Mass Communication Commons^™

Rice Center Focuses On Restoring Wetlands, Chris Rubis

The Scope

Halfway between Richmond and Williamsburg, where Kimages Creek flows into the James River, lies the Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences. A restoration project aims to return the area to its original state as a wetland. The project began by removing a dam that had been blocking the flow of Kimages Creek since 1927.

Student Newspaper Funding Issues On Public University Campuses In Ohio: Higher Education Administrators Vs. Student Journalists, Terry L. Hapney Jr., Charles J. Russo

SOJMC Faculty Research

Cases of college and university administrators using funding for student publications as a mechanism to attempt to exercise control over student media arise on a fairly steady basis (Hapney & Russo, 2013). Occasionally, this comes in the form of student government associations that defund student newspapers in retaliation for reportage. Usually, funding provided by administrators and student government associations is not a license to control student newspapers on public university campuses, in particular (2013). Struggles and conflict between university administrators and student journalists over who controls student newspapers in Ohio is evident— including the issue of funding (Hapney & Lucas, …

Alternative Media And Normative Theory: A Case Of Ferguson, Missouri, Mark Anthony Poepsel, Chad Painter

Communication Faculty Publications

This paper, based on in-depth interviews with journalists at alternative and advocacy papers in St. Louis as well as interviews with live streaming protestors, a new breed of citizen journalist, applies six characteristics commonly associated with the alternative press to coverage of the protests and police crackdown in Ferguson, Missouri, between August 9, 2014, and March 2015.

Journalists from the alternative newspaper in St. Louis focused on progressive or radical values less than the literature predicted. The African-American newspaper in St. Louis found itself influencing the national and global agenda regarding Ferguson and the ongoing oppression of blacks in the …

Chapter 9 - How Pop Culture Shapes - Excerpt.Pdf, Melissa R. Ames, Sally Burcon

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Beyond the I-Iot Flashes: New Portrayals of Mature Women

Chapter 1 - How Pop Culture Shapes - Full Chapter.Pdf, Melissa R. Ames, Sarah Burcon

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Becoming a Girl: Pop Culture'sFirst Stage of Gender Training

Chapter 2 - How Pop Culture Shapes - Excerpt.Pdf, Melissa R. Ames, Sarah Burcon

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Reading Between the Lines: The Lessons Adolescent Girls Learn Through Popular Young Adult Literature

Various Tests Induce, Then Measure, Stress, Malik Hall

The Scope

We all experience stress in some shape or form, especially university students facing final exams and graduating seniors under pressure to find a job. Now these nerve-wracking situations are being replicated in a lab – but this isn’t as sadistic as it may sound.

Researcher Studies Nervous System Development, Paige Bellamy

The Scope

Ashley Purdy, who recently finished a master’s degree in biology at VCU and is now pursuing her Ph.D., is studying nerve cells in zebrafish in hopes of unlocking secrets about the human nervous system. The research could shed light on how neurodevelopmental disorders like multiple sclerosis or epilepsy occur.

Method May Revolutionize Athletic Training, Shawn Scornaienchi

The Scope

Speed is the key to success in track, football and most other sports. Researchers at VCU have found that speed is crucial to success in weight room training as well. They are advocating a new method called velocity-based training, which measures how fast an athlete can lift weights.

Pine Trees May Shed Light On Global Warming, Nicole Nelson

The Scope

VCU graduate student Constance Bolte has been conducting research at “the intersection of ecology and evolution,” focusing on three species of pine trees: the loblolly, the pitch pine and the table mountain pine. Using temperature and precipitation data, Bolte has been forecasting and “hindcasting” the species’ distribution across North America.

Researcher Honored For ‘Outstanding Early Career’, Chris Rubis

The Scope

Dr. Matthew L. Banks, an assistant professor in VCU’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, recently received the university’s Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award. His research centers on two themes – developing behavioral and pharmacological strategies to treat drug addiction, and making existing medications more effective with fewer side effects.

Perseverance Pays Off For Ph.D. Student, Jacob Jaminet

The Scope

Lauren Griggs, a Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering, is working to increase the number of women and minorities entering the STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She was recently awarded VCU’s Susan E. Kennedy Award, which recognizes graduate students who are advancing the presence of women in education.

An Advocate For Minorities In Science, Paige Bellamy

The Scope

Dr. Teshell Greene, who grew up on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, moved to New York at 14 to pursue her dream of being a science researcher. Today she is an instructor in the VCU Department of Biology and a staunch advocate for underrepresented minorities in the field.

Editor's Page, Joseph M. Valenzano Iii

Basic Communication Course Annual

We are now in the 28th volume of the Basic Communication Course Annual, a testament to the dedication of those concerned with the introductory course in communication. Over the years these pages have been graced with significant work that has influenced the nature of the basic communication course, thereby impacting the lives of thousands of students across the country. That said, I am struck by the fact we have no “motto,” no phrase that captures our feeling about this important educational experience. I would like to muse about what might work as a motto for what we do and teach.

Reimagining Your Rx, Rebecca Jones

The Scope

Your future prescriptions might be manufactured in a portable factory – or even be produced by your body itself. Dr. Thomas Roper, director of pharmaceutical engineering in VCU’s Department of Chemical & Life Science Engineering, says the goal is to shrink the environmental and industrial footprint of the drug manufacturing process while expanding global access to medicines.

A Wonder Drug Against Cancer, Hiv And Other Diseases?, Ryan Carstons

The Scope

VCU researchers are experimenting with a new drug that targets the chaperone proteins that protect cancer cells. The drug AR-12 has the potential to fight off not only cancer but also Ebola, Zika and the human immunodeficiency virus, as well as bacterial infections.

Demanding Class Spurs Student To Stanford, Jacob Jaminet

The Scope

Hearing that Nick Rodriguez goes to Stanford, you probably wouldn’t guess that he had dropped out of high school and didn’t get the best grades as an undergrad at VCU. Rodriguez graduated from VCU last spring with a degree in bioinformatics. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical informatics at Stanford University. He says his interest in biomedical research stemmed from the VCU course Molecular Biology Through Discovery.

Researchers Head South To Study Mangroves And Birds, Joe Johnson

The Scope

For two weeks in January, VCU researchers Cathy Viverette and Edward Crawford will accompany 18 students to Panama, where they will study mangrove conservation and avian field ecology.

How The Greek Press Constructed The "Greek Economic Crisis", Maria Elena Kuntz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since 2008, there has been a surge of interest in and research on the relationship between news media and economic reporting, particularly as it concerns financial crises. The 2008 U.S. subprime mortgage crisis, quickly followed by the economic crisis that began to unfold in Greece in 2009, spurred researchers to examine how newspapers around the world report on the complex, globalized economy. In the pursuit of understanding transnational economic processes, publics rely on news media to provide information about the meaning of economic events, especially crises. As such, newspapers are key players in constructing the narratives of crises.

This study …

Ua12/4 Stall Street Journal, Vol. 8, Wku Health Services

WKU Administration Documents

Broadsides developed by WKU Health Services to convey public health information in students in bathroom stalls. Incomplete run.

Ua19/16/2 Athletic Media Relations Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

General WKU athletic press releases for the year 2016.

Ua19/16/2 Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, game statistics and photos related to the WKU basketball team July to December 2016.

Ua12/2/2 2016 Talisman - Life More Life, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

2016 Talisman yearbook.

• Paris, Rachel. Dawn of Delta Zeta
• Ziege, Nicole. Kick It to the Limit – Soccer
• Paris, Rachel. Immersion: Band
• Houston, Emily. Immersion: Dance
• Paris, Rahcel. Immersion: ROTC
• Ziege, Nicole. Immersion: Theatre
• Holt, Delaney. Major Pride – WKU Majorette Style Dance Team
• Houston, Emily. Hollow Spike – Volleyball
• Moscoe, Carrie. The Intergallactic Tightrope – Elliott Talkington, Theatre & Dance
• Gilliam, Ashely. Tops on Top – Cheerleaders
• Young, Kreable. A Grand Adventure – Grand Canyon, Outdoor Recreation Activity Center
• Voorhees, Jessica. Home Team Advantage – Track & Field
• Homecoming
• Sproles, Katherine. Saddle School – Dylan Davis, Rodeo
• Sims, Bryna. …

Ua19/16/2 Football Press Releases, Wku Athletics Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, game statistics and photos related to WKU football team in 2016.

Ua61/16 Class Of 2016, Wku Physical Therapy

WKU Administration Documents

Physical Therapy Class of 2016 yearbook. Features the following students:

• Allen, Whitney
• Anderson, Alexis
• Baston, Allison
• Bell, Devin
• Coode, Rett
• Dahl, David
• DiTommaso, Katie
• Ford, April
• Fortney, Brianne
• Fuller, Megan
• Goutsis, Dominque
• Gunn, Lorelei
• Hall, Timothy
• Harlan, James
• Hicks, Jacob
• Hubbuch, Emily
• Jones, Tom
• Macke, Cristina aka Vegas(?)
• McKinney, Kelli
• McReynolds, Lauren
• Muse, Terrell
• Reece, Melissa
• Sims, Shannon
• Smith, Laura
• Smith, Wesley
• Stalcup, Patrick
• Vittitow, Kristi
• Wilson, Kimberley
• Wright, Emily
• Wright, William aka Jason

A Fluffy Friend Can Chase Stress Away, Jessica Mayfield

The Scope

With final exams looming, VCU students could play with friendly dogs at “Paws for Stress” events held by the Center for Human-Animal Interaction and University Counseling services. CHAI is studying whether interacting with therapy dogs really can lower your stress levels.

Vaginal Probiotic May Help In Pregnancy, Ryan Carstons

The Scope

Consuming probiotics is a healthy fad that nutritionists and doctors are encouraging; eat enough, and your digestion will improve. However, millions of “good” bacteria live in us and perform healthy functions. Women, for example, have probiotics that originate in the vaginal canal. One particular kind of bacteria there may provide benefits during pregnancy.

Chapter 7 - How Pop Culture Shapes - Excerpt.Pdf, Melissa R. Ames, Sarah Burcon

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Changing the Playing (orReading) Field: ReconceptualizingMotherhood Through HumorousParenting Texts

Chapter 6 - How Pop Culture Shapes - Excerpt.Pdf, Melissa R. Ames, Sarah Burcon

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Nine Months of Fear and aLifetime of Paranoia: The I-IiddenEffects of Pregnancy Manuals,Child Rearing Products, and More

Chapter 3 - How Pop Culture Shapes - Excerpt.Pdf, Melissa R. Ames, Sarah Burcon

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The Gendered Self-Help Reel:How Romantic Comedies InstructWomen on Dating Dos and Don'ts