From April 3-6, Illinois State University School of Communication (SoC) graduate students, faculty, and staff represented the University in high numbers at the 2019 Central States Communication Association (CSCA) Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.
Twenty-five researchers submitted research to this year’s CSCA on behalf of the SoC. Several SoC students, faculty and staff members shared their communication research on interest panels and acted as respondents during research presentations from other students, staff, and faculty from the Midwestern states. CSCA is one of the major communication conferences the SoC faculty encourages their graduate students to submit their work to present their research and receive feedback from other communication researchers studying and teaching in the Midwest.
SoC graduate students with Professor Cheri Simonds.
“I am so thankful for the feedback and support that I received after presenting my research,” said SoC graduate student Kiah Wilson. “It nice to see so much support for and interest in my work from people I’ve never met. It made me feel validated.”
CSCA recognized seven of the 25 SoC presenters for their exemplary research and contributions to the field of communication: Prince Adu Gyamfi, Josh Fitzgerald, Nichole Hughes-Liss, Professor Steven Hunt, Jeanette Jara, Alex Kristelis, and Nicholas Raes. These panelists appeared on CSCA’s Top Panels to discuss their research and experiences in intercultural communication, communication pedagogy, and higher education and administration throughout the three-day conference.
“It was a very rewarding experience academically and professionally to not only be able to present my research, but to learn about others’ as well,” said SoC alumnus and CSCA Top Student Paper panelist Nicholas Raes, M.S. ’18. “Each panel I attended was very interesting, and I had a lot of great opportunities to network with some amazing people in my field.”
In addition to these finalists and their studies, several other SoC representatives were recognized for their hard work and dedication to their communication research. The full list of SoC panelists, presenters, and respondents as well as their research studies or interest group panel titles are as follows:
- Prince Adu Gyamf i– College Health Professionals and International Students’ Communication: The Role of Culture (Top Student Papers)
- Professor John R. Baldwin – Theorizing Intercultural Communication; Critical Communication Pedagogy and Dialogue; The Role of Dialogue in Intercultural Communication
- Samantha Dunn – Students and Dialogue in the Classroom: Exploring Online Courses, Graduate Students, and Diversity Issues
- Alex Kristelis, with co-authors Josh Fitzgerald and Jeanette Jara – “You the Hottest B**** in This Place”: Analyzing Sexual Objectification in Popular Music Videos
- Professor Jodi Hallsten Lyczak – Blended Basic Course Best Practices: Dialoging about Lessons Learned
- Jorgi Nicole Henson-Miller – Hurricane Harvey unleashed: A case study of the Houston SPCA response to online rumors
- Alyssa Hernandez – “The Oppressed Can See with Greatest Clarity”: A Co-Cultural Analysis of the Film Get Out
- Nichole Hughes-Liss and Nicholas A. Raes – Gotta Catch a Culture! The Representation of Japanese Culture in Pokémon through the Localization of “Cultural Odor” (Top Student Papers)
- Professor Steven Hunt – Administrivia trifecta: Basic course dialogue perspectives (Melissa Beall Top Panel); “You’re eliminating WHAT?!?”: Dialogue in Strategizing During Re-Prioritization; New Faculty Mentorship and Ongoing Dialogue; Speaking of Politics: A project to improve political engagement on campus
- Professor John Huxford – “Fake News”: Examining the Scrutiny and Distrust of Modern Day Media
- Franklin Kimmell – ‘Today I want to talk to you guys about something’: An Analysis of Coming Out Videos in Relations to Co-Cultural Theory, Self-Disclosure, and Media Representation
- Gilbert Kipkoech – African Student’s Motivations, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Coping Strategies; In Dialogue with African Communication and Culture
- Mallorie M. Latora – State of Illinois Showcase- Techniques for Fostering Civil Discourse in the 21st Century Classroom
- Professor Lance Lippert – Speaking of Politics: A project to improve political engagement on campus
- Allison Metz – State of Illinois Showcase- Teachers-Turned Activists: Advocating for Speech in the Secondary Curriculum
- Lavender Matuyia Ntaoti – Willingness to Talk with Depressed Individuals
- Professor Cheri J. Simonds – Administrivia trifecta: Basic course dialogue perspectives (Melissa Beall Top Panel), An Exchange of Ideas: A Dialogue on the State of the Basic Communication Course
- Lindsey J. Thomas – “When theories change, what do we do with their past?”
- Hannah Grace Trew – “Your Pronouns Haven’t Even Been Invented Yet”: Slam Poetry as a Performative Praxis
- Kameron R. Williams – That’s Not for Me. It’s for the White People: How Minority Students Perceive Diversity and Inclusion on Predominantly White Institutions
- Kiah Wilson– She’s Gotta Have Accurate Representation: How Nola Darling’s Character Impacts the Representation of Black Women in Today’s World
- Anna Wright – State of Iowa Showcase- Gameful Engagement Strategies; State of Illinois Showcase- Techniques for Fostering Civil Discourse in the 21st Century Classroom; State of North Dakota Showcase- Enhancing Student Reading and Writing In and Outside of the Classroom; Instructor Use of Strategic Ambiguity in Graded Classroom Assessments; Dialoguing to Thrive: The Future of State Associations; State of Illinois Showcase- Teachers-Turned Activists: Advocating for Speech in the Secondary Curriculum; State of Missouri Showcase- A New Era of Advocacy: Our Engagement with Civil Discourse; State of Iowa Showcase- Building Sexual Misconduct Cases Against Powerful Men; State of Missouri Showcase- Connecting with and Impacting Students: Understanding and Integrating Immediacy Behaviors in Communication and performance Learning Environments; State of North Dakota Showcase- Innovative Ways to Meet Unique Needs; State of Iowa Showcase- Listen First
“It was a very rewarding experience academically and professionally to not only be able to present my research, but to learn about others’ as well.”
In preparation for the conference, the School of Communication Graduate Student Association hosted two research colloquiums in Fell Hall through the organization of Professional Development Chair Kiah Wilson. Those who would later present at the conference presented their research in front of their peers and professors for feedback to help improve their CSCA research presentations. Students felt that it was a great way to practice before their big day in Omaha.
SoC graduate students and faculty and staff members posing before a CSCA presentation.
“The colloquium was a great way to prepare for Central States,” said SoC graduate student Alyssa Hernandez. “It was nice to get so much valuable feedback. It made me a lot less worried about presenting at the conference.”
CSCA hosts an annual conference for communication professionals from colleges and universities from the 13 Midwestern states. Each year, dozens of SoC researchers are involved in one of the organizations 24 interest groups, caucuses, and sections centered around their research interests. Next year’s CSCA will be held in Chicago at the Loews Hotel O’Hare Airport on April 14-19.
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