Faculty and Staff - Recent Faculty Accomplishments

Scott Wells and Denee Janda presented a paper titled:  "Performing for the Audience:  Putting the Public Back into Individual Events Training", at the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events, Peoria, IL, August 1 - 2, 2008. 

Eddah Mutua-Kombo was awarded the 2007-2008 College of Fine Arts and Humanities Dean's Award for Outstanding Service on August 20th, 2008.

Bassey Eyo was awarded a modest donation from the St. Cloud Granite Rotary Club to support his effort to create the SCSU Global Leadership Institute.

Eddah Mutua-Kombo was elected the National Recruitment Officer of the Communicating Common Ground Division for the National Communication Association.

Judy Litterst and Diana Rehling received the "Top Research Paper Award," for their co-authored paper, "A Listening Perspective on Intergenerational Communication" presented at the International Listening Association Conference, March 2008.

Diana Rehling and Wendy Bjorklund received a Faculty Improvement (Research) grant to support analysis and writing of their Incivility in the classroom project.

Eddah Mutua-Kombo's article "Their words, actions and meaning: a researcher's reflection on Rwandan women's experiences of genocide" was accepted for publication in Qualitative Inquiry 15:1.

Eddah Mutua-Kombo was the presenter/facilitator at the Conflict Management Journalism Seminar for Kenyan Media Correspondents, Nairobi, March 3-5, 2008.

Eddah Mutua-Kombo was named a "2007 Difference Maker" with the St. Cloud Times for her leadership role in developing the "Common Ground Project."

Eddah Mutua-Kombo had her Classroom Activity, Conflict Analysis and Transformation, published in Spectra in Decemer of 2007.

Bassey Eyo presented "What Are Tomorrow's Higher Education Challenges and Continuing Education's Value-Added Role?" at the Mid-America and Great Plains Joint Regional University Continuing Education Association Conference in Evanston, Illinois.

Communication Studies Faculty participated at the National Communication Association Convention, November 15-18, 2007 in Chicago, IL.

- Julie Woodbury, panel discussion participant, “Exploring the Ethics of Faith in the Communication Classroom:  Scholarly Debate and Investigation Toward a Critical Pedagogy of Religion, Conflict and Identity.”

- Paula Tompkins, organizer pre-conference, “Communication Ethics, Religions Faith and Culture.”

- Judy Litterst, panel discussion participant, “K-12 Standards and Competencies Working Group.”

- Paula Tompkins, panel discussion participant, “Communicating Worldviews: Teaching Ethics in the Leadership Course.”

- Roseanna Ross, participated in “Chairs Breakfast 2007:  Getting Connected Inside and Outside.”

- Jennifer Tuder, Co Chair, “Academic Freedom Communicating Worldviews in the Academy”, presenter,  “Academic Freedom Isn’t Free.” panel.

- Scott Wells, respondent, “Civic Engagement and Participation” panel.

- R. Jeffery Ringer, Erika Vora, Eddah Mutua-Kombo, presenter, “Communicating Common Ground Communicates World Views:  All Partners Business Meeting.”

- Scott Wells & Denee Janda, presenters, “Building Support for Forensic Programs at your University.”

- Eddah Mutua-Kombo, presenter, “Communicating Worldviews in U.S. Classroom:  Educators’ Experiences from Rwanda.”

- Scott Wells, presenter, “Candidate Viability and Faith in the System:  Picking the 2008 Democratic Presidential Nominee.”

- Eddah Mutua-Kombo, presenter, “Communicating Common Ground:  A Service Learning Intercultural Communication Project in St. Cloud, MN.”

- Julie Woodbury, presenter, “Among the Righteous?  Keith Ellison amid the Demagogues.”

- R. Jeffery Ringer, presenter, “Intercultural Communication in Context-Denmark:  Practical Advice on Study Abroad Programs for Communication Students.”

- Tami Spry, presenter, “A Body of Evidence:  The Ethics of Evidence in the Epistemic/Aesthetic of Autoethnography.”

- Paula Tompkins, presenter, “A Communication Basis for Considering Ethics.”

- Eddah Mutua-Kombo & Marge Pryately, presenters, “Interactive Peace Building:  University and High School Students in St. Cloud, MN”.

- David Tschida, presenter, “Global Warming Goes to Washington: The Case of Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency.”

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Scott Wells was awarded the 2007 COFAH Award for Advancement of Student Success on August 29, 2007.

Tami Spry was the Keynote speaker at Cambridge University in July 2007, for the Mixed Methods Conference with a presentation titled, “Autoethnography:  Representing the Socialized Body.”

Scott Wells and Elizabeth Dudash had their article published: 'Examining Young Voters' Political Information and Efficacy in the 2004 Election,' American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 50, No. 9 (2007).

Eddah Mutua-Kombo was granted funding of $2,460 from the SCSU Cultural Diversity Committee to continue with the Communicating Common Ground project for 2007-2008.

Jeff Ringer's panel presentation was accepted for NCA Intercultural/International Division: Intercultural communication in contest--denmark: practical advice on the ins and outs of study abroad programs for communication students for 2007-2008.

Joanna Pucel was featured in the article "Heart of the Matter" which appeared in Outlook, Spring 2007, a publication from the Office of University Communications.

Margaret Pryately presented "Immigration in Central Minnesota” as part of the visit of Slovenian ambassador to the United States, Samuel Zbogar, in April 2007.

Erika Vora (and co author Ariana Vora, Harvard Medical School) had their article, “A Contingency Framework for Listening to the Dying”, accepted for publication in The International Journal of Listening, 2008.  

Jeff Bineham, Debra Japp, Marla Kanengieter and Dan Wildeson participated in a discussion - Case Studies in Academic Transformation:  A View from the Communication Discipline at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Diana Rehling, Chaired and Wendy Bjorklund, Margaret Pryately, Roseanna Ross, Paula Tompkins, and Erika Vora participated in a discussion - Understanding and Addressing Incivility in the Classroom at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Wendy Bjorklund, Joanna Pucel, Diana Rehling, Suzanne Stangl-Erkens, and David Warne participated in a discussion - Learning Social Responsibility Together at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Margaret Pryately, Chaired and Bassey Eyo and Joanna Pucel participated in a discussion - “Minnesota Nice:” Co-Cultural Values and Communication Behaviors at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Tami Spry participated in a discussion - The Articulate Body:  A panel honoring Elyse Pineau, recipient of the Outstanding Scholar Award for Performance Studies and Theatre at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Diana Rehling, Chaired the Panel:  Managing Incivility in the Basic Course Classroom with the following participants:  Wendy Bjorklund – “Addressing incivility in the classroom as a probationary faculty member,” Margaret Pryately – “Incivility and its causes among American university students,” Roseanna Ross – “The department chairperson’s role in preserving classroom civility,” Paula Tompkins – “Issues of fairness and justice in classroom civility,” Erika Vora – “Incivility in the classroom when cultures clash” at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Roseanna Ross, Chaired the Panel:  Finding Common Ground between Somali and Euro-American High School Students in Central Minnesota with the following participants:  Eddah Mutua-Kombo – “Violent and prejudiced actions:  Experiences of Somali high school students in Central Minnesota,” Erika Vora – “Adolescent prejudice:  Causes, consequences, and cures,” Margaret Pryately – “Performance as a non-threatening way to trigger discussion of possible racially-motivated incidents,” Jeff Ringer – “Mediation as a way of addressing cultural differences” at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Jennifer Tuder, Chaired the Panel:  Contemporary Performances of Traditional Rituals:  Performing Social Responsibilities with the following participants:  Tami Spry – “An autoethnographic critique of women’s spirituality groups,” Marla Kanengieter – “Right to passage:  The makeover show as contemporary initiation ritual” at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Paula Tompkins presented “Tensions between free speech and ethics:  Hate on Trial” as part of the Panel:  Communication and Social Responsibility:  Gifts for Teaching Communication Ethics and Freedom of Expression at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Paula Tompkins presented “Moral development and communication ethics” as part of the Panel:  Communication and Social Responsibility:  Competitive Papers on Communication Ethics at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Diana Rehling presented “A case study of international students and classroom civility and appropriateness” as part of the Panel:  Competitive Papers in Intercultural Communication at the Central States Convention, Spring, 2007.

Julie Lynch had a book published, Cherishing Sophia:  Rising to Authenticity and Feminine Power.  A book signing was held in February of 2007.

Diana Rehling's article was accepted to The International Journal of Listening.

Marla Kanengieter and Debra Japp (with Frankie Condon) received IPESL funding from the Advancement of Critical Thinking Institute.

Roseanna Ross was awarded The Pioneer of the Year Award in October, 2006, by the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) for her outstanding leadership role and service to the field of experiential education.  

Tami Spry’s article: A ‘‘Performative-I’’ Copresence: Embodying the Ethnographic Turn In Performance and the Performative Turn in Ethnography has been accepted for publication in Text and Performance Quarterly Vol. 26, No. 4, October 2006. 

Diana Rehling received a faculty improvement grant to attend "Awakening in the Body:  Mediation with Qigong" at Spirit Rock Mediation Center, Woodacre.

Professor Erika Vora was presented with the Service to Students Award from the College of Fine Arts and Humanites on Wednesday, August 30, 2006.

Professor Marge Pryately was the recipient of the Miller Architects and Builders Teacher Scholar Award recognizing her for teaching and citizenship on August 29, 2006. 

Professor Scott Wells was presented the Wellstone Award at the First Annual Paul and Sheila Wellstone Dinner Saturday, October 15, 2005, in Sartell.  This award is given to honor an individual from Central Minnesota who represents the Wellstone spirit of tireless community oganizing and service.