March 2021 College News

College of Fine Arts and Communication | 5 1 Dr. Jasmine Austin (top-center) moderating a panel during the #ScholarStrike conference 2 Professor Ann Burnette who was elected 2nd Vice President of the Southern States Communication Association (SSCA) 3 Te New York Times article entitled “Tere Is No Vaccine for Grief” in which Maureen Keeley shared her insights 6 | March | College News COMMUNICATION STUDIES Communication Studies, Health Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Leadership Studies, Organizational Communication, Persuasive Communication, Political Communication, & Teacher Certif ication in Communication Studies FACULTY ACCOLADES Jasmine Austin was recently featured by the Ofce of Sponsored Research Programs at Texas State. Te piece explores her scholarly work on bringing together people with marginalized identities from underrepresented groups, her experience organizing the frst African American Communication & Culture (AACC) #ScholarStrike Conference in 2020 [ 1 ] , the creation of the Faculty Research and Productivity (FRAP) Network, and a forthcoming textbook. After the experience of organizing the conference, she describes that she wanted to serve our campus in a similar way. Jasmine partnered with the Translational Health Research Center to develop the Faculty Research and Productivity (FRAP) Network, where she now serves as program director. Te primary purpose of this interdisciplinary efort is to help Texas State faculty and staf gain momentum for research and productivity in a community with other scholars who study marginalized and underrepresented groups. Jasmine considers herself blessed to serve her department, university, and community as a scholar-activist and community builder. Ann Burnette was elected 2nd Vice President of the Southern States Communication Association (SSCA). Next year, she will serve as 1st Vice President and will then ascend to the Presidency of SSCA in 2023. [ 2 ] Stephanie Dailey was interviewed by Ring Central, a cloud-based communications and collaboration solutions provider, to share evidence-based advice about using instant messaging for internal business communication. She also attended SXSW Edu online to learn more about innovative teaching techniques and trends to foster student success in higher education. Elizabeth Eger received the College Achievement Award for Teaching for the College of Fine Arts and Communication. Marian Houser received the Presidential Distinction Award for Service for the College of Fine Arts and Communication. Maureen Keeley received the College Achievement Award for Research for the College of Fine Arts and Communication. She was interviewed and quoted in the New York Times for an article entitled “Tere Is No Vaccine for Grief ” in which she shared insights from her ongoing “Final Conversations” research. In the article, she says “we need to tell those we love that we love them.” She also elaborates on the fact that "telling someone how much they mean to you may feel a bit awkward. Go on and reveal the mushy bits of your soul. Most people enjoy hearing how much they matter, and saying it now saves you from having regrets later." [ 3] Cassandra LeClair received the Presidential Distinction Award for Teaching for the College of Fine Arts and Communication. Roseann Mandziuk received the College Achievement Award for Teaching for the College of Fine Arts and Communication. Josh Miller received the College Achievement Award for Research for the College of Fine Arts and Communication. He also published “Coalitional fronting and shared ethos cultivation in the case of the Council on Religion and the Homosexual” in Women's Studies in Communication . Mark Paz received the College Achievement Award for Service for the College of Fine Arts and Communication. #ALUMNISPOTLIGHT Donte Mathis (B.A., 2018) was inducted into the Texas State Hall of Honor for his accomplishments as a member of the Texas State Bobcats Mens' Basketball team (for more information, click here ). He played for Texas State from 1995-1999 and is the school's 4th highest all-time scorer, the only men's basketball player named as a Southland Conference MVP, and played in the 1997 NCAA Tournament. After a 13-year professional basketball career, Donte returned to Texas State to graduate in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. He is currently the head men’s basketball coach at Brentwood Christian High School in Austin and the Executive Director/Founder of Elevation Skills Sports and Achievement Academy in Houston. 7