September 2018 The University of Texas at El Paso Department of Communication Sept. 2018 2018 NEWSLETTER Chair’s Message Hicks-Middagh Award 2018 marks many successful activities and New Faculty educational initiatives in the Department of Communication at UTEP. As part of our annual Department Awards tradition, we invite all communication UTEP RARE Graduates department alumni to attend our Homecoming Speech and Debate Team Brunch and Studio Open House, at 10:00 am on Students contribution to Saturday, October 6, 2018 in front of Cotton MALCS Summer Institute Memorial to learn more about our successes. We New computer lab will recognize our Hicks-Middagh outstanding Study Abroad in Rome alumni winner, Jodie Mena, who is currently the Study Abroad in Cuba Dr. Stacey Sowards, supervisor of KVEA and valuable supporter of Professor & Chair KNBC. We also welcome our newest faculty LINKS members such as Prof. Rhonda Doré, Dr. Yoon Hi Sung, Dr. Carlos Tarín and Dr. María Flores. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: We will also honor Sherry Lewis and Mary Trejo, for their years of hard work and dedication in the communication department at www.utep.edu/liberalarts/com UTEP, as both are retiring this year. Many exciting activities are munication/ happening in the department, and the rest of this newsletter provides a few examples of our work across five majors, two minors, and two FOLLOW US ON: master’s degree programs, not to mention world class research being conducted by faculty and students. Our growing department, both in terms of faculty and students, is a great place to witness high quality education and research in our border region. We hope to see you at our brunch in October! www.facebook.com/ UTEPDepartmentofCommuni cation/ HOMECOMING BRUNCH & STUDIO OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2018, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM COTTON MEMORIAL LAWN, UTEP CAMPUS September 2018 The Department of Communication would like to congratulate 1983 broadcast journalism graduate Jodie Mena as our 2018 Hicks Middagh outstanding graduate honoree. Jodie, who began his career as a reporter and editor at KTSM, is the news technical operations supervisor at KVEA-TV, a Telemundo owned-and-operated station in Los Angeles. Jodie will be honored at the annual Homecoming Brunch on Oct. 6 on the Cotton Memorial lawn. After getting his start at KTSM, Jodie moved to KVIA in 1984. He then moved to KTVK in Phoenix, working there until 1990 as a news and sports videographer. He then moved to Los Angeles, working at KCAL and KNBC before moving to KVEA in 2010, during which he was technical operations manager for KWHY and KNBC until 2011. He now supervises KVEA while still supporting KNBC, KVEA’s sister station. The stories he has either covered or directed include: Miner basketball, the 1994 World Cup, Los Angeles riots, Northridge earthquake, Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers, Super Bowls XXIV and XXVII, among many Jodie Mena other sporting and news events. Jodie, an Emmy Award winner, has been technical manager for the Golden Globes pre-show for the past eight years, and also has expanded news casts at KVEA, is an Associated Press news award winner, and received the Golden Mike from the Radio Television News Association. Jodie is a 1978 Eastwood High School graduate and is married to Mary Helen Campa, the CBS News deputy bureau chief based in Dallas. They have a daughter, Marcela Campa-Mena. 1 September 2018 T Dr. Yoon Hi Sung, a new assistant Dr. Carlos Tarin joins the Department Dr. María de los Ángeles Flores also professor in the Department of of Communication as the new Director comes aboard as an Assistant Communication, completed her of Forensics and as an assistant Professor in the Department of doctoral degree at the University of professor. Before moving back to El Communication. She teaches a variety Texas at Austin in May 2017. Her Paso he completed his Ph.D. in of courses within the Multimedia research interests are primarily in Communication from the University of Journalism sequence. Dr. Flores digital marketing, social media, media Utah in 2015. His research focus is on earned her bachelor’s degree at psychology, and corporate social structuration theory and structurating Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila responsibility. Dr. Sung completed her activity theory as a way of in the city of Saltillo in México. Later, master’s degree in Communication at understanding how organizational Dr. Flores earned a Ph.D. in Yonsei University in South Korea, and practices become routinized and journalism from The University of her bachelor’s degree in mass media in codified. His research project over the Texas at Austin. She has previously the same university. She worked for last several years has focused on Rare, worked as a professor at Texas A&M the Korea Business Council for the a non-profit environmental International University in Laredo, Arts in Public Relations Department, organization that sponsors Texas. She has taught Public and also worked as an account conservation and sustainability Speaking, Basic Multimedia Writing executive in SK Marketing & projects in developing tropical and and Methods of Research. Company in Korea. sub-tropical nations. He has also authored or co-authored a number of Her research interests include cross- Given that her research areas focus essays focused on topics such as cultural journalism, journalism trends, media advertising and public relations, environmental communication political communication, and she is excited to be in El Paso, and to pedagogy, public participation, and television studies. Flores has teach a course called “Media Planning dialogic engagement. With a master’s published scholarly work in English & Buying” this semester and a degree from the University of and Spanish in several international “Selected Topics” on advertising, Colorado in Communication Studies journals, making her a versatile public relations and social good. We (2011) and his B.A. from The scholar and journalist. Flores will welcome Dr. Sung to the Sun City, as University of Texas at El Paso in continue her research here in El Paso a UTEP faculty member. Communication Studies (2009), we on border journalists and other border welcome back Dr. Tarin as an topics. Assistant Professor and Director of Forensics. 2 September 2018 The Award and Hooding Ceremony is held every semester, and its purpose isD to recognizee mpartment the Awards excellence and dedication of the students in this institution. Undergraduate, master’s and doctoral candidates with an outstanding academic standing received a recognition from their respective departments. Stacey Sowards, Communication Department Chair, presented the awards to these students in our department. On behalf of the Department of Communication, and their former professors, we would like to congratulate our Outstanding Major Awardees, encouraging them to continue their hard work to inspire others. Here we present our outstanding majors for the 2017-2018 academic year. SPRING 2018 FALL 2017 Outstanding Major in Communication Studies Outstanding Major in Communication Studies Estefania Castillo - BA Carla Daniela Alderete Fiscal - BA Outstanding Major in Digital Media Production Outstanding Major in Digital Media Production and Media Advertising and Media Advertising Arturo Rubio - BA Wendolyn Garza Vargas - BA Outstanding Major in Multimedia Journalism Outstanding Major in Media Advertising Lillian A. Sánchez - BA Yoly M. Cortez - BA Outstanding Major in Organizational and Outstanding Major in Multimedia Journalism Corporate Communication Jeremy Allah Carranco - BA Alexa Valdiviezo - BA Outstanding Major in Organizational and Outstanding Graduate Student Award Corporate Communication Michelle Fernanda Ronquillo - BA Donna García Sianez - BA 3 September 2018 We would like to congratulate our UTEP-Rare alumni from Brazil, Indonesia, and the Philippines who graduated in the Fall 2017 commencement ceremony. The UTEP-Rare partnership began in 2008 with some forward-thinking communication professors, such as Dr. Arvind Singhal and Dr. Patricia Witherspoon, who understood that critical conservation issues worldwide can be articulated to communication & media education, scholarship, and training. Since then, the UTEP-Rare program has sent various communication professors to places around the world. The program also allows new graduate students to earn master's degrees in communication studies through their work & research in environmental What is the UTEP-Rare partnership all communication, and through their work in about? communication "pride" campaigns. Visit: Is an innovative program that connects UTEP https://www.utep.edu/liberalarts/communication/u professors and communication scholarship & tep-rare/index.html research with Rare, a conservation organization, based in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A., as well as with new UTEP graduate students around the world. This creative partnership allows graduate students abroad to take various communication courses in communication theory, environmental communication, social marketing, organizational communication, intercultural communication, communication research methods, and many other topic areas, in an effort to achieve conservation education goals and bring awareness to environmental and conservation issues in various locales worldwide. 4 September 2018 The UTEP Forensics Team is eagerly anticipating a new season of competition for 2018 after a multifaceted, energetic and successful record of activity in recent competition seasons. UTEP’s talented speakers and