New faculty to join department this fall - Saint Louis University

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New focus areas give students more choices The undergraduate program has recently introduced fi ve new areas of study that give students the chance to excel in what they do best. The basic core electives are still required before taking courses pertaining to the students’ area of study. New areas of focus with a description are as follows: Advertising and Public Relations • Offers the chance to develop skills used by Advertising and PR practitioners, including the criticalthinking and strategic-development necessary for campaign development. • Students have the chance to network among instructors as well as professionals in the industry through the National Student Ad Competition and the Public Relations Student Society of America. Communication, Culture and Community • Helps students prepare for the understanding of a diverse society through dimensions such as race, ethnicity, nationality, ability, gender, age and sexual orientation. • Careers associated with the intercultural skills gained here are in fi elds such as human resources, non-profi t and governmental administration, advocacy, arbitration and community organizing. Leadership, Organizing and Relating • This concentration helps students explore the diverse means of organizing when communicating among diverse groups of people. Individuals develop skills in essence of transferring organized messages among interpersonal, group, organizational and social contexts. • Students in this focus will begin to understand the value in developing a close knit connection among others for effectively communicating in groups. • Professional careers among this fi eld can lead to both commercial and non-profi t sectors. Journalism and Media Studies • Students in this concentration learn the skills to achieve in a constantly evolving media landscape. Courses focus on the importance of adapting with the development of social media in relation to traditional media. • Among our many campus facilities, students are provided with opportunities to gain real world experience while working with The University News, KSLU (the student-run radio station), and SLU TV. Communication Studies • With increasing fast-paced work environments, students continue to seek knowledge in careers that are emerging among us. Expertise in written and oral communication skills is a key skill employers inquire. • Individuals tailor their courses according to specifi c personal and career goals. Those seeking a Communication degree prepare themselves for further education in graduate studies such as law, human resources, business, management, education and other liberal arts and social sciences. With an increasing amount of students enrolling in Saint Louis University’s Communication Department, students may now choose from a variety of concentrations. All concentration areas allow students to hone in on a specifi c professional interest while also exploring various theoretical perspectives and techniques throughout the communication discipline. Across all of these concentrations, however, is our new emphasis on digital storytelling. “Through this emphasis students gain a mastery of the skills necessary to become lifelong learners and users of technology. Our new major is built upon a selected foundational beliefs,” said Department Chair Dr. Robert Krizek. “First, we believe that anyone can be taught a specifi c technology, but SLU Communication students shouldn’t be just “anyone.” Our students gain the skills required to continually update their knowledge and use of technology. Second, in addition to being able to create effective oral and written messages, students coming out of our new major will have skill in digital messaging. They will be able to contextualize information through a variety of techniques associated with digital storytelling.” The growth of this department has just begun and with the newest concentration areas, digital storytelling focus and technological innovations, we are excited to see where we’ll be headed next. The Communicator Page 2
Introducing the new Department of Communication faculty This year, the Department of Communication welcomed three new faculty members with unique teaching and research interests: Dr. Amber Hinsley, Dr. Katie Place and Dr. Zachary Schaefer. Dr. Amber Hinsley grew up in Troy, Mo., and she received her bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in journalism from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo. After completing her undergraduate education, Hinsley worked as a reporter and editor for the community section of the Los Angeles Times. Hinsley received her master’s degree in journalism and Dr. Hinsley mass communication from Kansas State University. She completed her Ph.D. in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. While at the University of Texas and Kansas State University, Hinsley served as an adjunct professor and taught classes at both universities. SLU appealed to Hinsley for several reasons. The university wanted a journalism professor who specialized in multi-platform journalism. Multi-platform journalism involves journalistic writing through multiple mediums from traditional, print journalism to writing for websites and other online forums. Hinsley also likes that SLU has a communication department that offers areas of specialty rather than a specifi c school of journalism typically found at other universities. She also enjoys her new faculty members and the sense of collegiality in SLU’s communication department. “I really like that it is a young faculty and that everyone wants to work together. There is a great sense of respect among staff members, and it is just a good place to work,” Hinsley said. Hinsley currently teaches Communication 210: Journalism and Newswriting and will be teaching Special Topics: Contemporary Issues in Media in the fall of 2011. Hinsley has visited 46 of the 50 states, six foreign countries and her favorite ice cream is oreo cookie. Dr. Katie Place is originally from Richmond, Va. and received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication from Virginia Tech. After receiving her master’s, Place worked as a public affairs and public relations practitioner in the Washington, D.C. area. In 2010, Place received her Ph.D. in communication from the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. During her time at the University of Maryland, she was a graduate teaching assistant and taught classes in public relations writing, news editing and public relations techniques. SLU impressed Place because of its focus on the students and community service. “It’s inspiring to come to a university that has such an ethical, serviceminded focus and to work with faculty members who have a passion for teaching,” said Dr. Place. She also serves as the faculty mentor for SLU’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). SLU’s chapter of PRSSA accomplished a great deal of work in one year and Place said she and the chapter offi cers have big plans for the group to do even more in the future. Dr. Place currently teaches Public Relations Writing, Public Relations Principles and Practices, and Public Relations Case Studies and holds research interests regarding ethics, gender and power in public relations contexts. She will also be teaching a new course in the fall, International Public Relations. In her free time, Place enjoys listening to music, traveling and walking her yorkie-poodle mix, Juno, through Forest Park. Dr. Zachary Schaefer grew up in Belleville, Ill., and attended SLU as an undergraduate originally majoring in premed. However, after taking Introduction to Human Communication and Culture with Dr. Robert Krizek, Schaefer loved the class so much that he switched his major to communication. He Dr. Schaefer Dr. Place also received his master’s degree in communication from SLU. Schaefer attended Texas A&M University and received his Ph.D. in organizational communication. During his four years at Texas A&M, Schaefer was a teaching assistant and taught seven different classes. In addition, Schaefer worked for a company that set up mock trials in cases regarding complex, intellectual property rights. Schaefer said this was the most enjoyable work he has ever done. (Continued on page 5) The Communicator Page 3
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New faculty to join department this fall - Saint Louis University

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