Montclair State University Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 4/April 2014
Student Media Projects
Students Return from Malawi

Professors Steve McCarthy and David Sanders returned from a successful spring break reporting trip in Malawi, Africa with five of their students.  The team produced feature stories on sustainability issues in partnership with the World Food Program. Read more here.


Tony Award Winner Laura Benanti to Headline Autism NJ Fundraiser on May 1
Fresh off her rousing performance in New York City Center's production of "The Most Happy Fella," Laura Benanti will perform in the Public Relations Student Society of America's third annual benefit concert for Autism New Jersey, set for Memorial Auditorium on Thursday, May 1.  Comic Sunda Croonquist, actor/singer Gia McGlone, 11-year-old musical prodigy Jodi DiPiazza, and students from the MSU musical theater program will also be featured. Tickets may be purchased here.
WMSC Finalist For Broadcasting Awards

WMSC placed as a finalist in six 2013 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Awards. WMSC took home awards for the following categories: Best Show Promo, Best On-Air Personality, Best Documentary, Best Celebrity/Artist Interview and Best Sports Play-by-Play: Football, and Best Public Affairs Program. 

WMSC Students Produce PSA on Sexual Assault Awareness
WMSC students collaborated to meet Dick Hinchliffe's challenge to get a Sexual Assault Awareness PSA on the air the morning of the first of April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness month. It will play -- along with subsequent PSAs, CBBs, interviews and news reports -- throughout the month. More of the story can be found here.
PR Management Students Partner with SCORE
Public Relations Management students, under the guidance of Larry Weiner, will begin a partnership with SCORE, the mentoring organization led by retired business executives. This semester, the class will develop strategic plans for three of SCORE's clients - the first step in what will begin an ongoing relationship.
Metropolitan Opera Guild Makes Transmedia Partnership Official
Transmedia students Chloe Motisi (left) and Victoria Ingato stand in front of one of the world's most iconic cultural landmarks, the Metropolitan Opera. The class will begin implementing a transmedia plan it presented to the Met Guild last December.
Upcoming Events
Lambda Pi Eta Symposium on April 11
Join Lambda Pi Eta for the 3rd Annual Symposium and Induction Ceremony.  Lambda Pi Eta is the honors society for undergraduate students in the Communication Studies area. At the event, annual awards in communication studies will be distributed, new members will be inducted into the honors society, and papers will be presented by distinguished LPH inductees. 
"Keepin' It Real" Colloquium on April 11
The next SCM Colloquium, "Keepin' it REAL or How I Learned to Do Science and Practice in Diverse Communities," is scheduled for Friday, April 11.  It will feature a presentation by Dr. Michael Hecht. Hecht will discuss the keepin' it REAL drug prevention curriculum as well as other applied projects that have addressed major public health issues. The presentation will explore the application of multicultural narrative strategies to promote healthier behavior. 1:00-2:15 p.m. Register here.
April 16 Colloquium to Feature NHL's John Dellapina
John Dellapina, VP of Communications for the NHL, and, prior to that a sports writer for the Daily News, will be our guest on Wednesday, April 16.Upcoming registration details will be posted on the SCM website.  
Innovating the Local News Ecosystem Symposium
On April 24 and 25, media leaders from across the country will gather at the MSU conference center for a day of keynotes and break-out sessions that will touch on the major trends and innovations impacting local media. The conference, hosted by the Center for Cooperative Media is free, but registration is required for both the opening night on Thursday and full-day sessions on Friday. Register now. Find more information here.
April 30 Colloquium With Interactive One's Mike Rich
Mike Rich, COO at Interactive One. which describes itself as the leading digital platform for the Black, Latino and new urban communities.  More information to come.
Open Data Summit Slated for May 15
The NJ News Commons and Hack Jersey have secured Thursday, May 15 as the date for a major Open Data NJ Summit, which will take place on campus. The event will take place in University Hall. 
David Sanders won an Emmy Award at the 57th Annual New York Emmy® Awards as executive producer of the "Copy Kid" animated PSA that encourages young people to respect the rights of creators. The story can be found here. 

Beverly Peterson Co-Chaired a forum, "Workplace Bullying: Seeking Solutions," that  took place at Rutgers School of Law-Newark on April 4. Peterson and the forum Chair received a Joint Resolution from the NJ State Senate/Assembly for their work on the issue and producing the event.

 

Debbie Galant will speak next Friday, April 11, at the 3rd Annual Conference on Media and Democratic Governance in Newark. The featured speaker is Yuriy Sergeyev, Ukrainian ambassador to the UN, speaking on "How the World Media Portrays Ukraine." Get details and register here. 

  

Tony Telloni, Managing Director of GolinHarris' New York office, recently visited with graduate students in Todd Kelshaw's Leadership and Collaborative Innovation class. The conversation revolved around recent and ongoing changes in the public relations industry due to technological developments, globalization, and new business models. 

 

SCM Adjunct Jaime Bedrin wrote a short piece for Baristakids about teaching kids to write well at a young age

   

Harry Haines made his Broadway debut at the Winter Garden Theatre on Saturday March 1 as a member of the crowd in the climactic fight scene in Rocky.

   

Dr. Christopher J. McKinley's lead-authored article, "Social Identity Theory as a Framework for Understanding the Effects of Exposure to Positive Media Images of Self and Other on Intergroup Outcomes," was recently accepted for publication at International Journal of Communication. 

  
Dr. Hugh Curnutt's essay, "Cooking Out of a Vending Machine: Post-Network TV and the Evolution of a Chef-Participant", was just accepted for publication by Palgrave as part of a food studies collection titled "Food for Thought: The Cultural Significance of Food on Screen." 
Past SCM Events
Filmmaker Rob Kuhn Featured at April 8 Film Forum

Feature filmmaker Rob Kuhn discussed his 2013 feature documentary, "Birth of the Living Dead," which detailed how George A. Romero gathered an unlikely team of Pittsburghers to shoot a revolutionary guerrilla style film that went on to become a cinematic landmark, offering one of the most realistic horror films ever.

Communication and Media Day

On April 4, college-bound students from all over the state traveled to the university to interact with current SCM students and faculty, participate in workshops, and discuss how the innovations of the past 20 years changed the way we live, tell stories, work, and play.  The full story is here. 
Interactive Film Pioneer Grahame Weinbren
On April 1, the SCM Film Forum featured pioneer of interactive cinema Grahame Weinbren. His installations have been exhibited internationally in museums and galleries since 1985, including the Guggenheim Museum, the Centre Pompidou, and NTT-ICC Tokyo. His documentaries and experimental films include George, Umbrellas and Letters are widely screened, recently at the 2011 Montreal Festival of Films on Art. Weinbren has published and lectured for three decades on cinema, interactivity, and new media. He is the senior editor of the Millennium Film Journal and teaches in the graduate faculty of the School of Visual Arts in New York. 
Conversation With Ken Auletta
                                                           On Thursday, March 27, "A Conversation with the New Yorker's Ken Auletta: Tales from the Front Lines of the Media Revolution," took place in Chapin Hall.  The event was sponsored by the Albert Payson Terhune Foundation, the English Department, and co-sponsored this year by the School of Communication and Media. Auletta has been an observer and analyst of journalism and the media for many years.  He has written extensively about a variety of issues. Auletta has written Annals of Communications columns and profiles for The New Yorker magazine since 1992. 
First Filmmaking Alumni Event Held
The Filmmaking program held its first Alumni event on March 27. Fifty four film alumni gathered with faculty of the School and members of the Montclair Film Festival and the local media and television community to network.
March 26 Colloquium -- George Brock and the Future of Journalism
George Brock is a professor at London's City University and head of the prestigious Graduate School of Journalism.  Brock explored the future of journalism and how it needs to adapt to maintain its place of relevance.
Montclair Entrepreneurs Discuss Disrupted Media
On March 25, the Montclair Entrepreneurs met for an evening of debate about disrupted media, and more. A keynote discussion between Jeff Jarvis, author and media consultant, and Merrill Brown, director of the School of Communication and Media, and event moderator was the centerpiece of the evening.  
March 18 - Michael Slovis,  Director of Photography

Michael Slovis, director of photography known for his work on the television series "Breaking Bad," for which he won two Emmy nominations, was our Film Forum guest on March 18. More information on Slovis can be found here.  

Artist and Activist Michael Premo
On March 5, Michael Premo discussed the changes in documentary filmmaking and provided an overview of the "Sandy Storyline" project. The project is a participatory documentary that collects and shares stories about the impact of Hurricane Sandy on our neighborhoods, our communities and our lives. More information can be found here.
March 4 Film Forum Highlights Work of Documentary Filmmaker Alan Berliner
Alan Berliner's uncanny ability to combine experimental cinema, artistic purpose, and popular appeal in compelling film essays has made him one of America's most acclaimed independent filmmakers. More can be found here.
Alumni & Friends Supporting the SCM
School of Communication and Media graduates share a lifelong connection with each other, the School and Montclair State University.  
We therefore work closely with alumni and friends, faculty and staff, corporations and foundations, and campus development professionals to create fundraising programs and opportunities that help the School continue strengthening its role as a regional leader in developing critical leaders in the evolving fields of communication and media. 

For more information, please contact:


Dr. Christine A. Lemesianou
Associate Director
973-655-5193
lemesianoc@mail.montclair.edu

 
Spotlight
FILM PROGRAM RECEIVES GRANT

The SCM Film Program just received a $10,000 grant from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences to send two students to Los Angeles this summer to intern on feature films. 

WiredJersey is a Website project produced by the students of the School of Communication and Media. 
 
To learn more visit www.wiredjersey.com 

NJ News Commons is a School of Communication and Media initiative to strengthen the voice of New Jersey by helping news organizations work cooperatively. 

The Montclarion
Among its recent stories is an article by staff writer Andrew Osolin, who reports on a collaboration between MSU students and Peapack-Gladstone Bank's Wealth Management team.

Learn More
Other SCM Links


Faculty and Staff
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If you have questions, news tips, or other suggestions regarding this 
newsletter, please contact:

Shawn Lockwood
School of Communication and Media
973-655-3601
lockwoods@mail.montclair.edu