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Winter 2008 |
Number 1 |
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Faculty NewsDr. Jin Joins the BC Communication FamilySeung-A "Annie" Jin joined the department after earning her doctorate from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California (PhD, 2007). Her doctoral dissertation was titled "Effects of a Computer Game Designed for Stress Management Education." Dr. Jin's research focuses on new media & communication technology including 3D virtual reality, computer-mediated communication (e.g., instant messaging, multiplayer online role-playing gaming), and avatar-based computer/video games. Most recently, she has conducted numerous experimental studies about avatar-based advertising, marketing communication, and health communication in the 3D virtual world of "Second Life." Her other research interests include social-psychological impact of socially interactive robots and the potential of human-robot interaction interfaces for teaching and learning (funded by a $25,000 Boston College Academic Technology Innovation Grant). The primary purpose of her HRI project is to experiment with socially interactive robots for teaching about new interactive media and to create HRI interfaces for social scientific research. From pedagogical point of view, she plans to model this project upon her teaching philosophy using the following perspectives: (1) learning through experience; (2) learning through entertainment, and (3) learning through collaboration. She aims to implement a "learning by doing" strategy for teaching and researching in new media by experimenting with socially interactive robots and by offering students hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies. Students will acquire the skills necessary to conduct experimental studies as a researcher as well as those necessary to interact with socially interactive robots as a research subject. Her work has been published in Journal of Communication, Journal of Health Psychology, and the Journal of Game Industry & Culture. Dr. Jin currently teaches CO350--Research Methods and CO440--Communication and Technology. She was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, which she believes is the most exciting city in the world. She received her BA in journalism and mass communication, as well as media arts from Yonsei University in Seoul. She misses Seoul and Los Angeles, her second hometown, but she is enjoying her new life in New England! 
Summer Study Abroad Program Taught By BC Faculty MemberThis past June, Prof. Roberto Avant-Mier led a group of BC students to Madrid, Spain, for an intensive summer course titled "Intercultural Communication" with a special emphasis on Spanish culture and U.S./Spain cultural differences. The course was taught through BC's study abroad program of the Office of International Programs, and Professor Avant-Mier is the first professor in the communication department to teach a study abroad course. Professor Matelski Participates in Educational Exchange to CubaAlso in June, Professor Marilyn Matelski went on a 10-day, U.S. State Department Educational Exchange to Cuba. Her purpose was to study all levels of Cuban education--from its world renowned literacy program to university and medical schools. Professor Matelski also conducted her own research which included intercultural dimensions of communication as well as the political and social impact of Cuban telenovelas. In July, the second edition of Dr. Matelski's book, co-authored with Nancy Lynch Street, American Businesses in China: Balancing Communication and Culture, was published. Professor Keith to Speak at Broadcast Education ConferenceProfessor Michael Keith will be giving the keynote address at the Broadcast Education Association's District 1 conference. The conference will be held on October 27 in New York, and concerns the need to adjust and revise radio curricula in the digital age. Communication professors from across the Northeast region will be assembling for the event, which is expected to make great advancements in the discussion of public media. Objects from radio and television's past are on display on the second floor of Lyons Hall across from the Media Lab. Most of these historic items come from Prof. Keith's personal collection. Christine Caswell Named Department CounselorAdjunct faculty member Christine Caswell, who's been with the department since 2000 teaching broadcast writing and feature writing, assumed the role of department counselor and director of internships and media workshop last spring. Christine acts as career counselor to undergraduates majoring in communication. She also continues her role as freelance reporter for NECN (New England Cable News), the area's largest regional news channel. She is a veteran of the New England television market and a native New Englander, born and raised in Holliston, Massachusetts. After graduating magna cum laude with a communication degree in 1989, Christine has spent two decades telling the stories of New England at television stations in Bangor, Maine; Manchester, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; and Boston. She began her career at Boston's WCVB (Channel 5), where she produced shows including The Great Entertainment, Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon and for the award-winning news magazine, Chronicle on the A&E network. From there, Christine trekked north to WVII in Bangor, where she was among the first to welcome troops home from the Gulf War as they stopped to refuel in Bangor. It was then on to WMUR in Manchester, where she reported during the 1992 presidential primaries on the later-named "Comeback Kid," former President Bill Clinton. She later took on the role of morning anchor at WMTW in Portland, where she broke the story of Staff Sergeant Tommy Field of Maine going down in his Black Hawk helicopter in Mogadishu—which became international news. In 1994, Christine moved back to Boston for an anchor and reporter position at WHDH (Channel 7). There, Caswell received accolades for her on-site reporting during the O.J. Simpson trial in Los Angeles and the Marv Albert trial in Arlington, Virginia. She was a double Emmy nominee for Individual Achievement and for the Oklahoma City bombing coverage. She also reported on such high profile events as the tragic death of JFK Jr. After starting a family, Caswell left the full-time TV scene and began freelancing at FOX 25 and then on to NECN. She complements her role in academia at her beloved alma mater Boston College with her warm, personal stories at NECN, as well as freelance news casting for Magic 106.7 (WMJX) and the Loren and Wally Show on 105.7 WROR. Department Walks Against Breast CancerOn Oct. 5, communication department faculty members participated in the "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk with its team, "Rita's Rhetoricians." This is the second year "Rita's Rhetoricians" has walked, and the group raised nearly $2,000 this year. The team was established by Professor Rita Rosenthal after her treatment for breast cancer. She explained, "The reason that I decided to walk is that I really wanted to give back. I had amazing support from family, co-workers, friends, students and medical professionals during my recovery. I realized early on that I was lucky, not to have the disease, but to have the amazing support of so many people. It is obvious that there are patients who do not have this support. Hopefully the money raised will aid those in need and to eventually find a cure for the disease." NotesJon Marcus is a former newspaper, wire service, and magazine journalist and former editor of Boston Magazine who is now an author and a freelance writer for national magazines including Runners World and Conde Nast Traveler. He teaches feature writing and advanced journalism at BC, and also teaches undergraduate and graduate-level news and feature writing at that university at the other end of Commonwealth Avenue. (He can't remember what it's called, but its hockey team isn't quite as good as the Eagles!) Joe
Bergantino, former investigative reporter for WBZ's "I Team," teaches
news writing and news ethics.
The department welcomes Boston Globe columnist Kim Blanton who is
teaching news writing, this academic year. BC communication's alumnus Paul Reynolds '82 - who will soon be celebrating 20 years of teaching in the communication department (studio TV production, TV field production, broadcast writing, digital nonlinear editing) - has been very busy off campus with his own award-winning children's educational media company called FableVision, which he helped found in 1996 after selling another multimillion dollar media company Cosmic Blender which he helped start soon after graduating BC. Independent and family-run, FableVision is a media company on a "200 hundred year mission" to bring the world to a better place by creating positive media, storytelling, and technology. Paul notes, "My education at Boston College, deeply informed by Jesuit sensibilities and Ignatian spirituality, led me on a journey to use my skills, talent, and interest in communication to make a positive difference in the world and, along the way, we have proven that you can do well by doing good." With a locationat the Boston Children's Museum, the firm has just landed two Parent's Choice Awards for its new products Smartmoves, a DVD that increases academic performance through embodied cognition, and Animation-ish, an animation software package featuring Paul's identical twin brother Peter H. Reynolds. The pair have also been busy producing media/technology projects for Jim Henson Productions, PBS, National Academy of Sciences, Children's Hospital Boston (www.generationcures.org) - winning awards, keynoting conferences and earning advanced degrees in their spare time. Peter and Paul also just landed The 2008 Rights of the Child Award at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival for their animated film Wings Of Epoh (http://www.fablevision.com/wingsofepoh) about a young boy with autism and a butterfly that brings him hope. The dynamic media duo was also thrilled to work recently with Marlo "That Girl" Thomas and one of Sesame Street's original writers Carole Hart as they helped produce the 35th Anniversary Edition of Free to Be You and Me, which they just learned landed on the New York Times bestseller list! Their work was featured on The Today Show when Marlo was interviewed about the book. And if that wasn't enough, Paul's wife Janet (Zietowski) Reynolds &mdash who has two BC degrees: a BA in communication and English in 1985 and a MA in developmental educational psychology in 1998) has been running one of the Reynolds brothers' other entrepreneurial ventures The Blue Bunny. They describe their charming, old-fashioned book and toy shop (think: You've Got Mail) as "the little shop with a big mission" — to inspire creativity and self-expression in kids and grown-up kids. The Blue Bunny, located in the Reynolds' hometown of Dedham, Massachusets (where Paul also just swept all seven precincts to win a spot as town selectman for three years) — just won Boston Magazine's 2008 Best Of Boston— Best Bookstore (Boston South) Award! The shop features the art, prints and publishing work of Paul's twin brother Peter H. Reynolds whose other NY Times bestselling works line the shelves, including The Dot, Ish, The North Star, Someday, Judy Moody, etc. And those are just the highlights of what the Reynolds are up to. No wonder they needed to be twins — how would they ever get all this done?! |
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