Monthly Archives: April 2011

UD Alum Pursues Broadcast Career Following NBC Internship

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UD alum Dana Arschin is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at the New York Institute of Technology.

Former UD student Dana Arschin is heading towards success in the newsroom.  The accomplished graduate, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism at the New York Institute of Technology, has several pieces of advice for young professionals.

First, gain experience through internships; it could change your life.  Dana, who double majored in Interpersonal Communication and Spanish Studies at UD, earned the opportunity to intern at NBC during the summer before her junior year.  After that summer, she was destined to become a reporter.  That passion was fueled by other internships with NBC 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, News 12 Long Island, and News 12 The Bronx.

Second, seek out mentors; they can teach invaluable lessons.  During her internship with NBC, Dana shadowed Long Island NBC correspondent Greg Cergol.  He proved to be an extremely influential teacher, and taught her what it was to be a news reporter.  After realizing her career ambitions, she learned that what she lacked in experience she made up for in determination to gain knowledge from practiced professors in broadcast journalism.

Dana already has future career plans after graduate school, and is looking forward to the exciting prospects in the newsroom.  To learn more about Dana, visit her personal webpage.

Reporting by Erin Kent

COMM-MA Alum Publishes Book on Terrorism

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COMM-MA alum Kurt Braddock is co-editor of the book "Terrorism Studies."

Kurt Braddock, a COMM-MA alumni, is the co-editor of the recently published book, Terrorism Studies.  The book is a reader for students of terrorism and political violence, and gives a comprehensive introduction to the field.

Braddock is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Penn State and is focusing on persuasion and interpersonal communication in the context of terrorism, political violence and war.  As mentioned on Braddock’s LinkedIn page, he is especially interested in what, communicatively, leads an individual to join a violent movement.

The COMM faculty and staff would like to congratulate Kurt on his publication, and wish him the best of luck in his future studies!

For more information on Terrorism Studies, click here.

COMM Interest Student Published in The Huffington Post

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Comm Interest student Maeve Coyle encourages college students to get involved in the Social Security conversation.

When it comes to important issues, many college students focus on homework, sleep and partying – and not necessarily in that order.  It seems futile to look ahead a week or so, let alone 40 years.

UD Comm Interest student Maeve Coyle published an article in The Huffington Post entitled, “Why Retirement Savings Matter Now.”  Her blog post, which ran on April 13, was featured in HuffPost College, a section of the site dedicated to news and opinions written for and by college students.

Coyle shared a view of Social Security that is not often seen – that of a college student.  Though at the center of national debate, Coyle said, Social Security is not of great interest to most twenty-somethings.

Coyle also references a Sociology lecture she attended, where the professor predicted that Social Security would run out by the time current college students are old enough to collect it.  This led Coyle to look at the causes of its downfall and offer a few possible solutions.  She encourages young people to learn the facts about possible legislation, get involved in the conversation and form their own opinions.

To read the full article, visit The Huffington Post.

UD Students Connect with Alumni Across NYC

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UD communication and marketing students at NYC marketing firm Ogilvy.

Members of UD’s Public Relations Student Society of America and Blue Hen Marketing Club visited public relations and advertising agencies in New York on April 8.  The agencies – Momentum Worldwide, J Walter Thompson, Hunter PR and Ogilvy – graciously spent the day with the Communication and Marketing students, taking them on tours and answering questions about the field.

Many of the agency “tour guides” were UD alumni and were excited to mentor fellow Blue Hens.  Grace Leong, Managing Partner at Hunter PR, had a special connection to the group – she is a former president of PRSSA-UD and has been working closely with the chapter over the past year.  Leong and her coworker Mark Newman, Hunter’s Senior Vice President, hosted three PRSSA members and offered many tips and tools of the trade.

“You have to be able to accept a bad idea,” Newman said, during a discussion of Hunter’s brainstorming sessions.  When faced with a new client or challenge, members of the Hunter team gather in a room and play brainstorming games.

“You have to think, ‘How would Abe Lincoln sell this?’ Or, ‘What would I say if I didn’t want people to buy this product?’” Leong said.  She encouraged the students to look at the world from a different angle, an exercise that can be helpful in many situations.

The students learned countless tips from all of the agencies, with the day ending at a networking and socializing event at Ogilvy.  The two student groups agreed that the trip was a great success, and plan on making it an annual event.

For more information about the agencies, visit their websites:

Momentum Worldwide | J Walter Thompson | Hunter PR | Ogilvy

Dr. Pavitt Shares Research at MSU’s “Bowling for Scholars”

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Dr. Charles Pavitt, of UD Comm, presented his research on group discussion at MSU earlier this month.

You have a bank account, which you share with several other people.  You can each withdraw money for your own personal use.  The account accrues interest, so it does increase, but only slowly.  You can either withdraw a large amount for yourself, so the account runs out soon, or withdraw small amounts over times, so that the account lasts much longer.  What would you do?

Dr. Charles Pavitt, Communication professor and director of the UD Undergraduate Communication program, spoke about this dilemma at the annual Bowling for Scholars colloquium at Michigan State University on April 1.  Dr. Pavitt’s talk, entitled “Cooperative Mechanisms Operating when Groups Discuss Resource Dilemmas,” focused on research he has performed over the past decade.

“I have performed three research studies in which groups of students have faced the bank account scenario,” Dr. Pavitt said, “I have examined the content of the discussion, the choices the students make, and their perceptions of their experience.”

Traditional social science theory predicts that most people would choose the first option, withdrawing a large amount of money for their own personal use.  In Dr. Pavitt’s research however, participants often chose the second “cooperative” option instead, sacrificing their own interests for the benefit of the group.  He attributes this to the group being given the opportunity to communicate and gain trust in each other.

Renews your faith in humanity a bit, doesn’t it?

UD COMM Presents First Undergraduate Scholars Award

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From left to right, two of the recipients of the first Undergraduate Scholars Award, Adriana Ruscitti and Priscila Oliveira from Brigham Young University, and UD COMM professor Dr. Tracey Holden.

The UD Department of Communication presented its first Undergraduate Scholars Award this past February at the Western States Communication Association 82nd Annual Convention.  The award, which honors outstanding undergraduate research, will also be presented at the Southern and Eastern regional conventions.

“Earlier this year, the UD Department of Communication decided that the research done by undergraduates in our discipline really deserved recognition,” said Dr. Tracey Holden, a UD Communication professor.

Each of the regional Communication Association conferences had already been featuring undergraduate research, Holden added.  The UD Department of Communication created a series of awards to be presented to the top researchers at each regional conference.  UD will be sponsoring the undergraduate presentations at the Eastern conference this week, with faculty and graduate students judging the research.

“The poster sessions are especially interesting because the students speak individually about their research to each judge,” Holden said.  “They get to explain their ideas and get immediate feedback.”

For more information about the Eastern Communication Association, visit their website.