Courses

CM 132: Message Analysis

This course introduces students to the basic theories of rhetoric from scholars such as Aristotle. We analyze a variety of persuasive messages such as advertisements and political speeches in order to better understand how the messages use these concepts and principles to persuade. The final project gives students a chance to create their own persuasive messages using the concepts and theories learned in class.

CM 199: First Year Seminar

This one credit course is an introduction to the field of communication broadly and to the department of Communication at Juniata. The course will explore issues related to the POE, internships, study abroad and careers in communication. The aim of this course is to prepare students for the decisions and opportunities they will encounter as they pursue a degree at Juniata and career in the field of communication.

CM 200: Art of Public Speaking

This class is intended to foster and build the communication skills needed in order to be an effective public speaker in a variety of contexts. The underlying assumption of this course is that successful communication occurs as a result of design, not by accident. Therefore, focus is given to all parts of the process including speaking and listening, speech preparation, organization and structuring of information and ideas, and the delivery of the presentation itself. Students will make 3 major and 3 mini presentations.

CM 220: Group Communication  

This course is designed to improve communication between individuals working in small group task and problem-solving situations. We explore ways of developing communication strategies for effective participation in group decision making, for leadership, and for managing interpersonal conflict, as well in presentations. This course takes a balanced approach to understanding and using communication theories, as well as offering students practical experience using these skills and theories by working to complete a project for a community partner who will serves as their “client” for the semester. Students will work together in small groups over the course of the semester to complete a service project for a community partner which they propose, plan and implement. By the end of the semester students will understand the group experience in terms of shared leadership, the importance of understanding and working cooperatively with diverse members and the necessity for ethical choices.

CM 230: Interpersonal Communication

This course is designed to teach the different concepts and styles of one-on-one communication. More specifically, we observe the transactional approach to studying the communication process as it occurs in interpersonal relationships. We explore human interaction as a way by which we come to know ourselves and each other.

CM 330: Media Analysis

This course introduces students to the concepts of rhetorical and cultural criticism by asking them to analyze and evaluate the oral and written communication that goes on around them. Using methodologies we look at a broad range of messages in speeches, written works, film, television, cartoons, art, and music and attempt to understand how the context and the symbols that make up messages are inviting us to understand our world.

CM 261/262: Comm Studies: Germany  

Students in this course spend the spring semester at Juniata meeting once a week to prepare for a trip to Germany. During the semester students will prepare presentations on a topic related to either journalism or  PR/marketing, while covering a variety of topics in the field of Communication and learning about German culture through film, guest speakers and reading. Following graduation in May we travel to Germany for 10 days. Presentations will then be delivered to the German students in classes at the Fachhochshule Gelsenkirchen and we will travel to a number of locations within Germany. The topics covered in this course include public speaking/presentation skills, intercultural communication and group communication, as well as topics related to PR/marketing and journalism. The objective of this course is to give students a high impact experiential learning opportunity through which they can improve their communication skills in an intercultural context, and gain first- hand experience with German culture.

CM 399: ST: Communication Technologies and Ethics

This course is designed as a seminar for the inquiry into the normative issues involving new communication technologies and society. The goal is to go beyond just looking at the issues of technology and social change, but also to question whether or not the kinds of change possible are likely to be good or bad for individuals and society by using key ethical principles such as virtue, duty, utilitarianism and justice. The class focuses on issues raised by the use of new communication technologies such as privacy, democracy, power, community, free speech, civic engagement and civil discourse.

CM 401: Senior Seminar

This one credit course is designed to review what students have done in their academic career at Juniata, assess transferable skills and prepare for life after graduation. We identify and discuss students’ communication expertise and refine their ability to communicate about that expertise through interviews, resumes and applications. We use the readings to orient our discussions of how to think and prepare for a job or for graduate school.

CM 495: Communication Internships

This course is the academic component of for-credit internships in Communication. Students are expected to keep weekly work journals and submit them on Moodle. They are also expected to keep a work portfolio, write a personal work philosophy statement and reflective essay, and give a presentation. The goal of these assignments is for students to report and react to their experiences and observations, relate those experiences and observations to concepts they have learned in their classes and reflect on what they learn about themselves. On-sight visits are made mid-way through the semester.

NPL 503: Leading and Managing the Nonprofit OL 

This course explores leadership roles within a nonprofit organization, the management tasks necessary to develop and run a healthy and successful organization, and examines what leadership looks like outside the organization when working with constituents, stakeholders, partners and the “opposition.” 

Awards and Accomplishments

Awards

  • Awarded the Outstanding Faculty Award by JAB at the annual May Day Breakfast (May 2012)
  • Promotion to Assistant Professor of Communication at Juniata College (Fall 2011)
  • Top Graduate Paper awarded by Pennsylvania Communication Assoc. (2008)
  • Bronze Telly Award for documentary Junk (2007)
  • Best Documentary for Roxy Moore: A Life of Song (2006) at Iris Film Festival (2007)
  • Invited speaker for ODK (Leadership Honor Society) Induction Ceremony (2006)
  • Invited to judge Bailey Oratorical Speech Contest at Juniata College (2004)
  • Top Graduate Paper awarded by the Speech Communication Assoc. of PA (2002)
  • Invited to judge  Bailey Oratorical Speech Contest at Juniata (2002)
  • Invited panelist for Speech Communication Association of Pennsylvania conference (2001)
  • Invited panelist for Juniata College’s “Celebration of Women” (2001)
  • Promotion to Advantage Program Director for SCORE! Educational Center (2001)
  • Achieved Dean’s List (Spring and Fall 1997, Spring 1998, 2000)
  • Awarded the Caroll C. Arnold Award for Communication (2000)
  • First place winner of Bailey Oratorical Speech contest (1999)

Grants/Scholarships

  • Awarded AAC&U “Bringing Theory to Practice Grant” for a service-learning initiative to expand the understanding and use of service-learning at Juniata (Fall 2012)
  • Awarded Coleman Fellow’s Grant through Juniata Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership to integrate entrepreneurship into a non-business course (2011)
  • Awarded Southern Alleghenies Learn and Serve Alliance - Campus Compact Grant to integrate service learning into Group Comm. course (2008)
  • Awarded Coleman Grant through Juniata Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership to integrate entrepreneurship into a non-business class (2006-2007)
  • Awarded the AAUW Young Member Scholarship to attend the state conference (2005)
  • Awarded Class of 1997 I. McCleary Scholarship by Juniata College (1998)
  • Awarded Merit Scholarship by Juniata College (1996-2000)

Memberships

  • Elected Democratic Committee Person for 5th ward in Huntingdon, PA
  • Selected secretary of the Huntingdon County Democratic Committee
  • Member of the Pennsylvania Communication Association
  • Member of the National Communication Association
  • Member of American Association of University and College Women, December 2001-present
  • Chosen as Omicron Delta Kappa, Juniata College Chapter member (Leadership Honor Society), 2000
  • Chosen as Juniata Honor Society member, 2000
  • Chosen as Lambda Pi Eta, Juniata College Chapter member (National Communication Honor Society), 1998
  • Selected for Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, 1998
  • Elected to serve as Regional Communication Coordinator for Central Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls, 1999-00
  • Elected as National Conference Chairperson for campus Residence Hall Association, 1997-1999
  • Served as Co-chair of Opening and Closing Ceremonies for Special Olympics, Fall 1997-1999
  • Treasurer of Federation of Democratic Women

Conferences Attended/Workshops

  • The Experiential Classroom No. XVI “Becoming a Great Entrepreneurship Educator,”Gainsville, FL, September 17-20, 2015
  • NCA Annual Conference “Voices,” New Orleans, LA, November 17-19, 2011
  • CEO Annual Conference, Fort Worth, TX, October 27-29, 2011
  • PCA Annual Conference, Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA, October 7-8, 2011
  • NCA Annual Conference “Building Bridges,” San Francisco, CA, November 14-17, 2010
  • PCA Annual Conference, Penn State - Lehigh Valley, October 17-18, 2008
  • USASBE Conference, San Antonio, TX, January 10-13, 2008
  • 9th Biennial Public Address Conference “Constituting Political Culture,” Washington D.C., October 7-10, 2004
  • National Communication Assoc. Annual Convention “The Health of the Discipline,” Boston, MA, November 17-20, 2005
  • CET - Web Technologies in the Liberal Arts Classroom, Juniata College, January 11, 2006
  • CET - Social Software and Computer Mediated Communication, Allegheny College, June 7-8, 2005
  • Center for Educational Technology (CET) - Digital Storytelling, Juniata College, June 1-3, 2005