Archives of News & Events

Spring 2005

Dr. Cindy Lont delivered the Fenwick Fellows spring lecture "Women and Media: An Introductory Video to the Field," on May 5, at 3 p.m. in the Johnson Center Library Instruction Room. See the article in the Daily Gazette. [4 May 2005]

The May Accolades in the Daily Gazete highlighted a number of COMM faculty [2 May 2005]:

  • Susan Kehoe joined the ResearchChannel’s Programming Committee.
  • Kathleen Burns, Communication, presented a talk on the difference between U.S. and Australian media law at a seminar held April 29-30 at Harvard University. The seminar was sponsored by the Australian and New Zealand Studies Association of North America
  • Jim Kimble was awarded a $5,000 summer stipend from the National Endowment of the Humanities to complete research for his book on the domestic propaganda of the War Advertising Council during World War II.
  • Robert Lichter delivered a guest lecture in March, “Images of Election Campaigns in News and Entertainment Media,” to the University of California at Berkeley’s Washington Program. He also gave a lecture on “Patterns of Change: Transformation of Traditional Media” at a conference on Framing the News, sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University.
  • Frank Sesno is returning to CNN as a special correspondent. He will provide enterprise reporting and analysis for the network on a wide range of issues.

Robert Lichter was highlighted in The Daily Gazette. Read the article. [25 April 2005]

Frank Sesno will moderate the Fourth in a Series of Critical Conversations on Infrastructure Protection, Getting Serious About Cyber Security, on May 18 at the National Press Club. The event is sponsored by the Critical Infrastructure Protection Program with the School of Law. [20 April 2005]

Don Boileau served as parliamentarian for the Association of Teacher Educators and received an award recognizing his 32 years of service. Mason Gazette. [4 April 2005]

Lisa Sparks coauthored the article "Negotiating Cancer Care Through Agency" in Health Communication in Practice: A Case Study Approach, second edition, edited by E.B. Ray. Mason Gazette. [4 April 2005]

Gary Kreps served as chair at the National Institutes of Health Research Grant Review Group for the program "Understanding and Improving Health Literacy" an was cochair of the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey Research Conference. Mason Gazette. [4 April 2005]

Professor Cindy Lont received the Alumni Association's Faculty Member of the Year award. Read the full-story in CASConnection. [21 Mar 2005]

Faculty and Students are invited to the following Conference sponsored by the Communication Department on March 31. The event is titled: "Muted Group Theory Past, Present and Future: A Colloquium."

  • 9:30 Shirley Ardener co-creator of Muted Group Theory University of Oxford
  • 10:00 Question and Answer time
  • 10:30 Break
  • 10:45 Cheris Kramarae, University of Oregon
  • 11:00 Janette Dates, Howard University
  • 11:15 Julia Wood, University of North Carolina
  • 1:00 Mark Orbe, Western Michigan University
  • 1:15 Thomas Nakayama, Arizona State University
  • Break
  • 1:45 Roundtable - Q&A
  • 3:00 Reception

See CASConnection article.

Frank Sesno has produced a new program for WETA, "Cancer Cures?" This program examines some of the major issues and challenges facing the war against cancer. The program airs on WETA/Channel 26 on Thursday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m. [23 Feb 2005]

Dr. Joani Bedore presented a 3-hour "Gender Differences and Workplace Communication" workshop for the "Making a Difference at Mason" training series (Sponsored by Human Resources and Payroll Department) on Wed., Feb 9th. The workshop stressed ways to harmonize gendered communication in the workplace.

Dr. Bedore will present another workshop in the same series entitled "Generational Differences in the Workplace" on Wed., March 9 from 9:00 a.m. to noon in the Johnson Center Gold Room. Registration is required for this free workshop. One can register online at the HR website "Make a Differernce at Mason" or by calling 3-4180. [23 Feb 2005]

Kathleen Burns was invited to give seven lectures in Australia during 2004 on topics of common interest to the United States and Australia. Her schedule included a presentation at the national journalism conference in Sydney that was sponsored by the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism.

Steve Klein, Electronic Journalism minor coordinator in the Department of Communication, is host to three speakers this week. Guests include:

  • Jon DeNunzio, prep sports editor for the Washington Post, Tuesday, February 8 from 1:30-2:45 p.m. in 326 Innovation Hall;
  • Mack McLarty, former Clinton White House chief of staff, via video conference on Tuesday, February 8 from 3-4:15 p.m. in 439 Innovation Hall (overflow in 336 Innovation Hall); and
  • Beau Dure, assistant sports editor for USATODAY.com, on Thursday, February 10 from 3-4:15 p.m. in 336 Innovation Hall.

Guests are welcome, although entire classes should be approved first by emailing Klein at sklein1@gmu.edu. Check out the entire line-up for spring semester at http://mason.gmu.edu/~sklein1/index_files/speakers.htm.

The George Mason University Forensics Team and its coaches invite you to the Second Annual Night of Stars on Friday, March 25 at 7:00 pm in Lecture Hall 1. The evening will feature six performances in the public speaking, oral interpretation, and limited preparation genres.

All are welcome to attend. Come support the nationally fourth-ranked George Mason Forensics team who will be leaving for the National Tournament at Kansas State University On March 29. Bring your positive energy, your attention, and your Patriot Pride.

Estel Dillon produced and edited a documentary/concert film of singer Jane L. Powell that was recently released on DVD.

Dr. Sheryl Friedley will present "Male/Female Communication Styles in the Workplace" on Wednesday, Feb 16, 2005 at 7:30 pm in the Old Town Hall, 2nd Floor as part of the Old Town Hall Lecture Sercies. It is free and open to the public.

Soheila Mellom (BA Communication 1986), adjunct Communication Department instructor, won a 2004 Communicator Award of Distinction for her two-minute animation, The Adventures of MicMan, produced as a final project in AVT 382 Digital Art and Animation.

Steve Klein will be participating in two discussions

  • “Is Blogging Really Journalism?” a panel discussion sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists which will cover the growing prevalence of blogging in the media and its affect on the journalistic landscape. Monday, Feb. 28, 7-9 p.m. at the Sumner School in Washington, D.C.
  • Using Weblogs in Teaching. Presenters: Paula Petrik, Center for History and New Media, Steve Klein, Communication. Friday, April 8, 1-2:30 p.m., Innovation Hall 334.

GMU Forensics traveled to Austin for the largest and most competitive tournament outside of the national competition at the end of the season (January 2005). With more than 800 entries from 40 schools, GMU placed 4th overall (just edged out for 3rd by the smallest margin). Nine of the top ten teams in the nation were amongst this prestigious group. In addition to all the accolades below, our team had more first-year college students in elimination rounds than any other team in the country.

Ari Fleischer, former press secretary to President George W. Bush, addressed Frank Sesno's the Bias in Media class on December 6. Read the story on The Mason Gazette.

Lisa Sparks served as MCAT test reviewer assessing interpersonal communication competencies for the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Educational Testing Service. She serves on the access committee of the Fairfax County Long Term Care Task Force. Professor Sparks recently presented "Cross-cultural Social Identity and Health: An Intergroup Approach" and "Cancer Care and the Aging Patient: Complexities of Age-Related Communication Barriers" to the Ninth International Conference on Language and Social Psychology in State College, Penn. She also presented "Communication in the Healthcare Consumer-Provider Relationship: Construction and Validation of a 'Breaking Bad News' Satisfaction Scale" to the Health Communication and Interpersonal Communication Divisions of the National Communication Association in Chicago.

Cindy Lont was chair and respondent at the Feminist and Women's Studies Division panel on "Identity Construction in the Realm of the Popular" at the National Communication Association Conference in Chicago. She was also elected chair of the nominating committee for the Mass Communication Division at that conference.

Information on the Communication General Education Test-Out Program has been updated. For dates and information visit: http://www.gmu.edu/depts/comm/Students/100_waiver.html

GMU Forensics traveled to New York University November 19-21 for tournaments hosted by NYU and Binghamton University. Our students won both tournaments by significant margins over schools from 18 states. Their work, dedication, and hunger to learn all they can is most noteworthy.

GMU Forensics competed in the L. E. Norton Tournament at Bradley University in Peoria, IL, the biggest national-level tournament of the Fall. With 38 schools from 17 states (including 4 of the top 6 schools in the nation), we are proud to say that GMU finished in 3rd place, just 2 pts. from second.

Don Boileau was elected as one of two national at-large representatives to the committee on committees of the National Communication Association.

The fourth installation of Sesno Reports—"The Cost of War"—aired October 28 on WETA. The program, moderated by Frank Sesno, was co-produced by WETA, George Mason's School of Public Policy, and the College of Arts and Sciences. "The Cost of War" examines America's global war on terrorism and the personal, military, diplomatic, and political costs associated with war.

Cindy Lont was elected representative to the Eastern Communication Association (ECA) nominating committee and representative to the ECA executive council for 2004-07. She is past chair of the ECA mass communication section.

Lisa Sparks co-wrote "Cultural Issues in Communication and Aging," which appeared in J.F. Nussbaum, and J. Coupland (Eds.), Handbook of Communication and Aging Research published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. She wrote Speak Up!, an instructional public speaking book emphasizing appropriate and effective integration of technology into presentations published by Thomson Learning. She has also been named editor of Communication Research Reports, a major social science research journal, for 2005-07. She is the first woman editor of the journal and also the youngest ever elected.