New faces within the NSC faculty

In fall 2012, we welcome two new members of NSC faculty. Bridget Rubenking Dr. Bridget Rubenking is joining NSC in August 2012, after completing her Ph.D. at Indiana University.  She holds an M.A. from Cleveland State University and B.A. from Kent State University. Her research interests focus on emotional and cognitive processing of mediated content, […]

MathLab creates Twitter to inform students

The UCF MathLab has implemented a Twitter service to let students know about MALL capacity.  During the day, the line for the MathLab can extend outside the door to about 50 people waiting to get in. With the new MathLab Twitter, students can check the Twitter account before they head to the MALL to see […]

Internships available in Washington

Sponsored by The Fund for American Studies, Capital Semester combines substantive journalism and communications internships , courses for academic credit, career development activities, site briefings and lectures led by top policy experts and journalists. This fast-paced, fifteen-week residential program provides undergraduate students from around the world with opportunities to gain the edge in today’s competitive […]

UCF Book Festival accepting book submissions

The 4th annual UCF Book Festival/Orlando will be held at the UCF Arena on Saturday, April 13, 2013. The mission of the UCF Book Festival/Orlando is to encourage the appreciation of diverse and quality literature in addition to fostering and sustaining a love of reading. Annually, the festival draws thousands of readers of all ages […]

Reagan’s record on Iranian hostage crisis

During a March 6, 2012, video address to a conference of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, Mitt Romney seized the tough foreign policy mantle of President Ronald Reagan. “I believe the right course is what Ronald Reagan called peace through strength,” Romney told the pro-Israel group. “There’s a reason why the Iranians released the hostages on the […]

Alumni joins American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region board of directors

UCF Alumni Dan Ward, APR, vice president/partner of Curley & Pynn, has joined the American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region board of directors. He also serves on the executive committee as chair of the Community Visibility and Partnership Committee. The committee’s responsibilities include raising visibility for the American Red Cross as a local organization, establishing CEO […]

Moving forward – all eyes are on the future

A note from Robert C. Chandler, Ph.D., Director of the Nicholson School of Communication The programs of the Nicholson School of Communication (NSC) are undergoing a State of Florida mandated review this academic year. A period of self-study and analysis has been underway for the past six months and a large amount of data is being […]

Biologists’ book explains rising sea levels to young readers

Ocean levels have been rising for the past century, scientists say, creating a situation that could negatively affect many coastal animals and plants. To explain the concerns to adolescents, University of Central Florida biologist Linda Walters and Sydney Katz, one of her former students, have written a new book called “Rising Tides, A Guide to […]

Sociology Colloquium on Nov. 14

Please join the College of Sciences for the Sociology Colloquium on November 14 at 12 p.m. Click on the flyer below for a larger size.

UCF alumnus selected for Florida Supreme Court rules committee

UCF Political Science Alumnus and KEL Attorneys’ family law practice leader Brandon Tyson will serve on the Florida Supreme Court Family Law Rules Committee effective immediately. Tyson, a senior attorney who has been with the KEL law firm in Orlando for two years, said he sought the appointment because of the importance of these issues to his clients.  Tyson said […]

NSC students win awards at FCA convention

Lambda Pi Eta officers and Nicholson School of Communication students Lexi Jacobs, Jessica Monteagudo, Sydney Gray and Amanda Palmeira brought home two awards from the 82nd Annual Convention of the Florida Communication Association, which was held in Orlando this weekend.  The students were awarded “Poster with Most Crowd Appeal” and “Outstanding Poster Session Oral Presentation.” Lambda Pi […]

Old club with new attitude

For years, Ed2010, the University of Central Florida’s magazine club, has been trying to shine among the constellation of UCF communication organizations. And, for years, it’s occupied a dim domain, unnoticed by the hundreds of Nicholson School of Communication majors who seek a career in magazines. This fall, the club has a fresh set of […]

UCF to host CNN’s post-presidential debate focus group

CNN will be broadcasting live from the University of Central Florida immediately after Monday night’s final presidential debate with reactions from undecided voters. The voters selected by CNN will watch the debate from 9 to 10:30 p.m. and log in their reactions as they watch. Then they will discuss their impressions. CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien […]

Dr. Miller to participate in the ECR program

Dr. Ann Neville Miller has been accepted for participation in the Early Career Reviewer (ECR) program at the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Reviewers for the program are competitively selected from among applicants who have obtained their doctorates relatively recently. NIH Scientific Review Officers can select one ECR to participate in […]

Kerry Martin earns accreditation in public relations

UCF Alumna Kerry Martin, ’07, has joined the ranks of public relations practitioners who have achieved one of the highest credentials of the profession, the professional distinction of being “Accredited in Public Relations” or APR. Martin, a communications strategists at Curley & Pynn, recently completed the APR program, which tested her knowledge of communications theory […]

The pulse of European politics

While the rest of the U.S. is preparing for another contentious election cycle, Dr. Kerstin Hamann has her finger on the pulse of Western European politics. Hamann, the UCF political science chair, knows that the heart of Western European politics lies in the actions of the collective, or more specifically, the European Union (EU). Though […]

UCF campus wildlife

 College life at UCF wouldn’t be the same without them. “We bought the land to build a university, not a nature preserve,” UCF biology Professor Emeritus Jack Stout says, as he stands before a 4-by-4-foot aerial map of the campus, studying it intently. “But it turned out to be both.” Hurriedly crossing from asphalt parking […]

U.S. courts becoming more diverse

UCF Political Science Professor Dr. Drew Lanier, together with Dr. Mark Hurwitz (Western Michigan University), published “Judicial Diversity in Federal Courts: A Historical and Empirical Exploration” in the journal Judicature. The authors examine the background characteristics of US Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals judges. The results show that both levels of courts are becoming […]

A critical introduction to terrorism and communication

Over sixty students, faculty and community members gathered in the Teaching Academy on Thursday evening to hear Nicholson School of Communication Associate Professor, Dr. Jonathan Matusitz, speak on terrorism and communication. The hour presentation covered a broad range of topics including: what is terrorism?; why does terrorism exist?; and terrorism as a communication process.  The University […]

Journalism student takes on the Big Apple

Feature written by Baileigh Johnson I began my studies with Nicholson as a sophomore at UCF, and gained my first internship with a magazine the summer before entering my junior year. Just as a reporter gets an adrenaline rush from the chaos of a newsroom, I am completely fueled by the way the magazine industry […]

UCF teams with NASA to train astronauts

Three UCF professors recently won a $1.2 million grant from NASA to do research on teamwork training for the purpose of sending a crew of astronauts to Mars by 2030. Psychology professors Eduardo Salas and Kim Jentsch along with Stephen Fiore, an assistant professor from the department of Philosophy, wrote a proposal to NASA in […]

UCF psychology looking for volunteers

‘Food, Newspapers and Feminism’ – a new book in the making

Dr. Kimberly Voss signed a book contract with AltaMira Press – a division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers recently. Her book is part of the new imprint on studies in food and gastronomy. The book is about food, newspapers and feminism. With the manuscript due in fall of 2013, we look forward to seeing the book […]

Event: Terrorism and communication presentation

Dr. Jonathan Matusitz, Associate Professor at the Nicholson School of Communication and author of Terrorism & Communication: A Critical Introduction, will be providing a special one-hour presentation to students, faculty and community members interested in learning about this aspect of terrorism. This is a perfect opportunity to garner new information about terrorism and communication, interact […]

Navigating politics with friends on Facebook

A tidal wave of political content is flooding Facebook users’ news feeds as Election Day approaches, and many users are scrambling for ways to navigate through it. Should users block or unfriend a family member, co-worker or close friend and risk triggering an uncomfortable conversation? Or is there a less-stressful substitute?  The Social Networking Sites and […]

Bringing the smells of war home, via virtual reality

On an Orlando college campus, veterans and active duty soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder inhale the unmistakable smell of burning tires, rotting garbage and Middle Eastern spices as part of a virtual reality treatment for the psychological wounds of war. Participants sit in a chair wearing a head-mounted display and video goggles connected to […]

Biology student wins research competition

Sara Bolivar Wagers, UCF Biology student, attended the Minority Access’ 13th National Role Models Conference and participated in the Student Research Presentations. Wagers placed third under the Biomedical Research Section and was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. She has received attention and praise from UCF professors for her hard work and dedication. Early this year, Wagers […]

Secret of success in large classrooms is village of support

People often cringe when they hear about high student-to-faculty ratios and the size of some undergraduate classes. While I agree that the University of Central Florida’s number of faculty is desperately in need of a large infusion, I do not agree that large classes are the hallmark of an educational system lacking in quality and […]

Psychology professor wins national research award

Eduardo Salas, a leading expert on teams and training and at the University of Central Florida’s Department of Psychology and  Institute for Simulation & Training, today won the $50,000 Michael R. Losey Human Resource Research Award from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the HR Certification Institute, and the SHRM Foundation. The award, recognizing human resource academics or experts whose […]

COS celebrates diversity and helps Knights Pantry

The College of Sciences and the UCF Community celebrated diversity Monday morning at the annual UCF Diversity Breakfast. As a sponsor, the College of Sciences had several members present including but not limited to Teresa Dorman, COS Assistant Dean, Talat Rahman from Physics, Jeff Cassisi from Psychology, Nicole Jobson from the Lou Frey Institute, Danielle […]