FALL 2014 College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts Communication News Forensics champ shines in tournament with a topic that’s close to home enior public relations Machesky’s sixth place and theater major Sydney Machesky capped her national finish is the junior year on the Wayne SState forensics team by placing highest individual sixth in persuasive speaking at the National Forensics Associa- forensics placement the tion’s national tournament. It was the culmination of a team has earned in more year of competition in which Machesky brought home “a lot than a decade. of hardware,” says Kelly Young, forensics and debate coach. Involuntary sterilization of number of ways. In October, disabled women was the topic Machesky was one of two hosts of Machesky’s award-winning for the two-hour kickoff of the speech. The practice, although university’s capital campaign, a little discussed, is still in place fundraising effort that seeks at around the world and is a per- least $750 million to bolster the sonal issue for Machesky, who university’s endowment. (Infor- has a cognitively impaired sister. mation about the campaign can Machesky mentioned her sister be found on the university’s in her speech. website.) She also has served as “Hearing about this problem host for the annual founders’ day really struck home for me,” she dinner, a university-wide celebra- said. “I wanted to find a solution tion for Wayne State donors. so my sister would never have Machesky’s sixth place NFA the right of motherhood finish is the highest individual stripped from her.” forensics placement the team has The United Nations Special earned in more than a decade. Rapporteur on torture said: uate speeches not only on deliv- Sydney Machesky, a Machesky says she’s ready for “Forced sterilization of women ery but also on whether the argu- public relations and her senior competitive season with disabilities may constitute ments presented bring to light theater major, says she and is eager to climb the national torture or cruel or inhumane issues that are not well known is ready for her senior ladder. treatment, and that forced steril- to most Americans. competitive season in An assistant coach for a chil- ization constitutes a crime Machesky explains that as forensics. dren’s speech team in West against humanity.” Machesky a future public relations profes- Bloomfield, Machesky is gearing used this quotation and others to sional and actress, she wants to up for the upcoming competitive bolster the persuasive impact of be able to market her brand. As season. She plans to graduate in her speech. This evidently reso- a result, her speaking ability is May 2015.• nated with the judges, who eval- being tapped by Wayne State in a FROM THE CHAIR | LEE WILKINS With our history as a platform, we move toward the future aking it to the next level. self-study was completed Nov. 1, celebrates at this conference. It’s a cliché, but it’s also and the site review team from And the program’s excellence T what’s being demanded the Public Relations Society of — and leadership at the national of us in the academy — by our America will arrive in Detroit level — in forensics and debate students, by the voters who in balmy February. Accreditation continues. Whether it’s doctoral ever-more reluctantly support us, will make Wayne State’s program graduates coaching teams that by donors and by our own stan- the only such accredited program are now challenging Wayne dards. And the environment in the Detroit metropolitan State’s own, or the outstanding itself isn’t easy. Wayne State, like region and one of only two work of undergraduate debaters every other four-year program, is PRSA-accredited undergraduate and forensics team members, confronting a diminishing pool public relations programs in the matching excellence with excel- of 18-year-olds. Community state. lence remains the departmental college enrollment in Michigan “Matching Fourth, department faculty standard. has now returned to 2008 levels. members continue to strive for So, what does the next level So, here’s the progress in the excellence with academic excellence. This is look like? past year. reflected in doctoral student It means nurturing and pro- First, Assistant Professor excellence remains placement (Page 17), election to moting faculty at the assistant Donyale Padgett is now Associ- and service in national office in professor level. ate Professor Padgett. As a the departmental multiple scholarly organizations, It means encouraging and senior faculty member, she con- including NCA, and an increas- rewarding continued doctoral stu- tributes to a department that is standard.” ing tempo in publishing that is dent excellence and expanding becoming increasingly diverse in also winning awards. doctoral instruction to include the terms of ethnicity and country But, the taking it to the next department’s emerging depth in of origin. Dr. Padgett is also a level cliché too often implies that mass communication. leader in the National Communi- the history of the previous level It means putting students first, cation Association and on the was somehow insufficient. In and applauding them when they Wayne State campus, particularly the case of Wayne State, history achieve their goals, as member- in the area of diversity and has instead become a launching ship in the revived Lambda Pi recruiting and retention. platform. Eta attests. Second, the department last Some of that history is out- It means for us — as it does year hired three new — and lined for you in the alumni briefs for all of you — increasing entirely terrific — faculty mem- section (see Page 19). Current efforts to seek extramural sup- bers: Stine Eckert, Michael Fuhl- doctoral candidate Stephanie port from research agencies and hage and Kelly Jakes (see Pages 4 Wideman spent her summer private foundations and to seek and 5). To understand their tracking down as many Wayne transformative gifts as part of energy and drive, you can review Ph.D. recipients as she could — Wayne State’s capital campaign. their contributions and emerging via email and then phone. Her It means remembering who national standing in the faculty job was to chronicle some his- we are and from where we’ve briefs (see Page 12). tory through the eyes of the come. And honoring the folks Third, the department is seek- people who helped make it and who made it possible. ing professional accreditation for to record that for newsletter So celebrate. And let’s see its largest program at both the readers. This focus on history is where aiming higher takes us in undergraduate and master’s level: entirely appropriate, considering the next 12 months. public relations. Work on the the anniversary that NCA itself — Lee Wilkins Communication News • Fall 2014 Produced by the Department of Communication, 585 Manoogian Hall, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 Editor: Lee Wilkins • Designer/Production Editor: Sheila Young Tomkowiak 2 • Communication News • Fall 2014 RECOGNITION Matt Seeger: Hall of Famer ho says deans can’t member at Wayne State to be Society of America, which is be in two places at recognized in this way. a feeder pool to active chapter W once? Seeger was nominated by for- members. When the PRSSA College Dean Matt Seeger mer student Mary Henige, now chapter was on probation for made a quick trip back to one of the top public relations dwindling membership in the Detroit during the National professionals working with Gen- early ’80s, Matt stepped in to Communication Association eral Motors. In her nominating help keep the chapter solvent. conference this year to accept letter, Henige noted: He has a passion for our indus- membership in the Detroit “While Matt has never been a try, students and for the city of Public Relations Society Hall member of the Detroit Chapter Detroit. “ of Fame. leadership, he has played a criti- And unlike many academics, And he didn’t even take the cal role in Detroit and for our Seeger has always kept one foot Megabus. chapter. Matt has taught at in the professional world, partic- It’s an honor made possible Wayne State for 30 years. He has Matt Seeger has always ularly when it allows him to com- by Seeger’s work with the pro- personally taught and helped to kept one foot in the bine two of his passions: public fessional public relations com- mentor and coach countless PR professional world, relations and Detroit. munity — as well as his aca- students and leaders in Detroit, particularly when it “In 2013 Matt led a team demic scholarship. Seeger is the including me. He is a huge sup- allows him to combine of Detroit professionals, many 34th person to receive this porter of Wayne State’s chapter two of his passions: of whom are former students honor; he is the first faculty of the Public Relations Student public relations and (Lisa Vallee-Smith, Mary Henige, Detroit. Heather Monaghan, etc.), to work on reinventing Detroit’s reputation,” Henige wrote. “He More accolades for Wayne faculty from PRSA hosted countless meetings and was hands-on throughout the Shelly Najor also was honored by PRSA’s Detroit Chapter. Director process. His vision and initiative of the undergraduate public relations program, Najor received the culminated in a symposium — Robert Hefty Distinguished Service Award, PR|D — in March 2014, which recognizes a practitioner for long and ‘Renewing Detroit: The Role significant service to the Detroit Chapter. of Public Relations.’ Speakers Mary Henige, the WSU grad who nominated included Bill Nowling, spokes- Dean Matt Seeger for his honor (see story person, Office of the Emergency above), also submitted Najor for her award. Manager, and Alexis Wiley, press “If there was ever an unsung hero in the secretary and mayoral spokes- PRSA Detroit Chapter, it’s Shelly Najor,” Henige person, City of Detroit.” As PRSSA faculty said.