UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Communication Studies

Ethics and Storytelling Webinar, Feb. 3

As a continuation of Ethics Week 2021, please join the Dundon-Berchtold Institute on Wednesday, February 3 at 6 p.m. for a free Zoom webinar featuring a panel of professionals whose work involves the dynamic, complex responsibility of storytelling. Jennette Lovejoy, communication studies, will serve as facilitator for this conversation featuring Oscar Leong (President, De La Salle North Catholic High School), Rhett Luedtke (Professor of Theatre, George Fox University), Yvonne Simons (News Director, KATU-TV) and Dave Miller (Host, Think Out Loud, Oregon Public Broadcasting). Details and registration information can be found at the Dundon-Berchtold Institute’s website for Ethics Week 2021. by using this link.

Virtual Thesis Defense: Carly Volkmer on May 1

The Department of Communication Studies invites all faculty and staff to attend Carly M. Volkmer’s virtual thesis defense on May 1 from 12:30-2 p.m. via Zoom. Carly her thesis, An Empirical (Re)Exploration of Leadership in a Nonprofit: Understanding Leadership as a Perspective and a Practice. Her qualitative study of a nonprofit argues that leadership can be a mechanism for creating an inclusive and diverse culture. She illustrates how organizational participants engage in everyday routine organizing processes that create inclusive cultural assumptions that then lend to constituting leadership as collective agency or a collective ability to act, act for, and act with others toward a purpose.

If you would like to attend this thesis defense, please contact Natalie Nelson-Marsh at nelsonma@up.edu for a zoom invite.

Retirement Party for Carol Bruce, June 20

After 22 years of exemplary cheerful service, Carol Bruce is retiring from her position as office manager and de facto den mother for the mathematics and communication studies office. A farewell party for Carol will take place on Thursday, June 20, from 3 to 5 p.m., in the Pilot House. All are invited to come by and wish Carol well and thank her for all she has done as a faithful University of Portland employee.

For more information contact Andrea Egger, College of Arts & Sciences, at x8310 or egger@up.edu.

Communication Studies Fall 2014 Senior Capstone Presentations

capstoneSenior communication studies majors will present selected research projects at the Department of Communication Studies Capstone Showcase Night on Tuesday, December 9, from 6 to 7 p.m., in Buckley Center room 163. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Dann Pierce, communication studies, at 7340 or pierce@up.edu.

UP Speech & Debate Union

Staff and faculty portraitsThe University of Portland Speech and Debate Union competed at the 84th Annual R. D. Mahaffey Memorial Speech and Debate Tournament at Linfield College over the weekend of November 15-16. Senior biology major Elizabeth Hartley earned first place honors as Best Speaker in Open/Senior International Public Debate. She was also one of two of UP quarterfinalists in Senior International Public Debate. Junior global business major Anna Murphy won a Top 11 Speaker award in Open/Senior Interna­tional Public Debate, and was the second UP team member to win a quarterfinalist award.

For the first time in many years, the University of Portland Speech and Debate Union competed in not only the International Public Debate Association (IPDA), but also through the National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA). The University’s NPDA team was made up of freshman political science major Alex Parini and freshman education major Pat Johnson. They debated in the Junior tier of NPDA debate and placed in the octofinals, competing against debaters with more collegiate debating experience.

For more information contact UP speech and debate co-director Bohn Lattin, communication studies, at 7352 or lattin@up.edu.

Fletcher’s “Rising Rwanda” On Display at United Nations

rwanda10 copyVail Fletcher, communication studies, has her documentary project, “Rising Rwanda” (with photographer Lorena Turner) on display at the United Nations from June 12-20 as part of the Outreach Programme on the Rwanda Genocide and the United Nations. Fletcher and Turner, a documentary photographer and professor at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California, developed “Rising Rwanda” in an effort to capture and define the experiences of children born and raised in post-genocidal Rwanda. The study, initially completed in February 2010 and funded by an “Imagining America” grant, involved interviewing and photographing each child with a drawing they created as a response to questions about their lives in Rwanda, and their perception of their community, family and themselves. The collective drawings and responses provide a unique lens through which outsiders can begin to view how this new generation of Rwandans understand their past and future.

To see more about the U.N. program go to this link. For more information contact Fletcher at 7351 or fletcher@up.edu.

Communication Studies Capstone Presentations, April 29

capstoneSenior communication studies majors will present selected research projects at the Department of Communication Studies Capstone Showcase Night on Tuesday, April 29, from 6 to 7 p.m., in Buckley Center room 163. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend. For more information contact Dann Pierce, communication studies, at 7340 or pierce@up.edu.

Speech & Debate Union Success

speechDebateThe University of Portland Speech and Debate Union had a successful weekend at the Pi Kappa Delta national competition held in Indiana over the weekend of March 20-23. Winners include:

  • Lisa Holm (junior, organizational communications) won 9th speaker in novice International Public Debate Association (IPDA) debate.
  • Chelsea Roberts (junior, communication studies) won 10th speaker and advanced to the octo-final round (top 16) of open IPDA debate.
  • Lakshmi Diener (sophomore, communication studies) advanced to the octo-final round (top 16) of novice IPDA debate.
  • Elizabeth Hartley (junior, biology, president of UP Speech and Debate Union) advanced to the quarterfinal round (top 8) of open IPDA debate and won an Excellence award for her informative speech.

For more information contact Brian Simmons, communication studies, at 8025 or simmonsb@up.edu.

Speech & Debate Union Results

simmons copyThe University of Portland’s Speech and Debate Union competed last weekend at the Fred Scheller Memorial Speech and Debate Tournament at Pacific University, according to Brian Simmons, communication studies. Congratulations are due to the following students on their impressive accomplishments at that speech and debate tournament:

Patrick Dolan (FR, biochemistry) finished in the top 10 and earned the 7th Best Speaker overall in the Novice division.

Lakshmi Diener (FR, communication studies) finished in the top 10 and earned the 1st Best Speaker overall in the Novice division.

Chelsea Roberts (JR, communication studies) finished in the top 15 and earned the 11th Best Speaker overall in the Junior division.

John Russell (SR, civil engineering) finished in the top 4 and earned the 10th best Speaker overall in the Open division).

For more information contact Simmons at 8025 or simmonsb@up.edu.

Senior Communication Studies Capstones

University of Portland, upSenior communication studies majors will present selected research projects at the Department of Communication Studies Capstone Showcase Night on Tuesday, December 10, from 6 to 7 p.m., in Buckley Center room 163. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend. For more information contact Dann Pierce, communication studies, at 7340 or pierce@up.edu.