Communication News

Congratulations and welcome back to three of the Business Communication alums who returned to campus on Feb. 12, 2020, to be a part of the inaugural mentoring program activity sponsored by Stevenson's Career Connection.

Lauren Novsak (Business Volunteers Maryland), Meghan Loveless (Adventist HealthCare) and Kamica Price (Vectorworks) were thrilled to be a part of this new program that connects alums with current Stevenson students in an effort to help guide and strengthen career choices. Lauren wrote, "The room was filled with eager students looking to develop their networking skills and enhance their resumes."

The event also included BizComm alum and mentor Jessica Swing Valis. Thanks, ladies, for your generosity of effort and time! (Photo from LinkedIn)

The women's and men's basketball teams at Stevenson hosted a "Box Out Cancer" event on Feb. 12, during which they honored the memory of the late Bryan Read, son of Business Communication faculty member Chip Rouse. Bryan served as the Mustangs' first-ever ball boy in 1993, and enjoyed a career as an athletic trainer for Dulaney High School for 12 years before his death in August 2019 of colon cancer. T-shirts, bracelets, and other items helped to raise money to support the UM St. Joseph Cancer Institute, where Bryan was treated.

The team annually hosts a Coaches v. Cancer event during the month of March, and this year, the team, behind organizers Ellie Boswell (left) and Brittany Whitley (right), presented Rouse with the game ball in Bryan's honor. Junior Brandi Hall also created a video commemorating Bryan's life through pictures, and coach Jackie Boswell supported the team in its endeavors.

Stevenson University's department of communication will soon induct new members into Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association’s official honor society at four-year colleges and universities. According to the LPH website, LPH has more than 500 active chapters at national four-year colleges and universities. The organization became a part of the National Communication Association in 1988, and the association's official honor society in July 1995. It is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies.

LPH represents what Aristotle described in his Rhetoric as three ingredients of persuasion: logos (Lambda), or logic; pathos (Pi), relating to emotion; and ethos (Eta), character and ethics.

At Stevenson, Dr. Leeanne Bell McManus is the organization's advisor and helps to guide club members and officers in planning and executing the annual induction ceremony, which will be held in the afternoon on April 25 in the Rockland banquet room. Student officers are in charge of the induction ceremony.

Students are invited to join based on their grades. According to the LPH website, "Student membership requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA with 60 semester or 90 quarter credit hours completed and a 3.25 GPA for Communication Studies courses with 12 semester or 18 quarter credit hours completed."

A recent Press Box article offered kudos to Business Communication graduate Dan Williams:

Kansas City Chiefs Coaching Intern Dan Williams

After a highly decorated career as a quarterback at Division III Stevenson, Williams jumped right into the coaching ranks. As an offensive intern, he is learning from one of the best in Andy Reid. Williams was a three-year starter for the Mustangs, though his senior season in 2018 ended prematurely due to injury. Williams threw for 2,469 yards and 26 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2016 and 3,198 yards and 25 touchdowns as a junior in 2017. He was a first-team All-MAC selection both years and the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2017. He was a college counselor at the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana in June 2018.

(Photo by Sabina Moran)

Congratulations to Stevenson's Professor Stephanie Verni of the communication department for her energizing book talk at the Severna Park Public Library on January 21, 2019. Speaking about her works of fiction as well as the writing process itself, Stephanie encouraged the audience to develop their interest in writing about whatever their passion is. Her latest novel, Little Milestones, has just been released. (Photo from Facebook)