborate with students. For example, one third of Assistant Professor Dr. Ryan Hurley’s total publications have undergraduate authors listed.

Dr. Jessica Jameson connects with many graduate students on potential joint research efforts. Here she confers with graduate student Hector Rendon.

“Students need to be graduating with more and more experience, and we are seeing far more undergraduates leave the department with publications,” said Dr. Hurley. “Faculty are actively trying to publish with undergraduate students so that the department can stay competitive with others on similar tracks.”

These opportunities, however, aren’t limited to just undergraduates. Associate Professor Dr. Jessica Jameson presented a paper with CRDM graduate Melinda Leonardo at the National Communication Association’s 101^st Annual Convention in Las Vegas in November 2015. They won the Top Paper Award from the Training and Development Division for their paper “Using Training Participant Narratives to Explore Training Transfer Experiences.”

“Academic conferences are important venues for networking and research dissemination,” said Dr. Jameson. “Graduate students, especially doctoral students, are encouraged to submit papers and attend conferences and this enables their faculty mentors to introduce them to scholars in their field.”

CRDM Graduate Valeska Redmond

With CRDM graduate Valeska Redmond and Associate Professor Dr. Andy Binder, Dr. Jameson also presented a paper at the International Association for Conflict Management (IACM) conference in the summer of 2015. The paper has since been accepted into that organization’s journal, Negotiation and Conflict Management Quarterly.

“Often graduate students co-author their first conference paper with faculty, and the connection to a known scholar may draw more attendees to their presentations,” said Dr. Jameson

Dr. Jameson is no stranger to the importance of connections in the field. She is now serving as President of IACM and running a conference this summer in New York City, due in part to the connections she made when presenting at earlier IACM conferences.

The presence of faculty members on national and international stages undoubtedly brings acclaim to the department. Engaging at a high level in the field allows faculty and students to network with like-minded professionals, make meaningful connections that can open doors, and join together to advance research and knowledge within the discipline.

By Claire Abshire

A familiar face in Winston Hall for more than 20 years has won a prestigious Senior Scholar grant from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).

Dr. Melissa Johnson, who received her doctorate in mass communication research from UNC Chapel Hill, teaches undergraduate courses, advises graduate students, coordinates the PR concentration within the department, and also coordinates an online graduate certificate in professional communication and managerial skills. In addition to the many hats she wears on campus, Dr. Johnson is known throughout the academic community for her dedication and production of quality research.

Dr. Melissa Johnson and Ph.D. student Katreena Alder
Photo Credit: Robert Bell

AEJMC has over 3,700 members from 50 countries, and the association awarded Dr. Johnson one of only two Senior Scholar grants for her efforts in researching ethnic public relations as a subfield of public relations in the United States.

Katreena Alder, a CRDM Ph.D. student in the department, helped Dr. Johnson collect preliminary research for the final paper that Professor Johnson will present in Minneapolis in August at the AEJMC conference.

In continuing their research and highlighting the interesting ethnic public relations challenge of serving one public while also promoting cultural understanding and appreciation, Dr. Johnson will orchestrate in-depth interviews with public relations practitioners from ethnic museums all across the country. The major cities involved in this part of the research project include San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and these trips are funded through different grants Professor Johnson has received over the course of the project. Alder will help Dr. Johnson write articles based on interview transcripts, and Dr. Johnson expressed that Alder has been a key asset to the project and its continuation.

Originally, the project stemmed from CHASS and departmental funding, which then allowed Professor Johnson to apply for external grants such as the AEJMC Senior Scholar grant. The Senior Scholar program seeks to recognize scholars who have been practicing research for a long time and are involved in extended research projects.

When asked about her reaction to being selected as a Senior Scholar winner, Dr. Johnson said, “I was thrilled! AEJMC is one of two major organizations in my field, so to get an award like that from a major organization is just honestly a huge thrill.”

She has worked on research projects with a lot of different graduate students over the last 4-5 years, but this year’s Senior Scholar award has definitely ignited an acute focus on her current ethnic and cross cultural public relations research. The grant will assist with the costs of conducting research at the different ethnic museums in the four major cities.

Jack Hall, instructor from 2000 to 2009 in public speaking, drama and communication law, died January 29 after a brief illness. He was 77.

Jack earned a law degree from UNC School of Law and worked as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney before focusing his practice on criminal appeals.

Jack Hall
Photo Credit: Dr. Ed Funkhouser

When not in the courtroom, his passion was theatre. His undergraduate degrees were in drama, theatre and TV production. He took part either onstage or behind the scenes in at least 250 productions. It was fitting that the celebration of his life was held at Raleigh Little Theatre on February 13 with a large number of Jack’s friends and family in attendance.

“Jack was regarded by his students as a smart and rigorous teacher,” said Dr. Ken Zagacki, head of the Department of Communication. “I knew Jack as a soft-spoken and thoughtful person. He was also a real gentleman.”