Communication Studies Students Continue Winning Streak at Annual Conference, Win National Office, Set Records for Student Papers

Communication studies students from The College of New Jersey continued their tradition of setting national records at the annual conference of the National Communication Association (NCA) November 20-24 in San Diego, CA. Janna Raudenbush ’09 won election as vice president of Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication studies student honor society, the fifth year in a row that a TCNJ student has won national office in that organization. The outgoing national vice president is Joshua Wright ’08. In addition, seven refereed papers were presented by TCNJ students, the largest number of student papers accepted for presentation from any college or university in the nation.

The presented papers include:

International Newspaper Coverage of Muslim Immigration since September 11, 2001: A Community Structure Approach
Joshua B. Wright ’08, Daniel Giovenco, Garrett DiMarco, Amanda Dato, April-Crystal Holmes

Nationwide Newspaper Coverage of Adult Obesity: A Community Structure Approach

Kristen Marie Kiernicki ’09, April-Crystal Holmes ’09, Allison DiMeglio ’09, Cindy Sura ’09

Nationwide Newspaper Coverage of Childhood Obesity: A Community Structure Approach
Rowena Briones ’08, Danielle Catona ’08, Brian Keefe ’08, Christopher Zimbaldi ’08, Amanda Burd ’09

Nationwide Newspaper Coverage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform: A Community Structure Approach
Patrick H. Hall ’09, Steven Viani ’08, Alexander Liberton ’08

Nationwide Newspaper Coverage of Same-Sex Marriage: A Community Structure Approach
Jessica Haake ’09, Kristen Campbell ’09, Lauren Musacchia ’08, Amanda Roggenburg ’07

Nationwide Newspaper Coverage of the No Child Left Behind Act: A Community Structure Approach
Janna Lee Raudenbush ’09, Alyssa Conn ’09, Gina Miele ’09

Cross-National Newspaper Coverage of Sexual Education: A Community Structure Approach
Megan Van Der Stad ’10, Jennifer Higgins
All of the TCNJ student papers were supervised by Professor John Pollock in either of two classes: Communication Research Methods or International Communication. Acknowledging the achievements of TCNJ communication studies students, Pollock commented: “The continuing scholarly and honor society success of our students at the national level is a tribute to the contribution of everyone in the communication studies department—faculty, students, and staff—in nurturing a highly creative environment.”

Department chair Susan Ryan praised the students as well, saying: “The academic papers presented and national offices perennially won by our students at the national level remind us that communication studies students are capable of engaging in scholarship at the very highest levels of accomplishment.”