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News Blotter |
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Years ago, finding nothing existed on the market sketched out a textbook for an undergraduate CMC course. I've been gob-smacked how well it's been received and how many of my colleagues have found it helpful to introduce students to mediated communication. Given the demand, the second edition of Computer-Mediated Communication: A theoretical and practical approach to online human communication is now out. A comprehensive survey of this contemporary field, and instructor materials (e.g.,video lectures, quiz bank, slide decks) for each chapter; and instructors are always welcome to reach out to me about Zoom visits and any help I can provide. Available in early January!
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It came out in December; but in February I got pointed to a news story from my employer that I was one of the university's 14 most highly-cited researchers, reflecting the top 2% of scholars globally. This was nice to see, and reflects the many amazing, brilliant, and supportive colleagues you'll see in my CV that have kept me inspired and working hard over the years.
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Dr. Alex Hinck and I are back at it! A bit ago, we put forward our theoretical model to understand and explain when and how individuals initially perceived others online either as individuals (i.e., interpersonally) or as members of a social category (i.e., intergroup). Now, in our first test of the dual-factor model, we find initial empirical support for some (but not all) of our initial propositions. Take a read to find out when college-aged people view an older adult on a social medium as themselves vs. just a "Boomer."
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Making sense out of a lot of information online can be challenging. How do we understand multiple open-text reviews on Amazon alongside an aggregated product rating? Dr. Cameron Piercy and I worked to understand this sensemaking in the context of employer reviews. Findings reveal perceptions of an employers credibility and relevance are derived from qualitative reviews on GlassDoor, whereas evaluations of the organization as an employer are informed by the aggregated quantitative metrics.
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Overview |
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| Having received an education along US-27
in Michigan (including Alma College, Central Michigan University,
and Michigan State University), I emigrated from Michigan to Illinois by way of Oklahoma. A Professor of communication, I best-enjoy teaching courses in computer-mediated
and organizational communication, and work with diverse undergraduate and graduate students to delve deep into
the way communication and communicative technologies
change the way individuals learn about and interact with each
other. I count myself lucky I have a career to which I look
forward to every morning and that supports my other pursuits,
including travel.
At both the scholarly and personal levels, I love what I
do, and try to dive into each new activity fully. From researching
the ways that individuals use technologies to augment and
enhance decision making in work groups to sushing the slopes
of Colorado's back
bowls, I try to find the joy of each experience. Always
willing to try new things (from qualitative research to luging),
I find much of my life guided by a dogma common among my friends,
"Always do, never don't." At ease conducting social
network analyses and discussing theoretical implications of
research articles as well as touring vineyards and watching
Phineas
& Ferb with my nephews & niece, colleagues and friends
often describe me as eclectic, so I've tried to articulate
a bit of me below. |
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Professional
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I have taught courses in Communication and Business to
a variety of students: residential, nontraditional, and continuing
education at several institutions. I have had the opportunity
to teach courses in Mediated Communication, Group Communication, Public
Speaking, Organizational Communication, Social and Economic
Impacts of Telecommunication, Introduction to Media, and International
Business; as well as online courses in Interpersonal and Group
Communication.
As a researcher, I have a variety of research interests,
including the use of technology for communication and decision-making
within organizations (my primary focus) and online identity
construction and presentation. Trained in a variety of methodologies,
I have a preference towards experimental and survey research,
especially in online contexts. |
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Educational |
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Ph.D., Media and Information Studies;
Michigan State University
M.A., Interpersonal Communication; Central
Michigan University
B.S., International Business Administration;
Central
Michigan University |
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Personal |
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| I was born and raised just outside of Flint, Michigan. For
those of you who have seen Roger
and Me, those scenes (both geographical and political)
were the daily stage upon which my youth was played out. My
family comes from both sides of the union aisle (blue and white
collar, almost 50/50), which is probably what drew me to business
and communication in the first place.
Though I was born in Michigan, soon into high school I began
to take advantage of my new-found passion for travel and did
so frequently. Many of my travels brought me to the East Coast,
specifically the Garden
State, which I consider my second--and real--home. Many
of my friends live in the Philadelphia metropolitan area,
and it's not uncommon for me to come up missing on a Saturday
morning, only to be eating a Gino's
cheesesteak ("with") by evening.
Beyond my studies and travels, I am also a ravenous thespian,
an avid alpine skier, and enjoy lazing away an afternoon with
a good book on the shore of a nearby lake. I have a propensity
towards books as escapism, and was happy that the release
of the final Harry
Potter was during a time when losing a day to reading
it didn't detract from anything else. Alongside these more
pedantic pursuits, I've also had the privileged to perform
in a West End (London) theatrical
production, water ski in alligator-infested waters, sing
in a Parisian
cathedral, hit a deer with an airplane, and enjoy combative
watertubing. |
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