March 2018 College News

and their relationships. Te Alumna of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Brittani Crook , as she detailed her experiences as a published and award-winning scholar now working as a User Experience (UX) researcher at Facebook in California. Te Managing Uncertainty panel featured experts examining how uncertainty is managed in several diferent lines of high-reliability work, ranging from the National Tactical Ofcers Association 2016 Negotiator of the Year, a Wildfre Division Manager with the Austin Fire Department; a Forest Safety Ofcer, and an Aircraft Maintenance Ofcer with the United States Air Force Reserves. Other distinguished speakers presented on topics such as “Talking about Sexual Violence: Institutional and Interpersonal Communication,” “Communication Difculties,” “Te Rhetoric of Black Twitter,” and “Communication Teory and Advocacy.” Te discussion “A Chance to Be Heard” featured student panelists sharing their experiences with current issues of marginalization, communication challenges, and empowerment from their personal standpoints as Texas State students. Also included was a Speed Networking session where students met with professionals from several diferent felds for ten minutes each; the panel mimicked a speed-dating event. Te Department of Communication Studies hosted its second annual TEDx event on Saturday, October 21. Te theme “Bridging Diferences” was addressed by ten very diverse speakers ranging from undergraduate students to founders of non-proft organizations. Videos of each speaker can now be viewed here. Te Translational Health Research Initiative, led by Dr. Melinda Villagran , hosted the 2018 Health Scholar Showcase. Te theme, “Promoting Community Health,” highlighted a broad range of personal health determinants that occur in our homes, relationships, schools, neighborhoods, and communities. Te showcase featured a panel discussion on national and regional health research, an interactive poster session featuring Texas State research, and a networking reception for faculty and community partners. Featured speakers included Mary Woolley of Research!America as keynote speaker; William Buster, Executive Vice President of Community Investments for St. David’s Foundation; and Suzanne Anderson, Interim CEO and President of Special Olympics of Texas. 8 | March | College News SPEECH AND DEBATE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Texas State University’s speech and debate team won the Pi Kappa Delta (PKD) Division I National Championship at the PKD national tournament on March 14-17 in Nashville. Tis is the Bobcat’s frst PKD national team title and their second national championship. Te team won the National Forensics Association national title in 2011. Te tournament, hosted by Tennessee State University, featured 626 students representing 82 colleges and universities from 25 states. Students competed for national titles in individual speaking events, team debate events, and overall team titles. Matthew Anderson , a senior communication studies major from Austin placed 5th in the nation in Extemporaneous Speaking and, along with his partner, Jordan Drake , a junior from Cibolo, reached the octo- fnals (the “sweet sixteen”) in parliamentary debate. National semi-fnalists for the Bobcats included Dillon McCoy , a junior from Bandera, in Prose Interpretation, and Jaelyn Ashford , a sophomore from Nolanville, in Program Oral Interpretation. Lily Montemayor , a freshman from Hebbronville, reached the national quarterfnals in Extemporaneous Speaking. Several members of the team also received Excellence Awards at the tournament. Tese included Jaelyn Ashford for Poetry Interpretation; Tyshee Sonnier , a junior from San Antonio for Impromptu Speaking; and Preston Nieves , a sophomore from Pfugerville, for Extemporaneous Speaking. Pi Kappa Delta, founded in 1911, is the oldest national collegiate forensic (speech and debate) organization in the United States. Today, the honor society consists of speech and debate educators, students, and alumni from across the country. Texas State received its charter in 1934 with university distinguished alums R. H. Bing , J. Edwin Smith , and York Wilbern , as well as LBJ’s debate coach H.M. Greene among the charter members. Texas State’s team consists of the LBJ Debate Society, named for President Johnson who debated as an undergraduate, and the Elton Abernathy Forensics Society, named for long-time Communication Studies chair, Dr. Elton Abernathy. Te team is coached by Wayne Kraemer , Jeremy Hutchins , and Austin Allen . C3 The Center for Communication, Collaboration & Creativit y (C3) FACULTY PREPARE FOR 2ND ANNUAL RESEARCH ON THE RIVER C3 is hosting a fun and informative summer camp for researchers on May 15th from 10am-4pm; the camp will appeal to both creative and academic researchers by helping participants develop and improve ideas for their research or scholarly creative projects. During the event, faculty will beneft from interactive exercises and honest discussions that allow project and research ideas to fow freely in a constructive atmosphere. If the incentive of improving your research is not enough, the majority of the event will take place alongside our beautiful San Marcos River. Overall, Participants will leave with a better understanding of how to apply for external funding, the answers to seven vital research development questions, and an array of tools and templates to help them develop their ideas over the summer and eventually seek out external funding. For more information, click here. BLACK & LATINO PLAYWRIGHTS CONFERENCE CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN TO END APRIL 30TH Since September 2003, the annual Texas State Black and Latino Playwrights Conference (BLPC), created and directed by Eugene Lee, has helped share today’s minority stories. Te week-long conference supports Black and Latino playwrights in developing their new (unpublished and unproduced) plays through an ambitious week-long workshop process. It gives the community a rare opportunity to hear stories of minorities by minorities and it creates important opportunities to join the cultural discussion. A Humanities Access matching grant for the conference awarded by National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will match $1 for $1 up to $25,000. Te catch? Te deadline for this match is April 30, 2018. In short, by donating before April 30th, each $1 you donate is like giving BLPC $2. If you give $50, it’s like giving BLPC $100. We invite you to contribute to this very worthy cause! College of Fine Arts and Communication | 9