Current Issue Spring 2023

By Rachel Riggs
Assistant Professor, Public Relations

Social media management is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the communication industry, and businesses need employees who understand the ins and outs of social media from a practical and theoretical lens. That’s why the School of Communication's faculty created the new social media minor in fall 2022 to prepare students for careers within the social media industry.

All University of North Florida students, including those already majoring in communication, can declare a minor in social media. Whether students plan to enter a career in health science, business, art, engineering, or chemistry, these industries need employees who can effectively use social media.

“Social media has changed the way people interact and communicate and has become an essential component of the practice of strategic communication,” said Dr. Junga Kim, associate professor of advertising. “We decided to offer this minor program to meet the growing demand for students who understand the principles and applications of social media in our field.”

The new minor consists of 15 credit hours, and students can select five courses from the following offerings: COM 4373-Consequences of Cyberculture, COM 4561-Strategic Social Media, MMC 3001-Social Media for Communication, MMC 3342-Content Creation Tools, MMC 4630-Understanding Emerging Media, and MMC 4732 Social Media Management.

These courses were selected to provide an overview of the social media industry, strategic communication, social media analytics and management, content creation, and the theoretical underpinnings of emerging media, according to Dr. Chunsik Lee, associate professor of public relations.

Technology moves fast, and many graduates will be working with new social media platforms and technology that haven’t been created yet. A social media minor prepares students for the current and future media landscapes.

“Whether you are PR professionals, ad agency people, or journalists, you will need to work with social media,” Lee said.

Students currently majoring in communication may already be enrolled in these courses as electives or requirements for their degree plans, so it is advantageous for them to take a few more courses and declare a social media minor. In addition, for those students majoring in other fields, a social media minor may help these students stand out from other candidates on the job market.

Kim said the social media minor provides “skills in communication, critical thinking, and analytical analysis, which are vital skills for any career path. Our minor program can be an excellent complement for any major across the university.”

By Frank Goodin
Instructor, Digital Video Production

 Liz Slobodian is a strategic communications and corporate affairs leader.

Liz Slobodian, a 2009 School of Communication graduate and member of the school's professional advisory board, is making a significant impact on the lives of UNF students who may be struggling to pay for their education. She has created the Liz Slobodian Public Relations Scholarship for P.R. students who demonstrate a strong passion for the field and a strong work ethic.

"Last year, one of my mentors passed away,” Slobodian said. “She was a pioneer, having created the communications department at Flagler College. She had a scholarship there, and I did not want that legacy to go away, so I stepped up and funded that scholarship in her honor. That sparked an idea to me. I love UNF and I love the School of Communication, and just how transformative it's been in my life and my career. I wanted to do the same and follow in my mentor's footsteps. So, I created the scholarship at UNF."

Her scholarship is open to students who are pursuing a degree in public relations, meet the minimum requirements for GPA and enrollment hours, and demonstrate their passion for the field through extracurricular activities, internships and other experiences. The scholarship provides financial assistance to help cover the cost of tuition, books and other expenses related to attending UNF.

"We all have to survive. We have to pay bills. We're in school. So, it's important to me that it's a student who's in school working and also trying hard to get their education," she said. "There are a lot of students who take the time somehow in their busy day to join PRSSA [Public Relations Student Society of America] and other student organizations, and who do take the time to go to those network groups. I think these are important characteristics for someone who is looking to have a scholarship in public relations."

Slobodian adds that it's more than just the scholarship for her; it's the opportunity for mentorship due to how influential mentoring has been for her.

"I was always career-driven and focused on things, but the mentorship that I received through my professors at UNF – specifically in the School of Communication – was really important to me, and it helped create this path that I have,” she said. Dr. Stephynie Perkins, who is still one of my huge mentors, and of course, professor Bobbi Doggett. Those are my two biggest advocates; I think the world of them. Anything they said do – I did. So, when they said, go to this networking event, join PRSSA, join FPRA [Florida Public Relations Association], I said, "Sure, I'm gonna do it!'  And so for me, giving back, I couldn't think of a better way than to actually give back in this way. It's a life cycle. It's full circle and it includes the mentoring. It's a big thing for me. I really want to meet the recipients and share my experiences with them."

By Ken Thomas
Instructor and Senior Broadcast Engineer

The 2022-23 awards season has been very good to the Ospreys. Many of our students had already left the nest before the nominations were submitted, so we’d like to share the results to our alumni as we look back and recognize the fine work from the students during their time here at UNF.

School of Communication student submitted work to five competitions, with more than 75 entries on behalf of students and faculty. Seven entries into the Florida News Awards were awarded finalist or winner in the college division. Alumni Kayla Chouinard, Emma Curran, Timothy “TJ” Tomkunas, Caleb Bell (now at WJXT-Jacksonville), Romario Gardner (now at WAFF-Huntsville, Alabama), as well as Dr. David Deeley and professor Ken Thomas, were nominated. Chouinard won Best Feature for her story “Wreaths by Lee.” Tomkunas and his professors teamed up for the top honor for best college newscast “Inside Swoop and Inside Jacksonville.”

Winners (left to right) Timothy "TJ" Tomkunas, professor Ken Thomas, Emma Curran and Romario Gardner get ready to pick up their awards.

Thomas accompanied Curran, Gardner and Tomkunas to Orlando where they accepted their trophies on behalf of the School of Communication at the annual awards gala.

In August 2022, Thomas traveled to Fort Lauderdale to attend the Society of Professional Journalists Sunshine State annual awards reception to accept the runner-up certificate for the category “Best Broadcast Outlet” for the School of Communication internship program’s “Inside Swoop in 90 and beyond.” You can view the entry here.

Finally, Lauren Fox won a Hearst award in January in their Explanatory Reporting Competition. The award is for a story she wrote for Spinnaker Media.

The inaugural group of ambassadors began in fall 2022.

The School of Communication’s new student ambassador initiative is designed to help with recruiting new students and retaining current ones. The role of an ambassador is to be a spokesperson for the communication program, assist with student engagement and events, and give input to the faculty regarding the curriculum and diversity issues.

The hands-on nature of the communication program is what attracted many of the ambassadors to the school. Arturo Jimenez-Read, who is in the B.S. in Communication’s digital video production concentration, said he “enjoys the whole process of setting up and using cameras, recording and editing it all up into a video.” Grace Dvorovy, a multimedia journalism student, said, “I have always loved to write, and I have a passion for telling stories.”

One of the main activities for the ambassadors, who are juniors and seniors, is going into freshmen-level communication courses and giving students advice about their major concentration and about getting the most out of the college experience.

Emily Bennett, who is in the public relations concentration, said her advice is “get involved. UNF has many organizations, clubs, part-time jobs and internships available for students.” Giana Mercado, in the multimedia journalism concentration, said her advice is “don’t be intimidated by any of the courses because the professors and students will help you learn.” While it’s important to study hard and get involved in co-curricular activities, digital video production student Ash Anders tells students to also “prioritize your health and wellbeing.”

This is part of an ongoing series exploring what School of Communication alumni are up to and what advice they have for current students. These short videos are the brainchild of Dr. Nataliya Roman and her MMC 3342-Content Creation Tools students.

Matthew Farina, class of 2018, is using his communication skills to excel in business. Farina is a commercial account executive at Miro, a software company based in Austin, Texas. Eden Resnik interviewed Farina via Zoom. View Matthew Farina's video at https://www.facebook.com/unfcomm/videos/440348821136393.

 Aisling Glocke is a photographer at News4Jax. She graduated with a degree in communication and a focus in digital video production. Faith VanPelt interviewed Glocke in Jacksonville. View Aisling Glocke's video at https://www.facebook.com/unfcomm/videos/490306205702832. 

Tracey Kyles is a graduate assistant and Ph.D. student at the University of Florida. Kyles graduated with a master’s in communication management from University of North Florida in 2021. Her research focuses on media psychology, communication technology, and brand management. Jadah Foltz interviewed Kyles in Jacksonville. View Tracey Kyles' video at https://www.facebook.com/unfcomm/videos/330451182003567.

Patrick Lloyd, a 2017 multimedia journalism alum, is an anchor and reporter at an NBC-affiliate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Lloyd received his first TV experience here in Jacksonville at First Coast News. He worked as a video editor and photographer while still finishing his studies at UNF. Hayley Jones interviewed Lloyd via Zoom. B-roll is courtesy of Lloyd. View Patrick Lloyd's video at https://www.facebook.com/unfcomm/videos/1220186831823980.

Morgan Yonge, a 2017 multimedia journalism grad, is putting her skills to use outside of the traditional world of journalism. Yonge shows how her storytelling experience easily translates into other fields, including real estate. Caterina Calabretta interviewed Yonge in Jacksonville. View Morgan Yonge's video at https://www.facebook.com/unfcomm/videos/420421736148470. 

By Diane Matuschka
Instructor, Communication Studies

Emmy award-winning filmmaker Frank Goodin screened his video about the history of the communication program during Media Week’s alumni panel.

In keeping with the spirit of celebration surrounding UNF’s 50th Anniversary, the School of Communication’s Media Week event commemorated its 10th anniversary in October.

To mark the occasion, digital video production instructor and UNF alum Frank Goodin produced a tribute video about the school. The video features current faculty, Stephanie McClain-Araujo and Ken Thomas, who were communication students in the 1970s and 1980s, respectively. Former department chair Dr. Oscar Patterson shares how he oversaw the separation of communication from art and design to create the Department of Communication in the early 2000s. Bringing the video to a close, current school director Dr. John Parmelee talks about creating the graduate program, earning accreditation from the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC), and becoming the School of Communication.

The 10-minute tribute video can also be seen on the School of Communication's website.

As has been the case since the first Media Week in 2013, the event helps students meet media professionals and learn from their experience.

Participates this year included David Clark, Executive Director, Downtown Ecumenical Services Council; Jennifer Garavaglia, Digital Marketing Manager, Jacksonville Jaguars; Ashley Greer, Senior Recruiter/Talent Acquisition, Cox Media Group; Jackie Heller, Support Coordinator, Business Builders; Jud Heussler, Director of Branding & Programming, WAPE & WEZI; Paola Lorenzo, Communications Manager, Newfold Digital; Mike Madden, Digital Media Producer, Madnetic, LLC; Tristan Morhous, Director/Production Supervisor, Gemstone Media; Karen Phillips, Managing Director, Mission Driven Studios; Jamie Rich, Founder/Publisher, Flamingo Magazine; Adam Schaffer, Chief Creative Officer/President, 5ivecanons; Angela Spears, Owner, Angela Spears Communication; Teresa Spencer, General Manager, Folio Weekly; Stacey Steiner, Director of Brand Activation, Prattify; and David Zuckerman, President, Easy Edit Video.

In addition, Kyle Dodd, a photographer and editor at Action News Jax, and Tim Gibbons, editor of the Jacksonville Business Journal, met with Spinnaker Media journalists and toured their facilities.

One of the more anticipated panels was “The Climb to the C-Suite: How do Promotion Experiences Differ for Men and Women?” The panelists were Kerry Cullen Baldwin, Head of Channel Partnerships, Agentz; Stephanie Lippincott, Chief Marketing Officer, AWKNG Theology School; Mia O'Brien, Director of Multi Media Production, 1010XL & 92 FM; and Mary Kelli Palka, Executive Editor, The Florida Times-Union. 

A summary video of Media Week 2022 can be found on the Media Week website.

Angelica Pompy, owner of Pompy Portraits, holds an interactive session at Social Media Expo JAX, titled “Building a Community through Social Media Content.”

The final day of Media Week, Oct. 14, was reserved for Social Media Expo JAX, which brought together industry professionals, agencies, UNF staff, faculty, and students. Jennifer Watson, of Active Campaign, talked about the “State of Social Media: Today and in the Future.” Kenny Harper, of Rock My Image, presented “Automation Marketing,” and Grace Stoyshich, of Stuffing My Grace LLC, discussed “Marketing Video Creation.”

A practitioner panel made up of Daniel Burstein, MECLABS Institute; Ashton Elder, MDM Commercial; Eddie Garrison, Clover Media Consulting; Rachel Harris, RPH Business Solutions LLC; and Jenny Valino, She Loves Social discussed “Digital Content for Engaging Community.”

More information can be found on the Social Media Expo JAX website.

Dr. Christa Arnold, Dr. Stephynie Perkins and Dr. Rachel Riggs have been accepted as associate faculty with the JAIDE Institute. JAIDE's website names the mission of the Institute for Justice, Accessibility, Inclusion Diversity and Equity as providing institutional stakeholders resources and knowledge necessary to conduct, disseminate and publish meaningful research related to JAIDE locally, nationally and globally.

Dr. Christa Arnold, Dr. Brian Thornton and Dr. Stephynie Perkins were awarded a JAIDE fellows grant to support the research of their book project, “The Whole World was Talking: Assassinations, Civil Rights, and Riots: Conversations between Editors and Readers in African American Newspapers in 1968,” which is part of the AEJMC-Peter Lang Scholar Sourcing Series.

Dr. Berrin Beasley and her UNF colleague Dr. Pamela Zeiser edited the collection Social Media Ethics and COVID-19: Well-Being, Truth, Misinformation, and Authenticity (Lexington Books/Rowman and Littlefield), Contributions include the chapter “COVID-19 at the Nexus of Social Media and Propaganda: Public Health Messaging on Twitter Amidst Political Polarization." They also presented and earlier version of the book chapter to the annual Southern regional meeting of the International Studies Association.

Dr. John Parmelee had a research paper, “Moral Reframing in U.S. Presidential Debates: 2000-2020,” accepted by the European Political Science Association convention.

Dr. Rachel Riggs published “The Influence of Group Identification with Student Sub-Groups on Perceptions of Bystander Intervention to Prevent Sexual Assault” in Violence Against Women and “Understanding American College Students’ Perceptions of Asians in Television Media” in Media Asia. She also presented “Weaving Survivor and Victim Narratives: An analysis of Victim Impact Statements Used in Larry Nassar’s Sentencing Hearing” to the National Communication Association convention.

Dr. Nataliya Roman and Dr. Berrin Beasley won first place in the open paper category at the Broadcast Education Association convention for their paper: “'Too Much Stress for Too Little Pay and Too Little Reward': How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected U.S. Local TV Journalists’ Workloads, Mental Health, and Work/Life Balance.”

There are eight great ways to stay connected with the School of Communication:

1. Join the School's Professional Advisory Board.

   The board helps us make sure we are getting students prepared for the current media environment. If you have risen to a position of leadership at a news organization, PR firm, advertising agency or other media outlet, please contact the school's director, John Parmelee. Even if you don't want to be on the board, feel free to email the director with any advice on making the curriculum better.

2. Join the School's Alumni Association.

   This is a great chance to interact with fellow communication alumni and current students. To join, please contact the School's Alumni Association, mention your interest in joining, and please include your name, contact information, year of graduation and track. Also, all communication alumni are invited to be a part of the conversation on Facebook. This is the "go to" spot for UNF communication alumni. The Facebook group includes information about alumni social events, recently posted communication jobs, tech tips, departmental news, and pictures/video from school events such as Media Week. In addition, communication faculty members have joined the group, so you can connect with your old professors. Here's how to join the alumni Facebook group: Search for UNF communication alumni and ask to join.

3. Let faculty know how you're doing.

   Below is a link that lists faculty and their email addresses. Faculty love to hear what their former students are up to and are always happy to offer advice.

4. Participate in the Internship + Job Fair.

   Every spring, representatives from companies such as WJXT, The Florida Times-Union, United Way and Mayo Clinic meet with communication students to discuss upcoming internships and jobs. If you are a leader at a company that is looking for interns to do advertising, public relations, journalism or production, please contact professor Bobbi Doggett to participate.

5. Be a guest speaker or mentor to our students.

   Your expertise in advertising, public relations, journalism or production could be a real benefit to current students. We are always looking for guest speakers to come to communication classes. A good time to do this is during the fall semester when the school hosts Media Week, an opportunity for media professionals to speak with students and faculty about the media landscape. Contact John Parmelee for more information. If you want to mentor our students, please fill out a profile on our mentoring website.

6. Contribute to Alumni Notes.

   This is your chance to let faculty and fellow alumni know of any big career or personal changes in your life. Also, consider contributing a 300- to 500-word piece on which professors made the biggest impact on your career. Submissions will be published in the alumni newsletter. Contact John Parmelee to submit.

7. Donate to the School.

   Even a small gift can help us enhance our facilities, academics and recruiting of top-quality students and faculty. To contribute, please go to our website.

8. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.