[an error occurred while processing this directive] NCA Mass Communication Division - Gatekeeper Magazine



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Vol. 20, No. 3
November 2015
CONVENTION ISSUE
Published three times annually by the Mass Communication Division of NCA.
Publications/Web Editor - Nicholas David Bowman, West Virginia University

Sponsored by:

In this issue:

Welcome from the Chair

College Station, Texas -- Greetings to all MCD members and welcome to the convention issue of the Gatekeeper! It’s that time of the year again! I can’t believe it’s almost time to pack our bags for the 101st annual convention of NCA in Las Vegas!

I encourage you to attend all MCD sessions, but especially, please do attend these three key events:

  1. the business meeting on Friday, November 20, at 11:30 a.m. in Pavilion 11 of Rio Hotel
  2. the "Top Four Papers in Mass Communication" in the same room at 9:30 am
  3. "Top Four Student Papers in Mass Communication" at 2:00 pm in the same room.

I am excited to share that our division will also be participating in the first-ever “NCA Interest Group Fair” this year. This unit fair is from 12:30-1:45 pm on Thursday November 19th in Amazon A in the Rio Conference Center. The fair showcases each unit through interactive displays and is especially targeted at new members who would like to learn more about various units in NCA.

As my term as MCD chair draws to a close, I would like to thank all of the MCD officers. In particular, I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the MCD Research Committee, particularly: Meghan Sanders (Research Chair), Hugh Phillips Curnutt, and James Durbin. They have done a phenomenal job of putting together a fantastic line-up of sessions, along with the Vice Chair, Sumana Chattopadhyay. Special thanks to MCD officers Sumana Chattopadhyay, Nick Bowman, Lissa Behm-Morawitz, and Narissra Punyanunt-Carter for their leadership in creating the interactive display for our unit.

Finally, I hope you will consider nominating yourself for one of the open officer positions for MCD. Over the last decade or so, I have enjoyed serving on various roles in the division and have met some incredibly wonderful people who have taught me a great deal about selfless service. It is a great way to serve our division, profession, and field of mass communication!

See you in Las Vegas!

SriDr. Srividya Ramasubramanian, Ph.D.
Chair, Mass Communication Division
Texas A&M University
srivi@tamu.edu

 



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MCD Teaching and Service Award Winners

Lubbock, Texas -- We are please to announce the winners of our Division's two annual awards, the

 

2015 Mass Communication Division Teaching Award

 

Dana Mastro
Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara

Over the past 15 years, in addition to teaching nearly 20 distinct courses, Dana has mentored over 100 undergraduate students in independent research studies, chaired 6 doctoral and 6 Master’s committees, served as a member of more than 20 graduate committees, and guided 14 graduate independent studies. Her mentorship and research collaborations with students have resulted in over two dozen publications and nearly three dozen conference papers. Her undergraduate teaching and mentoring excellence was recognized in 2009 at the University of Arizona with the Magellan Circle Award for Excellence in Upper Division Undergraduate Teaching.

 

2015 Mass Communication Division Service Award

 
Adam Earnheardt
Chair & Associate Professor, Youngstown State University

Adam C. Earnheardt is chair of the Department of Communication at Youngstown State University. In 2010 he was named Distinguished Professor and Mentor of the Year, in 2011 he was named Advisor of the Year, and in 2012, he received the Smith-Murphy Award for Excellence in Teaching. One of his nominators wrote: "Adam is a prolific scholar, a leader at Youngstown State University, a leader in his community and a leader in his field. In short, he is the epitome of professionalism and service, and always with a smile and a warm heart. Everyone who knows him admires his energy; I hope his hard work can be recognized by our national organization.”

Please join us in congratulating these two exemplary members of MCD!

Vice Chair-Elect
Narissa Punyanunt-Carter
n.punyanunt@ttu.edu

 

 


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Top Division Papers announced for NCA 2015

Baton Rouge, La. -- We're excited to announced the paper award winners for this year's 2015 NCA Convention in Las Vegas. Each of the papers listed below were competitively selected among the hundreds of submissions to MCD.

Our top faculty competitive papers are:

  • "From screen to self: The relationship between television exposure and self-complexity among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth" by Bradley J. Bond, University of San Diego, & Brandon Miller, University of Missouri  
  • "Good Guys Are Still Always in White? Positive Change and Continued Misrepresentation of Race and Crime on Local Television News" by Travis Dixon, University of Illinois
  • "The Effect of Primetime Television Ethnic/Racial Stereotypes on Latino and Black Americans: A Longitudinal National Level Study" by Riva Tukachinsky, Chapman University, Dana Mastro, University of California, Santa Barbara, &  Moran Yarchi, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya  
  • "The Strange Life and Death of the Fairness Doctrine and the Erosion of Positive Liberties in American Policy Discourse" by Victor Pickard, University of Pennsylvania

Our top student competitive papers are:

  • "Communicating Stigma and Social Support: A Comparative Content Analysis of Online Communities" by Daphna Yeshua-Katz, Indiana University  
  • "Sexy, Strong, and Secondary: An Analysis of the Portrayal of Female Video Game Characters from 1983 to 2014" by Teresa Lynch, Indiana University, Jessica E. Tompkins, Indiana University, Irene van Driel, Indiana University, & Niki Fritz, Indiana University  
  • "The Tween Disney Diet" by Rachel Hahn, University of Arizona
  • "Winning Bodies: A Content Analysis of Body Imagery within Competitive Reality Programs: by Ashley Kraus, Indiana University, Nancy Tyree, Indiana University, Matthew Blaszka, Indiana State University

The top paper presentations will be on Friday, November 20 in Pavilion 11 of Rio Hotel, with the faculty papers presented at 9:30 am and the student papers presented at 2:00 pm. All named authors will be given award certificates at the MCD business meeting, at 11:30 am in the same room (also on Friday, November 20).

As you attend and enjoy NCA 15 in Las Vegas, please take a moment to congratulate each of these scholars on their hard work!

MeaganSandersVice-Chair ('15)
Meghan Sanders
Louisiana State University
msand@lsu.edu

 

 

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Unit Fair @ NCA16

Milwaukee, Wisc. -- NCA has a new feature this year. It is called the ‘NCA Interest Group Fair’ (also referred to as the ‘Unit Fair). This event has been scheduled for Thursday, Nov 19th, 2015 from 12.30-1.45pm. At the Interest Group Fair, each unit is assigned a spot to showcase the incredible work that members of the units are doing. This year our unit is being represented by the Vice Chair of our division (Dr. Sumana Chattopadhyay) and our Grad Student Representative (Dr. Valerie Kretz). If you are currently working on an interesting project or have published or presented about something interesting this year, please share that information with Sumana Chattopadhyay (sumana.chattopadhyay@marquette.edu) or Nick Bowman (bowmanspartan@gmail.com), so that we can talk about it at the event!

SumanaVice-Chair
Sumana Chattopadhyay
Marquette University
sumanach@gmail.com

 

 

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MCD seeking officer nominations

Louisville, Ky. -- Preparing for our 2015 meeting in Las Vegas, the Mass Communication Division is actively seeking nominations for several of our different administrative and executive positions. Complete details are below, but specific directions and/or nominations (including self-nominations) should be directed to Nominations Chair Siobhan Smith (siobhan.smith@louisville.edu).

  • Vice-Chair Elect (4 years of service):
    • In the first year of service the Vice-Chair Elect will oversee the teaching and service awards.
    • In the second year the Vice-Chair Elect becomes the Vice-Chair and he/she must attend the program planning meeting at NCA, distribute the call for papers, and plan the program (with assistance from others in the organization). The Vice-Chair must also represent the MCD on the Legislative Council.
    • The Vice-Chair Elect then becomes the Chair and must preside over MCD business meetings and at Executive Committee meetings and represent the MCD on the Legislative Council.
    • In the final year of service he/she will serve as Immediate Past-Chair and represent the MCD on the Legislative Council and act as an adviser to the Chair.

  • Secretary Elect (2 years of service):
    • The Secretary Elect records notes and election results during the MCD business meeting. He/she is also responsible for distributing these notes after they have been approved.
    • The Secretary Elect then becomes the Secretary who is responsible for distributing notes at the MCD meeting and formally presenting the notes at the meeting.

  • Vice Chair Elect of Research Committee / First Year Member of Research Committee (4 years of service, 3 year term on Research Committee, one year on Nominating Committee):
    • The Research Committee's Vice-Chair elect will serve as Vice Chair in his/her second year and Chair in his/her third year.
    • Additionally after the third year (the year after which they serve as Chair of the Research Committee), this person will become a member of the Nominating Committee.
    • The purpose of the research committee is to coordinate the evaluation of competitive papers submitted to the Division for the annual convention, to plan the section meetings of the annual convention that are devoted to research in Mass Communication and to coordinate and promote the research activities of the Division.

  • Graduate Student Representative (1 year term): The Graduate Student Representative will represent the Division at any meetings held by the Association in which graduate student interests are discussed and in which graduate students are invited to participate.

  • Representative to NCA Nominating Committee(1 year term): This person will represent the MCD on the Association's Nominating Committee which prepares a slate consisting of two or more nominees for the office of Second Vice President and two or more nominees for each at-large position vacant on the Legislative Assembly and the Committee on Committees. NCA officers and members who have served on the NCA Nominating Committee during the previous five years are not eligible to serve in this position.

  • Legislative Assembly Representative (2 year term): This person will attend the Association's annual Legislative Assembly meetings and represent the interests of the Division at those meetings, record the proceedings from these meetings, and report a summary of those proceedings at the annual business meeting.

  • Nominating Committee of the Division (2 positions, 2 year terms):
    • This committee is responsible for presenting a slate of potential candidates to the membership during the business meeting.
    • They also hand out, collect, and count ballots.
    • The nominee who receives the most votes will be chair of the committee and therefore a member of the Executive Committee.

  • The Publications/Web Editor (3 year term): maintains the Division’s website, assembles and distributes the Division’s electronic newsletter (The Gatekeeper) and other communication from the Executive Committee, maintains the Division’s e-mail membership list, and transmits news of the Division’s activities to Spectra.

NOTE: Names submitted for Vice-Chair Officer Elect and Secretary Elect are not nominations, they are for the consideration of the committee which will make the final nominations for these positions. Also, several positions are members of the Executive Committee, please note the additional requirements of these positions: Executive Committee Positions, Vice-Chair Elect of Research Committee in three years, Vice-Chair Officer Elect.

SiobhanSmithCommittee Chair
Siobhan Smith
siobhan.smith@louisville.edu

 

 


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Yellowbrick.me Connects Parents and Researchers

Storrs, Conn. -- Currently, in order for parents and caregivers to find helpful advice, they have to visit numerous informational websites and blogs. But how can they be sure the information is trustworthy? We live in a world where anyone can be a content creator, and while it’s crucial for everyone to have a voice, sometimes it’s hard to decipher what information is credible and what is not.

YellowbrickMany parents then turn to their social networks for the answers. But some questions are too private or embarrassing to post on sites like Facebook and Twitter, where everybody knows your name. As a result, parents spend their time managing impressions in an attempt to come across as the perfect parent – all at the expense of getting the answers and social support they so desperately need. Seeing and experiencing this challenge firsthand, Matt Connell and I co-founded Yellowbrick.me – a media company and social networking site devoted to parents and caregivers of all ages.

Our mission is to improve the lives of parents and caregivers by creating media content and innovative technologies that educate, entertain, and make life more efficient. Yellowbrick.me has an anonymous forum where people can meet each other and share success stories, milestones, and road blocks. We’ve also created a global directory of family-friendly businesses as well as a crowdfunding tool that allows our members to support the needs of non-profits and researchers. Parents can even help design educational games and behavioral “interventions” for the community.

Communication scholars do an excellent job producing scientific knowledge that has the potential to make parents better parents. Unfortunately, much of this knowledge never reaches the people that need it most. Parents have told us that they would love to read published studies, but they simply can’t afford to purchase digital copies of research articles. And even if they were able to obtain the articles, the average parent probably wouldn’t be able to understand the jargon. To help address this divide, Yellowbrick.me interviews researchers and produces easy-to-understand study summaries. It is our hope that members of the NCA mass communication division will want to join in on the conversations, share their expertise, and help us create a global village in which every parent and caregiver has access to the tools and resources needed to empower themselves and their children.

For more information about YellowBrick.me, contact:

John Christensen, PhD
Co-Founder, Yellowbrick.me
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, University of Connecticut
john.christensen@uconn.edu

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CONFERENCES AND CALLS

Have a conference or call you'd like to add to The Gatekeeper? Volume 20(1) will be online through to June/July 2015. Send your information to Webmaster Nick Bowman (Nicholas.Bowman@mail.wvu.edu) and we'll get it posted (and shared to the MCD Facebook group).

Call for Participation
Scripps Howard Academic Leadership Academy
Baton Rouge, La. - Manship School of Mass Communication @ Louisiana State University
Deadline: 31 December 2015

The Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University is seeking applications for the 2016 Scripps Howard Academic Leadership Academy.  This program is aimed at mentoring would-be administrators from diverse backgrounds, by providing four days of leadership training and professional networking. The ninth annual academy will be held from June 26-30, 2016, in Baton Rouge, LA.

An advisory committee will select 12-15 participants to attend based on leadership potential and interest. Scripps Howard will cover travel, lodging and most meals for all participants.

During their time in the program, mid-career academics and professionals meet with seasoned administrators to learn about management, discuss the future of media education, and consider issues critical to those interested in taking on leadership roles. The program features a full slate of industry experts and administrators. Previous years’ speakers have included Paul Parsons, dean of the School of Communications at Elon University; Marie Hardin, dean of the College of Communications at Penn State; and Bradley J. Hamm, dean of the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University. 

Graduates of our program include:

  • Brooke Barnett, interim associate provost for inclusive community,  Elon University         
  • Lucy Dalglish,  dean, Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland
  • Barbara Raab, senior news writer and web editor at NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, and adjunct faculty at City University of New York
  • Brett Pulley, dean, Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications, Hampton University
  • Diane McFarlin, dean, College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Florida

To apply, please submit a cover letter discussing your interest in academic administration, a current CV/Resume and two letters of recommendation.  Applications and nominations can be sent to Associate Dean Meghan Sanders at msand@lsu.edu. Further application details are available at www.manship.lsu.edu/shala The deadline for applications and nominations is December 31, 2015.

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Promotions, Awards, and Published Books

Several MCD members including Ed Schiappa (Massechusetts Institute of Technology), Bradley Bond (University of San Diego), and Srivi Ramasubramanian (Texas A&M University) were featured in a recent NPR segment on media stereotyping: http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/08/31/432294253/how-shows-like-will-grace-and-black-ish-can-change-your-brain

Delindus Brown (South Caroline State University), has been selected Interim Chair of the Department of English & Modern Languages, South Carolina State University, 2015

Rory McGloin (Universtity of Connecticut) has been promoted to Assistant Professor, tenure-track, in the Department of Communication.

Publications and Presentations

Share your publications with us! Contact Nick Bowman (Nicholas.Bowman@mail.wvu.edu) and send over an APA-formatted reference and link to the article, and we'll load them up here. =)

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Position Announcements
[Don't forget to check out the latest job openings on our Facebook page, updated frequently under the "Docs" menu]

Have a faculty search ongoing? Contact Nick Bowman (Nicholas.Bowman@mail.wvu.edu) to have your position advertised here and on our other social media sites. There is no charge for this service.

Norfolk State University
Department Chair
Review Deadline Ongoing

POSITION:  Applicants are invited to apply for the position of Chairperson of the nationally accredited Department of Mass Communications and Journalism in the School of Liberal Arts.

RESPONSIBILITIES:  Guide a department of 8 full-time faculty and more than 350 majors. Provide leadership in the academic administration of the department’s teaching, research and service mission. Familiarization with ACEJMC accreditation standards and procedures highly desired.  Oversee the department’s assessment and academic advising activities; teach courses in mass communications and/or journalism, electronic media production and production teaching experience desired; cultivate and maintain partnerships with local media outlets and other constituencies and participation on departmental, school and university committees. The department also has a graduate program in Media & Communications and supports the university’s student newspaper, The Spartan Echo, WNSB-FM public radio station and the campus cable television facilities.

QUALIFICATIONS:  The Ph.D. in Mass Communications, Radio-TV-Film or Journalism is required. The candidate must have a minimum of five years of college teaching and professional media experience, preferably electronic media administrative and production experience and a record of scholarly research for appointment at the associate professor rank or higher in a tenure track position. A track record in fund raising and writing grants and proposals and familiarity with the ACEJMC unit accreditation and re-accreditation process are desirable.

SALARY:  Commensurate and competitive with qualifications and experience.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  January 1, 2016 or July 1, 2016.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:  Individuals with disabilities and requiring accommodation in the application process should call the Affirmative Action Office at (757) 823-8679 (Voice) or (757) 823-2876 (TDD) by the application deadline.

For more initial information initially contact: Dr. Wanda Brockington-wbrockington@nsu.edu

In addition interested candidates should access both the NSU and Commonwealth of Virginia online job position sites for further information. NCA CONTACT--DR. STAN TICKTON at the RIO, Tuesday November 17th to Sunday, November 22nd. An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University

University of Cincinnati
Assistant Professor
Review Deadline: December 1, 2015

The Department of Communication at the University of Cincinnati is seeking a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the area of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC).  We seek an individual who will conduct research and teach in the areas of computer-mediated communication (CMC), interpersonal/relational communication, identity and culture; with particular attention on the impacts of communication on personal and social identities related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, family dynamics, work/organization, sense of place, or other dimensions.  Courses to be taught may include Internet and Everyday Life, Communication Theory, Theories of Interpersonal Communication, Gender Communication, Family Communication, and Graduate Seminar in Interpersonal Communication, as well as courses in the candidate’s area of specialization. 

The individual selected will also be expected to develop a successful sponsored research program in societal impacts of computer-mediated communication building on existing departmental alliances and partnerships across the University of Cincinnati such as the School of Information Technology, the Digital Media Collaborative, and others.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:  Candidates with Ph.D. in Communication or related discipline completed by August, 2016 are preferred.  Candidates with ABD status will also be reviewed.

IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS:  Candidates should demonstrate clear evidence of the potential for establishing a national reputation through an active program of scholarship and should also have a strong record of teaching, an interest in both undergraduate and graduate education, a willingness to mentor graduate students, and experience with diverse populations.

DOCUMENTS THAT MUST BE INCLUDED/ATTACHED:  All applications must be submitted online at https://jobs.uc.edu.  In addition to completing the online application, interested and qualified candidates must attach a Cover letter/Statement of fit, Resume/CV, Samples of research, Evidence of teaching effectiveness and the Names/contact information for 3 references.
 
The University of Cincinnati is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to diversity.  We actively seek a broad spectrum of candidates including women, people of color, people with disabilities and veterans.

NOTFICATION DATE:  After position is filled.
JOB CLOSE DATE:  December 1, 2015

The University of Cincinnati is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer / M / F / Vet / Disabled. For more information:  https://jobs.uc.edu/ Search Position #8062

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NCA's RFP Tracker - Opportunities for Mass Communication Research

NCA's RFP Tracker identifies funding opportunities (including research grants, residential fellowships, travel funds, awards, etc.) for communication scholars. There are many grant opportunities for those interested in mass communication research. The RFP Tracker lists funding and fellowship opportunities for graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and people outside of the academy. Check out the RFP Tracker website at http://www.natcom.org/index.asp?bid=10977 and download the most recent report.

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NCA looking for Subject Matter Experts for national database

Julie Driver of the National Communication Association main office is looking for MCD members interested in serving as Subject Matter Experts to be contacted by news media organizations. If you are interested in this opportunity, please e-mail Julie (jdriver@natcom.org) with the following information:

  • Name and affiliation
  • Email address 
  • Telephone number
  • Brief 300 word biography
  • Names of any relevant publications (3-5)
  • Names of any relevant courses you teach

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NCA MCD OFFICERS

2014-2015 MCD Officers
SriChair
Srividya Ramasubramanian
Texas A&M University
Department of Communication
211 Bolton Hall
College Station, TX 77843
srivi@tamu.edu		 SumanaVice-Chair
Sumana Chattopadhyay
Marquette University
Diederich College of Comm.
403 Johnston Hall
Milwaukee, WI 53233
sumanach@gmail.com

Vice Chair-Elect
Narissa Punyanunt-Carter
Texas Tech University
Department of Communication Studies
1015 Media & Communication
Lubbock, TX 79409
n.punyanunt@ttu.edu

 AubreyPast Chair
Jennifer Stevens Aubrey
Department of Communication
University of Arizona
219 Communication Building
Tucson, AZ 85721
jlsa@email.arizona.edu

LaramieSecretary
Laramie Taylor
Department of Communication
University of California-Davis
394 Kerr Hall
Davis, CA 95616
lartaylor@ucdavis.edu

Secretary-Elect
Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz
Department of Communication
University of Missouri
215 Switzler Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
behmmorawitze@missouri.edu

BowmanPublications & Web Editor (expires '15)
Nicholas David Bowman
 West Virginia University
Communication Studies
108 Armstrong Hall
Morgantown, WV 26501
Nicholas.Bowman@mail.wvu.edu

Graduate Student Rep.
Valerie Kretz
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Department of Communication Arts
6051 Vilas Hall
Madison, WI 53706
vkretz@wisc.edu
Research Committee
MeaganSandersVice-Chair ('15)
Meghan Sanders
Louisiana State University
Manship School of Mass Communication
217A Journalism Building
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
msand@lsu.edu		 HPCVice-Chair ('16)
Hugh Phillips Curnutt
Montclair State University
Communication Studies
Life Hall 225A
Montclair, NJ 07043
curnutth@mail.montclair.edu

DurbinVice Chair-Elect ('17)
James Durbin
University of Akron
School of Communications
Akron, OH 44325
jmd16@uakron.edu

WorrellVice Chair-Elect ('18)
Tracy Worrell
Rochester Institute of Technology
3041 Eastman Hall
Rochester, NY 14623-5604
Tracy.Worrell@rit.edu
Nominations Committee
SiobhanSmithCommittee Chair (expires '15)
Siobhan Smith
University of Louisville
Department of Communication
siobhan.smith@louisville.edu		 SYoungNominations Committee (expires '15)
Stephanie Young
University of Southern Indiana
Department of Communications
8600 University Boulevard
Evansville, IN 47712
slyoung@usi.edu
Nominations Committee (expires '16)
Lisa Glebatis Perkss
Merrimack College
Department of Communication Arts and Sciences
315 Turnpike Street
North Andover, MA 01845
perksl@merrimack.edu

Nominations Committee (expires '16)
Shane Semmler
University of South Dakota
Communication Studies
414 Clark St.
Vermillion, SD 57069
Shane.Semmler@usd.edu

Nominations Committee (expires '16)
Omotayo Banjo
University of Cincinnati
Department of Communication
137 McMicken Hall
Cincinnati, OH 45221
banjooouc@gmail.com

AdamRepresentative to the NCA Nominations Committee
Adam Earnheardt
Youngstown State University
Department of Communication
1 University Plaza
Youngstown, OH  44555
acearnheardt@ysu.edu
Representatives to NCA General Assembly
StanLegislative Assembly
Stan Tickton
Norfolk State University
Mass Communication/Journalism
700 Park Ave., Unit 3249
Norfolk, Virginia 23504
stickton@nsu.edu		 ShaneTiltonLegislative Assembly
Shane Tilton
Ohio Northern University
Assistant Professor of Multimedia Journalism
Freed PAC 137
Ada, OH 45810
740.610.0424
s-tilton@onu.edu

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