Summer 2014

Long time no update. I’ve been debating whether to transition this site to another platform as Apple stops supporting iWeb (or just start moving the content to social media, which I dread). In the meantime, I’ve actually been crazy busy.

In addition to four faculty searches (plus a split position with Poli Sci), Chair duties have been fun recently. In addition to our regular events and graduation ceremonies, our department has celebrated our 40th anniversary with a great panel (“Communication: The Next 40 Years”) hosted by someone you know, and also a great reception afterward. You can see the entire panel online on our new youtube channel, which we’ve also used to showcase a newly-digitized collection of campus guest speakers: http://youtube.com/uclacommstudies

One of the new faculty positions is an adjunct position designed to help our own Daily Bruin newspaper on campus. Due to declining ad revenue, they’ve had to lay off most of their permanent professional staff, including their advisor, so we have decided to try to help support them by providing a faculty advisor. If you’re interested, applications are due in early August: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/apply/JPF00304.

We’ve also been successful at placing Startup UCLA on a firmer footing. As part of the nationwide effort by the Blackstone Foundation to foster entrepreneurialism, Startup UCLA has been chosen to be the campus home for the new UCLA Blackstone Launchpad. We’re looking forward to relocating to the newly-renovated space over in Covel Commons in Fall and having our official launch. In the meantime, Startup UCLA is currently running its third Summer Accelerator, and has opened more of the events up to the public. You can see more info here: https://www.facebook.com/StartupUcla

In my own research, I’m nearly at the end of that nearly-endless content analysis project on historical partisan media. The last of the triple-coded AJC data is being completed now and will be arbitrated and cleaned by the end of summer. Matt and I were able to get that Afghanistan chapter out for the strategic narratives edited volume (we ended up revising it more than usual, it seems). And this summer will mark the start of that new interdisciplinary seed grant project, which I’ll be doing in conjunction with scholars at the medical school. Stretching my wings a bit on that one, I must say.

In teaching, I finished supervising an interesting honors thesis this year re-examining the original Erie County study’s media consumption data. Very interesting work, Tina! I’m doing a couple Fiat Lux courses in Fall (one is my existing Media Bias by the Numbers course; the other is a newly-proposed one more focused on the creative process in Hollywood). And I’ll be doing my standard Computer-Mediated Communication and Political Communication courses in Spring, which concentrates the pain as much as possible.

Speaking of which, back to the grindstone I go.