Communication News

Two Communication alums, Sarah Moelter '10 and Kara Zimmerman '11, will be inducted into the Dick Watts Stevenson University Athletics Hall of Fame for 2021.

Moelter is the softball program's all-time leader in shutouts (10), firing 243 strikeouts in the circle over her four-year playing career. She logged 401.2 innings over 77 appearances, boasting a 2.98 ERA with 34 victories. 

Zimmerman was a four-year stalwart in goal for the Mustang field hockey program, earning three all-conference and three NFHCA all-region awards during her career. The program's record holder in saves (553), wins (30), and games played (75), Zimmerman earned Stevenson's Female Senior Co-Athlete of the Year distinction in 2011. 

The in-person induction ceremony is set for Friday, April 29, 2022. Including this class, the Dick Watts Athletics Hall of Fame now consists of 60 individuals and nine Teams of Tradition.

All information from gomustangsports.com

Over the last month, there has been a lot of news coming from Stevenson's Communication alums! Our department is thrilled to see our graduates thriving in their fields. We are pleased to share some of the news and updates!

Arielle Ashpes was spotlighted in her new hometown of Nashville in the Nashville Voyager. Arielle started her company, Tech Savvy Ari, in Baltimore, but relocated as most of her singer/songwriter clients are in Nashville. With a knack for marketing, Arielle is making a name for herself and helping clients' reach new levels. Read more about Arielle's exciting adventure in the Nashville Voyager here.

Additionally, congratulations to the following alums on their promotions:

Abigail Provost - promoted to Senior Digital Operations Coordinator at Media at Access Intelligence

Meghan Loveless - promoted to Public Relations/Marketing Manager at Adventist HealthCare

Rachel Ricketts-Uy - promoted to Senior Director of Development, Heart Challenge at American Heart Association

Congratulations to the following alums on their new positions:

Mark Panneton - new position as Client Partner at Invisibly

Morgan Mathis - new position as Context Development Analyst at Sodexo

Corrin Harris - new position as Communications Engagement and Outreach Coordinator at Beebe Healthcare

Lauren Aversa - new position as Tech Support Manager at CC&A Strategic Media

Ashleigh Jarrett - new position as Content Marketing Coordinator at Prometric

Savana Herndon - new position as High School Teacher at Anne Arundel County Public Schools

Well done, alums! We are so proud of you!

Comm alum Julia Tucker ('14 undergraduate degree, '15 graduate degree), known to many for singing the The Star-Spangled Banner at Mustang Stadium, Camden Yards, and at other events, will be singing backup for Sarah Brightman on her “A Christmas Symphony” Tour at The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD, on December 6 and 7. As someone who loves music and theatre, Julia is thrilled to be able to sing with the talented Sarah Brightman. Additionally, in 2019, Julia sang backup for Josh Groban. 

Congratulations, Julia! We are very proud of you!

Communication senior Ryan Patrick was named MAC Player of the Week for assisting the Mustangs on a 2-0 week. Additionally, Ryan was named UCHC Player of the Week.

In the matchup and sweep against Tufts, Ryan led the Mustangs with four points on two goals and two assists and was plus-2 this weekend. On Friday, he served up two assists in a 6-2 win. On Saturday, Ryan scored a power-play goal and added a shorthanded marker in a 4-0 victory over the Tufts Jumbos.

Ryan manages to adeptly balance his hockey schedule and his academics, and was one of the students who worked in The Mill last semester with Dr. Bell, using his communication skills to assist their client, BricknFire Pizza, with its marketing and communication campaign.

Congratulations, Ryan!

The faculty in the Department of Communication have been busy researching, writing and presenting in the field of communication. Here are a few highlights of what the professors have been up to of late:

Department chair Dr. Lee Krähenbühl is coordinating the Maryland Communication Association Conference and serves as MCA’s First Vice President. Dr. Heather Harris will deliver the keynote address on the conference theme, “Diversity in Communication: Communication and Social Justice.” The department will work with students to present at the conference in the spring.

Dr. Deric Greene will host Dr. Felicia Stewart, a dean from Morehouse College, who will talk about her journal article “I am not a thief: Retelling my story to understand a racist encounter” (The Qualitative Report, 25[10]) as a part of his CM 211 Intercultural Communication class’s discussion on “What Causes Us to Hold Biases against Outgroups?”

Dr. Heather Harris participated in the first Critical Media Literacy Conference of the Americas in celebration of the centenary of Paulo Friere, October 15-17, and is also attended the National Communication Association annual meeting in Seattle, WA.

Dr. Krähenbühl presented his research to the annual conference of the John Whitmer Historical Association on October 23. The article synopsized, “Actors Wandering Through the Desert to Brigham: The Strange, True Tale of Carter’s Dramatic Combination and their ‘Spirit Gudies,’ 1871,” and will appear in the Spring/Summer 2022 volume of the John Whitmer Historical Association Journal. Lee also chaired and presented in the panel “Administrating and Teaching Communication Past Three Milestones: Pre-and Post-Internet, Smart Tech, and-COVID-19” for the Association for Communication Administration at the National Communication Association annual meeting in Seattle, WA, on November 19.

Dr. Leeanne Bell McManus co-authored “Instructor Perceptions of Rapport with Students: Impacts on Out of Class Communication, Caring, and Burnout,” which was selected as a “TOP PAPER” presented at the National Communication Association’s Annual Convention.

Prof. Stephanie Verni published two novellas: "From Humbug to Humble: The Transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge," which picks up with Dickens’ Scrooge after he saw the Sprits and imagines what he ACTUALLY did to become a better human being. The other novella, "Anna in Tuscany," is about a writer who lives in Tuscany for a year and has to write a Valentine's Day article. Both are available on Amazon.com. Stephanie will attend “A Dickens of A Christmas” in Chestertown, MD, on December 4 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and “An Evening with Dickens” in Severna Park at Park Books in Severna Park, MD, on December 7 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., where she will sign books and participate in the festivities.